Part of this should – and will – be around the leadership of teams and businesses. With new ways of working and in some instances, reduced headcount, clear and strong business leadership will be more important now as organisations look to remain competitive into the future.

Why you need stronger leaders 

Covid-19 and the corresponding economic impacts have had an unsettling impact on many of us. And it’s not just people who are looking for new roles that are faced with uncertainty – even those in secure positions and industries are faced with a future that feels unclear. A study in mid-May showed a nine percentage point decrease in the number of employees who agreed that their leaders were making effective decisions during the crisis, with a similar fall in leader visibility and availability. And while the pandemic is indeed unprecedented and organisational leaders are faced with tremendous difficulty in navigating this time, it’s clear that employees are looking to their business leadership for direction and reassurance. The current crisis may have exposed development needs within organisations and put pressure on existing leaders, creating opportunities to identify new talent and bring in additional support. Add in the new virtual environment and many leaders are simply feeling out of their depth. 

A good leader will be able to deliver on your business strategy, factoring in current and emerging business opportunities and challenges. They are essential in boosting employee engagement and motivation, will understand how to achieve high levels of success and ultimately deliver better business results. According to Gallup, managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement and can be linked to improvements in productivity, profitability and customer engagement. Good leaders, therefore, are good business. 

What should you look for in a business leader? 

While external talent can bring fresh insights and new skills to your organisation, there are also potential leaders already in your business waiting to maximise their potential. That’s why a good leadership solutions strategy includes both search and selection and development  and succession planning. 

Leadership assessment should be a key component of your strategy. You’ll want to identify a professional’s strengths and how they align with your business, as well as their development priorities. On top of this, you should consider their motivations, aspirations and how much potential they can build on within your organisation. Assessment can help to determine both the cognitive abilities and personality traits of potential leaders, and you should also take the time to define what the leadership expectation and competencies are for your organisation.  

When developing leaders internally, personalised development and succession plans will help to keep both employees and your business on track, with clear and measurable outcomes supported by feedback, surveys and ongoing coaching. An external partner can be key here, helping to provide impartial feedback and holding leaders to account in a way that is tailored to their role, personality and your organisation. 

There are a range of different tools and techniques that span leadership assessment, development and succession planning, and a good leadership solutions partner will be able to guide you through these. 

How Hanover can help with your leadership solutions

Identifying, attracting and recruiting the market’s top talent can be difficult at the best of times, and perhaps more so in the current climate where passive candidates are reluctant to leave a secure role in search of something better.  

By partnering with a specialist leadership solutions partner like Hanover, you’ll have a competitive advantage in accessing the best leaders for your business. 

What we offer 

We work closely with Hanover’s search teams. Our leadership solutions range from psychometric testing and assessment to support the selection of short-listed candidates through to working alongside talent teams internally to identify and develop potential and plan succession. Our assessments help you to understand how each shortlisted candidate is likely to lead, plan and execute business through a comprehensive overview of their fit for the role. We also provide insights into how to get the best out of them and their potential to develop within your business in the future. Hanover will tailor our support and solutions to suit your business requirements, whatever they may be. 

Who benefits from leadership solutions?

We can help your senior leaders to make the best business decisions when it comes to investing in and deploying talent, particularly in challenging times like now. When you can’t meet candidates face to face, you can trust us to help manage and quantify that risk, supporting your decisions around who to hire and how best to utilise them in your business, ultimately improving organisational results. 

An independent, external partner can also demonstrate to regulators that you’re using a rigorous and impartial assessment process to select your senior leaders, while candidates feel the benefit of a thorough process that often feels more like coaching. This reflects positively on your employer brand and demonstrates that you’re committed to hiring the right person for the right role – plus, Hanover always offers candidate feedback to help ensure everyone benefits from the process. 

While times may still feel uncertain, now is the time to prepare for the future and ensure you have the best leaders on hand to take you forward. Get in touch Many leaders have been working around the clock to navigate these uncertain times – often making extremely difficult decisions regarding headcount and resourcing. Let us help you by providing objective advice, feedback and support. 

Whatever your leadership solution and talent assessment requirements, Hanover can help. Contact us to start a conversation about how you can get more from your business leaders.