The Future Is Here: A Benchmark Study of Digitally Enabled Assessment and Development Tools

In their 2013 and 2015 benchmark studies, Church, Rotolo, and colleagues shed light on organizational uses of traditional leader assessments. Since then, a new generation of tools has emerged, fueled by advances in big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. These new tools claim to offer distinct advantages over traditional assessments in terms of precision, objectivity, scalability, and integration with development. However, technology far outpaces empirical research, rendering it challenging to understand the landscape of tools, let alone assess their methodological rigor and organizational value-added. This leaves talent-management (TM) practitioners without the information needed to make smart decisions about adopting and leveraging tools to drive development. This article attempts to provide clarity through a three-question framework to guide tool evaluation. We also present the results of a benchmark survey covering current uses of digitally enabled assessment and development tools, future adoption trends, and barriers to implementation. The article concludes by discussing implications for TM practitioners and external consultants. We make the case that to reap the developmental benefits of new tools, applied psychologists need to play a more central role in their creation and vetting. What's It Mean? Implications for Consulting PsychologyThis article highlights how advances in technology, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience continuously impact the way organizations think about digitally enabled leader assessment and development tools. The benchmark study shows that organizations are interested in leveraging these advances to provide real-time individualized assessment and development experiences for leaders. This study also raises essential issues consulting psychologists must consider before adopting new tools, including privacy, cost, validity, and integration.