As part of an on-going global expansion plan, Talent Q is delighted to announce a new assessment partner in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group (ADUKG) is a talent management and development consultancy dedicated to offering wide-ranging training and development solutions across the UAE and the region. With a dedication to Emiratisation, ADUKG combines a team of leading organisational psychologists committed to promoting best practice, with a strong practical understanding of the common assessment challenges across the Middle East.

ADUKG are Talent Q’s territory partner for the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar, offering both the full range of Talent Q online assessments in these markets and also the Talent Q Level A and B training courses. The first Level A and B courses commence in December 2011 with further verified training courses and familiarisation workshops planned in the region going into 2012.

Talent Q see the new partnership with ADUKG as a key addition to our global network in an exciting market, working with the best local expertise to bring high quality tailored solutions to clients.

Partner contact details

Talent Q, the workplace assessment specialist, has appointed Chris Holdsworth to the new position of Group Chief Executive Officer.

Son of Roger Holdsworth, the company’s former chairman and founder who died unexpectedly in February 2011, Chris joined Talent Q in 2009 and set up its operation in China. Previously he worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland for 16 years, latterly as the Deputy Chief Executive of a fast growing international business.

In his new role as Group CEO of Talent Q, he will oversee the company’s operations and provide strategic leadership to sustain its rapid growth. He will also work with Talent Q’s partner organisations to expand the global use of objective psychometric assessment.

Marina Barabanova, Chair of Talent Q, said: “I am very pleased that we have an experienced executive of Chris’ calibre to lead us through our next stage of development. His appointment was always part of our long-term succession strategy and he will build on the strong foundations and direction set out by Roger. Chris’s leadership will ensure we develop real business partnerships with our clients, providing services which inform and address their talent management initiatives.”

Commenting on his appointment, Chris Holdsworth said: “While the circumstances are not what I would have wanted, I am very excited to be taking on this role. Roger was an inspirational figure in the industry, developing SHL into a global business and latterly with his pioneering work at Talent Q. The organisation has enormous potential for further growth and our key focus, as before, will be delivering innovative assessment solutions and great service to our clients globally.”

For further information about Talent Q, please call Claire Rahmatallah on +44 (0)1844 218980 or email at ClaireRahmatallah@talentqgroup.com

At Talent Q we’re passionate about delivering an outstanding assessment experience for our clients, so we’re always looking for talented people who share our vision. We are currently looking for a Senior R&D Consultant and a Senior Consultant to join our team. Find out more…

Rapid expansion means we are now looking for a senior consultant to join our Research & Development team, based at our office in Oxfordshire, UK. Working closely with all parts of the business, both in the UK and with our overseas partner network, our collective aim is always to ensure that clients receive psychometric assessment services and products that are second to none.

The successful applicant will play a major part in the direction and development of our global product portfolio as well as delivering first class product-related solutions to clients. They will be working on the on-going evolution and maintenance of our global assessment products and will be responsible for the customisation of our products and services to meet specific client needs. We are looking to hear from candidates with the following experience:

• Applying psychometric research in a commercial setting
• Utilising technology in the deployment of psychometrics
• Developing tests and questionnaires
• Working with clients in the deployment of bespoke solutions
• Supporting clients in the use of psychometrics
• Project management

Ideally we would like someone who is Chartered, or almost Chartered, with a minimum of 5 years experience. The role will require someone who has the skills and confidence to work autonomously at the same time as being part of a wider team. Strong written and verbal communication skills will be a necessity for the role plus an eye for detail and a commitment to achieving deadlines. Fluency in a second language would also be desirable as would experience of working within an international business.

Talent Q provide innovative, flexible and practical assessment solutions to fit the needs of our clients. With an unrelenting focus on customer service, we go beyond the science and technology to deliver an outstanding assessment experience for organisations such as Royal Mail, Standard Bank, TUI, Virgin and Carlsberg.

So if you’d like to be part of the team responsible for the development and application of cutting-edge psychometric assessment solutions, please email your CV with covering letter to nicolatatham@talentq.co.uk

It is with great regret that we have to announce the sad passing of our Chairman, Roger Holdsworth. Having initially made a positive recovery from recent health problems, Roger passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on Sunday 6th February 2011. Our deepest sympathies are with Roger’s wife, Marina, and sons James, Chris and Mark.

