An “opportunity to assess [prospects] without any obligations” (p. 136) of creating permanent employment expectations, has long been advocated as one of the benefits for companies to participate in cooperative and work-integrated education. Odgers Berndtson, an acclaimed executive-search global consultancy, took the initiative to design “the CEO X 1 Day program” with the aim “to uncover promising future leaders and give students the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a senior executive”. It entails a rigorous recruitment and selection process:
- Applicants must first complete and submit an online application. A team of executive search experts at Odgers Berndtson review each applicant’s resume of “paid and unpaid work experience, extra-curricular activities, community involvement or charity work, and awards”, academic transcripts, and written essay about thoughts on leadership.
- Screened applicants must next complete an online leadership assessment with the view of creating “a profile of their competencies and leadership potential”. Odgers Berndtson search consultants assess the strengths and competencies of applicants with regard to confidence, ambition, stress handling effectivity, political astuteness, dependability, and values; as well as ability to learn and develop new skills.
- Further screening is done through a short 15-20 minutes telephonic interview by an Odgers Berndtson search consultant who will evaluate each applicant’s “quality of answers to the interview questions and their ability to articulate themselves over the phone”.
- Semi-finalists are there after invited to half-day face-to-face sessions during which they “will be assessed on how they think on their feet, work in a group situation and their overall fit … through activities like case studies, presentations and in-person interviews” with Odgers Berndtson search consultants. Odgers Berndtson reciprocates in that search consultants give semi-finalists “feedback on the online leadership assessments they completed in Phase 2”.
- Each finalist will spend a full day shadowing a CEO—an opportunity to spend one-on-one time—to learn about the CEO’s background, career path, and how the CEO create value in the organization. Finalists will attend meetings with the CEO’s leadership team and tour the host company’s facilities to ensure it is a meaningful and memorable experience. The one-day experience will be unique to the host company.
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