At a glance
Programme: Wolters Kluwer’s Top HR Manager competition
Starting point: Candidates were judged mainly through written descriptions and jury interviews
Outcome: A repeatable assessment method used in the 2014–2019 editions and completed by more than 800 HR managers
Context
The Top HR Manager competition had been organised since 2009. In its first five editions, evaluation depended largely on project descriptions and jury interviews, which made it difficult to separate actual competence from self-presentation.
The business challenge
The organisers wanted to increase the objectivity and credibility of candidate evaluation while retaining a method relevant to real HR decisions.
What the diagnosis showed
- Assessments were vulnerable to subjectivity and differed between evaluators.
- Project descriptions did not always make the candidate’s personal contribution clear.
- At that time, there was no objective tool in Poland designed for this specific competition and professional context.
- Strong self-presentation could have more influence than day-to-day effectiveness as an HR manager.
What we did
- We created a competency model covering Cooperation, Initiative, Communication and Pro-business Activity.
- We designed a Situational Judgement Test based on decisions and dilemmas relevant to HR management.
- We built the scoring key and an online application for administering the assessment.
- From 2014 to 2019, results were reported to the jury; participants received individual reports and could request feedback.
Results
- The competition gained a tailored HR competency model and an innovative test, scoring system and online application.
- The jury received more comparable evidence about candidates’ competence.
- The credibility of the event increased and winners were selected on a stronger evidence base.
- More than 800 HR managers learned about their competency levels and development priorities.
What this case shows
Competency assessment becomes more useful when the model, situations and scoring rules reflect the real decisions of a specific role. A tailored method can improve selection quality while also giving participants developmental value.
