A media exercise can help a recruitment panel see how a prospective chief executive explains a decision, responds to scrutiny and handles incomplete information. Its value depends on the quality of the assessment: the task needs to reflect the role and the panel needs a clear basis for evaluating the response.
The aim is to gather relevant evidence. A confident performance in front of a camera is only one possible observation and should not stand in for judgement, accuracy or the wider requirements of the appointment.
Define what the role requires
Start with the communication responsibilities the successful candidate will actually have. They might need to explain strategic decisions to employees, discuss a difficult issue with a journalist or represent the organisation during an incident.
Choose a small number of observable criteria. These could include answering the question, explaining a decision clearly, using evidence appropriately and recognising the limits of available information.
Be precise about the difference between competence that is essential on appointment and skills the organisation can develop afterwards. A media assessment should inform the recruitment decision rather than introduce an unrelated test of presentation style.
Build a realistic but manageable brief
Use a scenario that reflects the organisation’s responsibilities without requiring candidates to guess confidential information. Clearly label fictional facts and provide the context needed to understand them.
For example, a hypothetical service-disruption exercise might give candidates a short account of the impact, the actions already confirmed and the questions still being investigated. The interview can then test how they explain that position.
Avoid packing the brief with so many separate problems that the panel cannot identify what it is measuring. One well-designed interview can provide more useful evidence than a collection of loosely connected exercises.
Give candidates a consistent process
Tell candidates what the exercise involves, how long it will take and what preparation material they will receive. Use the same core brief and comparable interview conditions so differences in the process do not obscure differences in the evidence.
Ask about any reasonable adjustments needed for the assessment and arrange them appropriately. Fair participation may require changes to the format, timing or support. Consistency does not mean refusing an adjustment because another candidate did not need it.
Explain any recording arrangements, who will view the material and how it will be handled. Use the organisation’s recruitment and data-protection procedures rather than improvising these decisions on the day.
Use questions that test the agreed criteria
Prepare core questions linked to the assessment brief. A useful sequence might ask the candidate to explain the situation, respond to a reasonable challenge and identify what they would do when a requested fact is unavailable.
Follow-up questions should clarify the response or explore a relevant decision. They should not turn the assessment into a contest to unsettle the candidate.
For the service-disruption example, a panel might examine whether the candidate acknowledges the impact, distinguishes confirmed facts from assumptions and explains the next step. It should not reward an unsupported assurance simply because it sounds decisive.
Record evidence rather than broad impressions
Agree the assessment framework before seeing the candidates. For each criterion, define what a useful response would demonstrate and what would raise a concern. Any scoring scale needs clear descriptions that assessors can apply consistently.
Record what the candidate said or did. “Explained the service impact before discussing internal actions” is more useful evidence than “good communicator”. “Gave a recovery date not supported by the brief” identifies a specific issue the panel can examine.
Avoid treating accent, eye contact, visible nerves or a familiar presentation style as substitutes for the agreed criteria. The question is whether the evidence demonstrates the communication capability the role requires.
Review the evidence before reaching a decision
Allow assessors to record their observations independently before discussing them. Where views differ, return to the criteria and the interview evidence rather than settling the issue through general impressions.
Consider the media exercise alongside the wider recruitment process, including the candidate’s experience and other evidence relevant to the appointment. An effective interview performance does not establish every aspect of leadership capability.
For broader background on including an interview exercise, read our article on media interviews in executive recruitment. This assessment guide focuses on how to make the process useful in practice.
Use the findings to plan development
The assessment can also identify development priorities for the successful candidate. They may need practice explaining technical subjects, handling interruptions or distinguishing an organisational position from their own opinion.
Keep that development plan specific. Agree which interview situations the person is likely to face and how they will rehearse them with the communications team.
Our article on building a media-ready leadership team covers the wider task of preparing several spokespeople across an organisation.
Design an assessment around your appointment
Hawkeye Media provides media interviews for executive recruitment. A clear brief, relevant questions and a defined assessment approach help the recruitment panel make better use of the interview evidence.
To discuss a forthcoming appointment and the communication responsibilities it involves, contact Hawkeye Media.