By Damian Navas
Executive Assessment’s Quiet Revolution and Why It Matters More Than Ever
You know that moment when a candidate seems perfect on paper? The interview goes well, references are glowing, and the board’s nodding along. Fast forward six months, and things feel off. The team’s misfiring, progress has slowed, and you’re quietly wondering what went wrong.
You didn’t get it wrong. The process did.
Most traditional C-suite assessments just weren’t built for how investor-backed businesses grow today. We’re talking complex, fast-moving companies under real pressure to hit targets, build culture, and hold onto top talent, all while the ground keeps shifting beneath them.
And yet, the way we evaluate leaders? Still stuck in the past.
"Culture Fit" Was a Nice Idea, But Context Is the Game Changer
Let’s be real. Culture fit has become a catch-all phrase that doesn’t say much. In a business where everything is scaling, breaking, or reinventing itself every other quarter, culture is in flux. So, hiring based on "fit" usually means hiring someone who feels familiar.
But familiarity doesn’t build future value. Context does.
The best assessments now ask: Can this person lead this business, in this moment, with this set of challenges? That’s a different question entirely. And it requires a different process.
We’re seeing more use of tailored simulations, real business case scenarios, and even investor-style interrogation rounds that mimic actual boardroom pressure. Not to intimidate, but to illuminate. To see how someone really thinks, reacts, pivots, and leads…when it counts.
From Gut Instinct to Informed Judgment
Of course, gut feel still matters. You’re human. But in high-stakes environments, relying only on chemistry is risky. Especially when the cost of getting it wrong is measured in millions and months of lost momentum.
That’s why more teams are leaning into a blended approach. Tools like ghSMART bring deep behavioural insight. Leadership Circle adds visibility into a leader’s internal assumptions and patterns. Platforms like Plum and Pymetrics use cognitive science to spot how someone’s natural wiring fits the role’s demands.
These aren’t meant to replace human judgment. They help sharpen it.
The magic happens when you combine structured tools with real-world context and, yes, your own seasoned instincts. You stop hiring for résumé polish and start hiring for impact under pressure.
One Example That Says a Lot
A late-stage B2B business services company we work with needed a new COO. The business was preparing for a transaction within 18 months and needed operational clarity without losing speed. The CEO was a visionary, but the structure needed clarity.
We helped them build a rapid, situation-specific assessment. Not a six-week odyssey but just a few sharp inputs:
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A business simulation focused on systems, process, and scaling tension
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A structured interview tailored to the company’s actual operating challenges
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A growth mindset assessment profile to map out future growth proclivity in themselves and their belief structure
The candidate who made it through? Quiet confidence, high stamina, sharp without ambiguity. Six months in, the company was hitting operating targets and the CEO finally had someone who could hold the machine together.
That’s not luck. That’s assessment built for reality.
Old Habits Die Hard… But They’re Slowing Us Down
If your hiring process still hinges on:
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A couple of reference calls
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A personality type report
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A board dinner that goes “pretty well”
You’re probably flying with one eye closed.
These methods aren’t wrong, they’re just incomplete. They tell you something but not nearly enough when the stakes are this high.
We’re not saying throw out the entire playbook. Just update it. Because the businesses we’re building now demand leaders who can adapt, scale, and reset faster than ever. And figuring out who those leaders are takes a sharper lens.
Where It’s Going and What to Watch For
Here’s what we’re seeing in companies that get it right:
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Fast, focused assessments that mirror real situations
Not one-size-fits-all. Not theory. Just useful pressure tests that actually predict how someone will show up.
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Pre-hire clarity on what kind of leadership the business really needs
This sounds obvious, but it often gets missed. The clearer you are about the leadership model your future requires, the better your odds of finding the right match.
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Scorecards that measure whether the assessment was right
Not just post-hire feedback, but actual tracking of leadership outcomes tied to assessment data. This is becoming standard among top investors and it’s changing how we learn from the process.
Final Thought: Assess for Tomorrow, Not Yesterday
Executive assessment shouldn’t be about checking a box or adding polish to a hiring process. It should give you a head start on the future. A good assessment helps you predict not just whether someone can do the job, but whether they can grow the business in the ways that matter.
And if you’re still leaning too hard on CV history, credentials, or charisma, you’re probably missing the people who could lead the business where it really needs to go.
We think it’s time to change that.
If you want to explore what a more useful assessment process could look like for your leadership team or portfolio company, we’re happy to talk.
About the author:
Damian Navas, Managing Partner
Damian is a highly experienced executive search and talent strategist, specialising in connecting high-impact leadership with scaling businesses. With over 20 years of expertise, he has successfully placed transformative talent in fast-growing, investor-backed organisations across Technology, Digital Transformation, and Finance.
Having led search firms in the UK, Europe, North America, and the UAE, Damian brings a deep understanding of global talent dynamics. He has worked with start-ups, scale-ups, and global enterprises, shaping leadership teams through permanent, fractional, and Board appointments that drive business success.
At Excelerator Partners, Damian partners with clients to secure top-tier talent that fuels growth, enhances value creation, and strengthens leadership teams. His strategic approach ensures businesses have the right expertise to scale effectively in competitive markets.
