Executive Search/Assessment Center

In today’s environment of shrinking budgets and the demand for additional services, the filling of supervisory and administrative positions is one of the most important processes facing emergency service organizations. The up front cost to properly select a qualified individual is a sound investment when compared to the thousands of dollars wasted and months and years lost if the wrong person is placed in a critical leadership position. Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) can bring together the resources necessary to streamline the selection process, as well as screen and allow for the proper selection of candidates for these essential positions. Executive Searches and Assessment Centers may be completed in association with each other, or on a stand-alone basis.

An Executive Search eases the demands of advertising, recruiting, screening, testing, and interviewing of candidates when replacing personnel. To ensure success, ESCI:

• Analyzes the position and job culture
• Formulates or reviews the job description for the position to ensure it is properly designed and meets with current laws and regulations
• Details the responsibilities and authority
• Establishes the time frame required to properly conduct the search

Based on these factors, a search is conducted. ESCI reviews all of the responses in order to present a predetermined number of qualified candidates for an assessment center, or for the interview process. The steps included in this portion of an Executive Search are:

• Advertise the position regionally, nationally, or locally (based on preference)
• Screen the applications and resumes
• Check references
• Conduct interviews (on-site or telephone)
• Assist in contract negotiations (optional)
• Make notifications to all applicants (successful and unsuccessful)

ESCI takes great pride in its ability to seek out and match high-quality individuals with the organization to which their skills match. Executive Searches may be conducted for executive and administrative officers, 9-1-1 directors, chief officers, assistant directors, operations managers, company officers, sergeant and lieutenant positions, and dispatch supervisors.

Assessment Center

An Assessment Center is a systematic and comprehensive personnel evaluation methodology. Pre-selected candidates are placed in a controlled but challenging environment. The evaluation exercises are crafted to measure the candidate’s abilities (individually and as a team member) to perform the same tasks, use the same skills, and project the same philosophy that would be necessary within the scope of the position itself. Exercises commonly used include:

• Oral presentations
• Conflict management role playing
• Technical writing skills
• Problem solving
• In-basket and organizational logic
• Leaderless group processes
• Tactical command simulations

These exercises are designed to evaluate the communication skills, supervision, leadership, problem identification and analysis, interpersonal skills, and the stress tolerance of the applicant. To ensure that the process is successful, ESCI:

• Evaluates/analyzes the job
• Identifies key performance dimensions
• Identifies success indicators and attributes
• Develops the measurement exercises
• Establishes and trains a panel of assessors
• Conducts the assessment center
• Tabulates the scoring
• Evaluates the results
• Ranks the participants in order of performance

ESCI has an impressive record of candidate selection and placement. Some of the advantages of the Assessment Center process include:

• Measures the applicant’s ability to perform in role-specific situations
• High success rate (versus traditional processes) as defined by employer and employee satisfaction
• Allows the agency to objectively compare applicants
• Evaluates dimensions necessary to effectively do the job
• Improves credibility of the organization
• Minimizes the risk of examination challenge
• Improves public trust in the testing process

The Assessment Center process may be used for existing positions or in conjunction with Executive Searches or the Recruitment, Screening, and Testing Services.