Following last year’s British Psychological Society (BPS) conference, I was struck by new data from a study involving 1,054 individuals at CEO level, either currently in role or at final-stage assessment, across the public and public service sectors.

The study used the Saville Wave and Hogan Development Survey (HDS) to assess leadership behaviour:

  • Self: Engage and inspire, courage and tenacity, engender trust, curiosity and agility

  • People: Make relationships count, influence and impact, build team unity, promote collaboration

  • Outcomes: Social heart, commercial head, drive strategic clarity, tackle tomorrow, future-proof talent

Key Insights:

The findings showed that across this large CEO population, strengths consistently outweighed derailment risks, suggesting a resilient, agile, and high-performing leadership profile.

When comparing CEOs to Director-level candidates, the data showed that CEOs generally demonstrated lower risk scores on traits such as excitable, cautious, and sceptical; all of which relate to emotional stability, risk tolerance, and interpersonal judgement. Conversely, CEOs showed slightly higher presence of traits such as colourful, mischievous, and imaginative – behaviours often linked to visibility, bold thinking, and creativity.

These results support the importance of psychological flexibility, resilience, and innovation in top-tier leadership roles.

VCA’s Approach to Executive Profiling

At VCA, these findings are closely aligned with our established methodology for supporting senior recruitment through our Executive Hire Profile (EHP).

We use a combination of:

  • Saville Wave Professional Styles to assess motivation, preferences and performance potential

  • Hogan Development Survey to identify potential derailers

  • Aptitude and situational judgement assessments to evaluate thinking style and leadership judgement

  • A validation interview, conducted by a VCA psychologist, to explore and contextualise key psychometric themes

The result is a detailed and practical executive profile report that covers:

  • Leadership strengths and development needs
  • Cultural and strategic fit
  • Alignment with leadership frameworks (e.g. NFCC Leadership Framework for FRS roles)
  • Specific areas to explore further in final selection stages

We have applied this approach to numerous executive recruitment processes within the Fire and Rescue Service, including Assistant Chief and Chief Officer roles, and are actively reviewing our candidate profiling data to contribute further insights in this space.

Our Offering

At VCA, we offer every client a customised approach, rooted in:

  • A deep understanding of the psychology of human behaviour
  • A robust, evidence-based methodology
  • Insight into what it takes to lead successfully within complex, high-accountability organisations like the FRS

In addition to selection profiling, we also work with services to design and implement tailored on-boarding strategies, supporting a smooth transition and ensuring new senior leaders make a fast, confident start in their roles.

At the conclusion of the process, we work closely with key decision-makers to review the evaluation outcomes, ensuring that selection decisions are grounded in clear, objective insight; and that next steps are aligned to the needs of both the individual and the organisation.

For services seeking to strengthen the rigour of their executive selection, we’re always happy to discuss how the EHP process can support confident, high-stakes hiring.