Why specialist assessment matters
Hiring the person closest to an executive deserves a more rigorous assessment.
The strongest Executive Business Partners are difficult to assess through a CV and conventional interviews alone. Judgment, prioritisation, ownership, discretion and knowing when to act versus when to escalate are also some of the hardest capabilities to evaluate.
With more than 13 years of experience working alongside senior leaders, I design and run practical assessment processes that reveal how candidates are likely to operate once they are actually in the role.
This is not candidate sourcing or recruitment-agency support. It is specialist functional assessment designed to complement an existing hiring process.
I don’t recruit Executive Business Partners. I help companies understand what great looks like, assess it properly and make a stronger hiring decision.
A strong Executive Business Partner does not simply execute instructions well. They exercise sound judgment when instructions do not exist.
Candidate Assessment
One candidate. Independent functional assessment.
I interview an individual candidate from the perspective of an experienced Executive Business Partner and assess how they think, prioritise and operate in realistic executive-support situations.
- Structured candidate interview
- Agreed competency assessment
- Candidate scorecard
- Strengths and risk areas
- Written recommendation
Best suited forCompanies with a preferred candidate that want an additional specialist perspective before a final decision.
Shortlist Assessment
Multiple candidates. Consistent assessment. Clear comparison.
I assess shortlisted candidates using the same competency framework so hiring teams can compare evidence rather than relying primarily on interview impressions.
- Shortlist interviews
- Consistent scoring framework
- Individual scorecards
- Comparative assessment
- Candidate ranking
- Final recommendation
Best suited forFounders or hiring teams deciding between several strong candidates at the final stage.
Hiring Process Design
Define the role. Test what actually matters.
I translate the executive’s real needs into a practical success profile and an assessment process that evaluates the capabilities that will determine success once the candidate joins.
- Role and success profile
- Scope and autonomy definition
- Competency framework
- Realistic case-study design
- Evaluation criteria
- Candidate scorecard
Best suited forOrganisations clarifying whether they need an EA, Executive Business Partner, Founder Associate or broader Executive Office role.
Full Advisory
From role definition to final recommendation.
An end-to-end assessment engagement for organisations that want specialist Executive Business Partner expertise throughout the hiring process.
- Success-profile design
- Competency framework
- Practical candidate case
- Structured interviews
- Comparative scorecards
- Final ranking and recommendation
Best suited forFounders, CEOs and People teams making a particularly important Executive Business Partner hire.
What I look for
The behaviours that distinguish excellent partnership from strong administrative execution.
Practical assessment philosophy
Test the job, not the interview performance.
Traditional questions often reveal how well someone has prepared for an interview. Practical scenarios reveal how they think. I assess reasoning, judgment, communication and the ability to make sensible trade-offs when there is no perfect answer.
Example situations only
Two senior stakeholders require the CEO at the same time. How does the candidate determine priority?
A leadership event conflicts with a newly scheduled Board meeting. What happens before escalation?
An executive request appears inefficient or commercially unnecessary. Does the candidate challenge it, and how?
A cross-functional initiative has stalled because ownership is unclear. How does the candidate move it forward?
The executive is unavailable and a decision must be made. What information is needed before acting?
Who I work with
Founders hiring their first senior EA or Executive Business Partner · CEOs looking for a more strategic support profile · executives replacing or upgrading an existing role · People and Talent teams seeking specialist functional input · growing technology companies building a CEO or Executive Office.
Project-based advisory
Hiring an Executive Business Partner?
I can help you define what success looks like, assess candidates against it and make a more informed hiring decision. Engagements are scoped according to the stage of the hiring process, number of candidates and level of assessment required.
Discuss your hiring process