Assessment: A key lever for Leadership development... and for securing recruitment decisions

How Atlantic Group leveraged Authentic Talent to provide a consistent, organization-wide vision of leadership in selection and development contexts.

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Within Atlantic Group, the HR function boasts a high level of maturity in talent and leadership development.

However, as in many organizations, two realities coexisted:

• robust collective leadership development programs;
• high-stakes recruitment decisions, particularly for executive-level positions.

But between these two, an opportunity remained underexploited: how to use the same assessment tool to both develop leaders… and inform critical decisions?

It was with this in mind that Hogan Assessments was gradually integrated, not as an isolated tool, but as a cross-functional framework applicable at several key moments in leaders' careers.

“We didn’t think ‘tool’ at the outset. We thought in terms of service offering. There was a gap in our individual approach, and at the same time, strong needs for certain decisions. Hogan proved to be a relevant solution for both.”

José Miguel Sepulveda – HR Consultant Atlantic Group

A single framework, two strategic uses:

1. Developing leadership with a structured format, without extensive coaching

First use: individual leadership development.

The objective is clear: to offer support that is more structured than a classic discussion, yet lighter than coaching, for managers and leaders.

The implemented format is intentionally simple and effective:

• 4 to 5 sessions, spaced 2 to 3 weeks apart,
• offered on a case-by-case, voluntary basis.

The work is directly based on Hogan's three dimensions:

• resources (bright side): what the person naturally mobilizes when they are at their best;
• drivers (values): what guides their decisions and the culture they seek to create;
• risks (derailers): what can emerge under pressure and limit their impact.

The next step is to transform this assessment into a concrete development plan.

But the benefits don't stop there. In practice, this approach acts as an accelerator for self-awareness and action:

• leaders gain perspective on their real impact,
• they are encouraged to seek feedback,
• they compare their perception with that of their environment.

“Reputation becomes a central topic. People are more easily prompted to take action to seek feedback and compare their perspective with that of others.”

2. Supporting new role transitions during pivotal moments

Second use case: high-stakes role transitions.

Here, Hogan is not used to address leadership “in general,” but to answer a much more operational question:

“How will this leader perform in THIS role, in THIS context?”

The support helps to put into perspective:

• the explicit and implicit job expectations,
• the leader's natural strengths,
• areas requiring attention in this new environment.

This insight is particularly useful when:

• the scope changes significantly,
• the level of complexity increases,
• or the context (site, country, maturity) alters expectations.

Result: a new role approached with greater clarity, and adjustments anticipated sooner.

3. Securing high-stakes recruitment decisions

A third use, and arguably the most differentiating: the selection of high-level profiles.

At these levels of responsibility, one observation stands out:

• candidates often perform very well in interviews,
• they have their narrative perfected,
• and weak signals are harder to detect.

This is precisely where Hogan provides key value.

The tool allows for exploring another part of the equation:

• behaviors under pressure,
• derailment risks,
• potential areas of tension in certain environments.

“We're going to look at another part of the iceberg: what can happen under pressure or in contexts the person hasn't yet been exposed to.”

José Miguel Sepulveda specifically recalls a situation where signals identified through Hogan were confirmed during a second round of references, validating behavioral risks that had not emerged during interviews.

What does this concretely change for HR?

1. Continuity between development and selection

One of the major benefits of this approach is the consistency in its applications.

The same tool is used to:

• develop current leaders,
• support their transitions,
• and assess future leaders.

The result: a consistent understanding of leadership, shared throughout the organization.

2. More insightful leaders… and more dynamic

On the development side, the impact is primarily qualitative:

• a higher level of introspection,
• a better understanding of one's impact,
• a greater ability to seek feedback,
• more concrete development plans.

3. Better-informed recruitment decisions

In terms of selection, the goal is less about "predicting" and more about better understanding risks.

Hogan's key contribution is to:

• make certain blind spots visible,
• objectify intuitions,
• and secure decisions for roles where errors can be costly.

Why it works: key success factors

• A logic of use, not just a tool: Hogan is integrated into key moments (development, onboarding, selection), not used in isolation.
• A pragmatic format: short, structured, easily actionable support.
• Language directly useful for discussing leadership: strengths, drivers, risks.
• Internal adoption: several certified HR consultants capable of championing and disseminating the approach.

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