Designing A Custom Assessment Center With EDF Energy

EDF Energy (EDFE) is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, producing around a fifth of the nation’s electricity from its nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms.

EDFE wanted to put in place a more rigorous and structured approach to talent identification, assessment and development. They wished to partner with a ‘best in class’ supplier who would work flexibly with them to help build in-house capability, processes and tools to supplement existing tools.

YSC Consulting was asked to design and co-deliver an assessment center for two distinct levels of leaders, emerging talent and experienced managers, to be run alongside existing EDF Energy talent processes. The assessment centers would be used to validate decisions about key talent.

EDFE wanted a blended delivery approach using both internal and external resources. We provided training to the EDFE Talent Team to act as assessors and also provide ongoing coaching and calibration at the assessment center. EDFE recognized that external support in developing assessment tools and capability in measuring their talent would ensure accuracy, consistency and a common language.

Not only did the assessment centers need to be robust, but they also needed to reflect EDFE’s organization and the business challenges they face. We provided the psychological rigor and edge, while partnering with EDFE to ensure that the context and assessment demands ‘fit’ with their business, culture and strategic goals.

We designed and delivered both assessor training and a two-day event that incorporated a range of assessment and developmentally-focused activities.

We were clear that given the importance of keeping talent engaged by this process and future career development, we needed to complement assessment with an insightful personal experience that enabled participants to capture ‘in the moment’ learning and build self-awareness.

The activities were all set in the same organization that had similar strategic priorities and business challenges as EDFE.

Activities consisted of a psychometric interview, moment of truth presentation, coaching role play, group discussion, analysis presentation, group crisis and presentation and a self-development session. These exercises were supported by bespoke user-friendly and robust assessor guides that helped assessors focus on the leadership behaviors exhibited in the activities.

The two day event was followed by a feedback session jointly run with internal and YSC resources to ensure development was owned by the individual and the business.

The assessment centers provided stretch and challenge out of participants’ comfort zone but also gave them an opportunity to reflect on their leadership journey and aspirations.

Participants left feeling energized about their career and development at EDFE and committed to embedding the feedback messages and learnings they experienced. The other benefit was the data the Talent Team held on the individuals, this would help inform individual and group development as well as succession planning into the wider EDFE Group.