Fit for the job? Winning formula for selection of England Coach lies in psychometric assessment

SHL urges world of sport to turn to recruitment tactics used by business.

With the departure of Steve McClaren the recruitment process for the new England Coach is already underway and the FA has committed to doing ëeverything right to get the right man for the jobí.

SHL, a leading provider of psychometric assessment and development solutions, urges the FA to re-think its recruitment process ñ keeping the good bits but also learning from mistakes that were made when bringing McClaren on board.

Occupational Psychologist at SHL, Howard Grosvenor, explains: ìThe question is, ëWas McClaren the right person doing a bad job, or the wrong person in the first place?í. Many commentators have suggested that it is the selection process that is at fault, rather than McClaren personally. At the time of his appointment, the selection process was shrouded in mystery. At best, it's likely to have been a small number of stakeholders making subjective decisions based on personal preference, views on track record, cost, and of course politics. In the world of work, we know that this just doesn't work when finding and appointing leaders.î

ìThe FA will need to consider track record when looking for the next England Coach for sure, but importantly it will also need to consider and identify the attributes that are required for success. The role of the England Coach is only 1% about being able to kick a football around a pitch. The right individual needs to be able to make effective decisions; think strategically; interact effectively with different personalities in the team; handle the relationship with the FA and the media; cope effectively with pressure; motivate the team; and plan to achieve the team and the Countryís long term goals!

ìItís great that the FA is committed to getting the recruitment process right and thereís a lot the world of sport can learn from the business world ñ the appointment of the next England Coach is an area of obvious overlap. Leading businesses routinely select leaders and bring on board talent through objective psychometric testing in order to ensure that the right person for the job is found.î