TM - January 2008 - (Page 26)

recruitment & retention assessment & evaluation compensation & benefits performance management learning & development succession planning Nationwide: Assessing Leadership With an Eye on Development Stuart Crandell, Ph.D. Nationwide has put its customers’ needs at the core of its senior executive assessment program, using it as the backbone of its commitment to invest in leadership development and connect leaders’ success to the success of the business. “If we’re leading well, we’re meeting our customers’ needs,” said Gale King, senior vice president of property casualty human resources at Nationwide. King said in order to remain true to the company’s culture around living its values, Nationwide’s commitment to leadership development must be felt throughout the entire organization, starting at the top with CEO Jerry Jurgensen. Nationwide turned to leadership development consulting firm Personnel Decisions International (PDI) to execute an assessment center program for its senior-level leaders. The company used a customized assessment program to examine a leader’s experiences and skills, and put executives through a day of simulated business challenges. So far, Nationwide has put about 80 of its senior leaders through the process, including Jerry Jurgensen, his entire cabinet of leaders, and Doreen Reinke, vice president of operations at Nationwide’s Scottsdale Insurance office. “When I first discussed the assessment program with my boss, the president of Scottsdale Insurance, he made it clear that the process would help me see where I am now and where I could go from here,” Reinke said. “This work is aligned with our strategic outcomes. To be a great company, you need great leaders,” King explained. “We know it is a competitive marketplace, and we want to do all we can to equip our leaders with the tools they need to be better leaders and make our companies great.” King said Nationwide uses the assessment process and the feedback it generates to January 2008 continue senior staff development, identifying strengths and areas where additional training or coaching may be beneficial for someone’s current or future role in the organization. Assessments also help with promotion decisions and provide insight during the final steps of the onboarding or new-hire process at the executive level. The program was designed to provide each individual with the opportunity to go through the process, to recognize the value of his or her particular contribution to the company and to find new areas to explore for future leadership roles and challenges. “I expected to find out more about the role I play and how I compare against other leaders,” Reinke said. “I was really impressed with how enjoyable and insightful the process was. By the end of my two-day assessment session, I sat down for my debrief and was amazed with how well they got to know me as a person, a leader, a wife, a mother and a member of my community. They confirmed my strengths and identified an area where I could grow to develop further in the company. It was the most powerful feedback I’ve ever received. “It was clear to me that the company wanted to assess the talent they have now and make sure that they would continue to have leaders that would align with future business plans,” Reinke said. “This process made me feel like my company really cares about me and my development within the organization.” King said nurturing this type of organizational confidence can help a company position the assessment process as a valuable part of the development process. “Every participant should know — it’s about them,” she said. Stu Crandell, Ph.D., is vice president and practice leader for Personnel Decisions International. He can be reached at editor@TalentMgt.com. 26

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - January 2008

TM - January 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Learning Connections: Working With Those People Leading Edge: Hub Caps for a Buggy Human Performance: Hawthorne Effect Revisited Beyond Affirmative Action: The Changing Face of Recruitment Assessment Centers in Talent Management: Strategies, Use and Value Nontraditional Benefits- How to Hook the Best Talent Intersection of Web 2.0 and Talent Management Cross-Training for Workforce Agility Mapping Talent Among Younger Workers Dashboard: Using Personality Data to Identify and Develop High-Potential Leaders Application: Shaffer Title Uses Myers-Briggs to Develop Common Corporate Language, Jump-Start Growth Insight: Dreier, Stein & Kahan LLP: Using Strategy to Bring Back the Law Profession Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources Full Potential: Stop in the Name of Leadership

TM - January 2008

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