How to Hire Executives Who Stay: Alexander Executive Search’s Assessment Advantage (96% Retention)

If you’ve ever hired a technically brilliant leader only to watch them underperform, clash with the team, or leave within the first year, you’re not alone. The harsh reality? Skills get candidates in the door — but behaviour determines whether they succeed and stay. Traditional recruitment often relies too heavily on resumes and gut instinct, leading to costly mis-hires, disrupted teams, and wasted time and money.

At Alexander Executive Search, we do things differently. We’ve built a proven, data-driven executive search process centred on McQuaig® behavioural assessments and our proprietary RoleDNA™ Mapping system.

The outcome speaks for itself: 96% of the executives we place remain in their roles after 12 months — significantly higher than the industry average of around 70%. Many clients also benefit from our strong retention guarantee. Here’s how we use McQuaig assessments to help civil engineering, infrastructure, and technical organizations hire with far greater confidence and long-term success.

1. We begin with Precision Role Benchmarking Before we review a single candidate, we partner with you and your leadership team to complete the Job Survey. This quick assessment creates a customized RoleDNA™ benchmark that defines exactly what behavioural traits will drive success in your specific role and company culture — including decision-making under pressure, leadership style, risk tolerance, initiative, and team dynamics. No more vague job descriptions. You get a clear, objective behavioural blueprint that aligns your entire hiring team from day one.

2. Every Candidate Is Scientifically Profiled. Shortlisted candidates complete the McQuaig behavioural assessment, which reveals their natural personality traits, how they perform under real-world pressure, their motivators, and potential stress responses. We conduct this early in the process so behavioural insights shape the entire shortlist — helping us identify those who will not only do the job but thrive in your environment.

3. Clear, Actionable Insights That Remove Guesswork. Using our secure online platform, we compare each candidate’s McQuaig profile directly against your RoleDNA™ benchmark. You receive:

• Visual behavioral fit analysis and gap highlights

• Predictions of how the candidate will respond to pressure

• Tailored interview questions to probe strengths and risks

• Practical guidance on management and onboarding for maximum impact

• Easy side-by-side candidate comparisons

This turns hiring discussions from subjective opinions into confident, evidence-based decisions.

4. A Complete, Transparent 360° Candidate View McQuaig results are combined with additional high-value insights, including verified references, role-specific competency responses, short introduction videos, and detailed executive summaries. Everything is available to you in real time through our platform, giving you full visibility and control before interviews begin. The Real Difference: Better Hires, Higher Retention, Lower RiskBy putting behavioral and cultural fit at the center of our process, we help you:

• Significantly reduce the risk of expensive mis-hires

• Avoid cultural mismatches that drain team morale and productivity

• Make faster, more assured hiring decisions

• Build leadership teams that deliver sustained performance and stay with your organization

Clients consistently tell us the combination of McQuaig assessments, RoleDNA™ Mapping, and our rigorous process gives them a level of confidence they’ve never experienced with traditional recruiters.Ready to Hire Leaders Who Fit, Perform, and Stay?If you’re an engineering, infrastructure, or technical organization looking to eliminate guesswork from executive hiring and achieve exceptional retention, we can help. Book a confidential consultation or request a live demonstration of our platform and see how RoleDNA™ and McQuaig assessments can transform your recruitment outcomes. Contact Alexander Executive Search today:

+1 (332) 600 8926

info@aesrecruitment.com

www.aesrecruitment.com

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