BUILDING A WORLD CLASS TALENT PIPELINE IN A EUROPEAN BANK

A leading European Financial Services business needed to transform the caliber of its talent pipeline

THE CHALLENGE

Our client is a leading financial services provider in Central and Eastern Europe. Faced with downward pressure on profitability, disruptive change and tightening regulation, the CEO wanted to ensure that the business had a strong pipeline of the “best of the best” future leaders, well-equipped for the challenges ahead.

We partnered with the client to help them identify early career talent and mid-level managers who had potential to step up, lead and thrive in a volatile business environment.

OUR APPROACH

  • We partnered with the client to draw a rigorous distinction between performance and potential.
  • Aware of the political sensitivities, we involved senior leaders in the design so that they co-created and owned the solution.
  • We set out to create an experience that was as insightful and impactful to participants as it was to the organization.
  • We developed a 1-day leadership simulation for emerging and mid-level leaders. The simulation was set 3 years in the future and built around the client’s context strategic challenges and culture.
  • We trained a team of leaders and HR business partners as co-assessors to deliver the assessment alongside our team, both in-person and virtually.
  • Participants received a report, in-depth feedback and created a development. Those identified as high potentials participated in the Bank’s leadership development programs delivered by leading business schools.

THE IMPACT

  • 400+ individuals participated in the program over 6 years.
  • The program helped differentiate those who were high performers from those with leadership potential.
  • The process has introduced rigor and objectivity in succession planning and leadership selection
  • Senior leaders credit the program with transforming the talent pool. The business now talent pools of people at different levels ‘ready now’ to step into critical roles.
  • 91% of participants would recommend the experience to a colleague