Roger spearheaded the development of Talent Q over the last 6 years, bringing a new generation of psychometric assessment to the market in over 30 languages. In many ways, Roger saw Talent Q as the culmination of his lifetime’s experience, leading the growth of applied occupational psychology around the globe. In recent years Roger and the Talent Q management team have successfully grown the company with established operations and partners spanning some 23 countries and offering services worldwide. Marina Barabanova will take the helm as Chair of Talent Q, bringing her wealth of experience of introducing psychological assessment to new markets and her already close connection with the development of Talent Q. Marina and the rest of the management team will continue to honour and develop the foundations established by Roger. As before, our key focus will be delivering innovative assessment solutions and great service to our clients globally.

During his long and accomplished career, Roger has been an inspirational figure for the industry and very much a pioneer, both in his recent work with Talent Q, and previously in developing SHL into a global business. Roger combined his passion for the science of psychology at work with a strong practical understanding of how to help organisations. He had a great love of all things international, fluent in several languages, and this hugely shaped his outlook as a person and in business. Drawing on all of this, he was instrumental in bringing objective psychometric assessment to many thousands of organisations around the world.

Roger was a dear friend to us all and will be fondly remembered. His love of life, unbounded enthusiasm and sense of fun will be greatly missed. We know this will be shared by the many friends and colleagues who have worked with Roger over the years.

Clients with queries should in the first instance please contact their local Talent Q Partner or account manager. If you would like to leave a message or tribute you may do so at messages@talentqgroup.com These messages will be passed on to Roger’s family.

For any other enquiries, please contact:

Alan Bourne, International Operations Director, Talent Q - alanbourne@talentq.co.uk

Steve O’Dell, CEO Talent Q UK – steveodell@talentq.co.uk

Claire Rahmatallah, Marketing Manager, Talent Q – clairerahmatallah@talentq.co.uk

The results of Talent Q’s third annual Assessment & Talent Management Survey are now available to download. This year’s survey shows that HR practitioners continue to face many talent challenges. The economic conditions over the past 18 months have served to focus attention and refine practice, but results from this survey indicate that there is still much to be achieved. Download Survey

Hay Group, the global management consulting firm, today announces the signing of a world-wide alliance with Talent Q, which provides on-line psychometric tools, notably ability tests and personality measurement systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Hay Group will be entitled to use, sell and market Talent Q’s portfolio of assessments in all territories, and is appointing Talent Q as their preferred provider for ability testing and personality measurement. 

 The Talent Q assessments will allow Hay Group to offer an increased range of psychometrically valid tools for screening and assessing large pools of talent.  Talent Q assessments are state of the art; technology enabled and designed to maximise return on investment for clients carrying out large-scale assessment programmes.

 The agreement provides Hay Group clients with the capability to: 

• Use Talent Q assessments across all territories and industry sectors
• Deliver large scale selection and screening work across all levels in an organisation (e.g. hiring sales people, management trainees, call centre employees)
• Assess candidates throughout an organisation and against all roles

 Mary Fontaine at Hay Group comments:  The alliance with Talent Q represents a significant step forward for Hay Group.  The agreement serves to radically expand our capability and allows us to deliver assessment work of the highest quality and technological sophistication to our clients worldwide.  Some of our clients have already successfully utilised a combined approach of Talent Q and Hay Group assessment tools, and this formalisation of our alliance was a natural evolution in every respect.  We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Talent Q.

 Roger Holdsworth, Talent Q Chairman, added: To form an alliance with an organisation of Hay Group’s stature and heritage represents a real coup for us, and we are pleased to welcome the company to our growing network of partners.  Our assessments offer unbeatable value for clients, a great experience for candidates, and are an essential part of running a successful business.  We look forward to collaborating with Hay Group to deliver best of breed talent management solutions for an ever-increasing number of organisations in the future.

Talent Q’s, Richard A. MacKinnon explores the results of our 2nd annual Talent Management Survey in a recent article for Changeboard. Results seem to back up Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s recent comments regarding ‘encouraging signs’ in the jobs market and indications of the end of the recession.

We are delighted to launch our new look and feel! As well as a new website, we have redesigned the reports for Dimensions, Elements and MultiView to further aid their usability and interpretation. You can view sample reports in the Product section of the website, as well as factsheets, white papers and the results of our latest Talent Management Survey. Please take a look and we welcome your feedback.

Over the past year the global recession has had significant implications for how talent is managed; not least due to the increased supply of talent due to widespread redundancies. Talent Q’s Richard A. MacKinnon discusses how organisations have needed to manage the twin and often conflicting pressures of operating more efficiently, but how can you chart a course to recovery?