After a structured assessment, you get a complete picture of your candidate: what they're strong at, where the risks are, and exactly how to set them up for success — or why not to move forward.

The Most Expensive Mistake in Business Is the Wrong Person in the Wrong Role.

A bad hire at the senior level doesn't just cost the salary. It costs team stability, strategic momentum, and months of the founder's time cleaning up the damage. Most hiring decisions for leadership roles still rely heavily on resume, reputation, and gut feel — none of which reliably predict whether someone will actually lead well inside your specific company. Executive Vetting replaces guesswork with a structured, evidence-based assessment that gives you a clear, honest picture of the person you're about to put in charge.

When to Use Executive Vetting

This service is the right call in three situations. First, when you are hiring for a C-level or senior management role and the cost of getting it wrong is too high to risk on interviews alone. Second, when you are considering promoting an internal candidate and want an objective view of their leadership readiness before making the move. Third, when an existing executive is underperforming and you need to understand whether the issue is capability, fit, context — or something else entirely — before making a decision about their future in the role.

What the Assessment Covers

The evaluation is built around five areas that consistently predict leadership effectiveness in growing companies. Management and decision-making style: how the person actually leads, delegates, and handles ambiguity under pressure. Strategic thinking: their ability to operate at the right altitude for the role — not just execute, but set direction. Team dynamics and communication: how they build trust, handle conflict, and develop the people around them. Culture and values alignment: whether their working style and priorities match what your company actually needs at this stage. Risk profile: specific red flags, blind spots, and scenarios where this person is likely to struggle.

What You Receive

The engagement delivers four concrete outputs. A full written assessment report covering all five evaluation dimensions with specific evidence and examples. A clear hire / promote / develop / do not proceed recommendation with the reasoning behind it. An individual 90-day onboarding or performance plan tailored to the specific person and role — so if you move forward, you have a concrete plan for their first three months. And a risk summary with specific scenarios to watch for and how to manage them proactively.

Format & Timeline

The full assessment runs 6–8 hours of working time, typically delivered over 5–7 business days. It includes a structured competency-based interview with the candidate, a leadership style and decision-making assessment, a stakeholder input session with the hiring founder or relevant managers, document and background review where applicable, and a debrief call with the founder to walk through findings and recommendations.

Investment

$100 per hour. Full assessment of one candidate: $600–800 depending on role complexity and seniority level. Assessment of an existing internal leader: $500–700. Multi-candidate comparative assessment for a single role available at a package rate. All engagements include the written report, 90-day plan, and founder debrief.

How It Connects to Other Keyperson Services

Executive Vetting works as a standalone service and also as the natural next step after an HR Audit identifies leadership gaps or role misalignment. For companies building or restructuring their leadership team, it pairs directly with HR System Build — where we design the role scorecards and management frameworks that make every future senior hire more consistent and lower risk.