Petteri Eronen has been selected as the CEO of Volvo Construction Finland Equipment

Effective management of the aptitude assessment, expertise and positive candidate experience opened the door to a comprehensive recruitment partnership with Volvo Construction Equipment Finland Oy.

Psychological aptitude assessment to support decision-making.

In spring 2022, Volvo Construction Equipment Finland Oy, a leading marketer and importer of construction equipment, was looking for a new CEO. Arja A. Karttunen, HR Director at Volvo CE, had used a direct search process to select five candidates for interview phases. One of the contacted candidates was Petteri Eronen, who continued to the final stage of the recruitment process. The decision to present Eronen to the management of Volvo CE’s headquarters was also supported by an external opinion through a psychological aptitude assessment.

Volvo CE is familiar with aptitude assessments, as Karttunen himself is a certified assessor. However, when recruiting a CEO, Karttunen felt that an external psychologist’s perspective would best add the desired value to the process.

“In the CEO recruitment process, it was important to have an external suitability assessment partner to support the decision-making process and to reinforce the perspectives already identified during the interviews,” says Karttunen.

Avila’s psychological aptitude assessment had been convincing and had also stayed in the mind of Karttunen: “It was exactly what was needed for this process.”

Efficiency and expertise as sources of confidence

The cooperation between Avila and Volvo Construction Equipment started quickly, and within a day of contact, the offer was received and accepted. During the initial meeting with Avila’s lead assessment psychologist, the assessment criteria against which the candidate’s abilities would be measured during the assessment were decided.

“Efficient management of the process and quick organisation of the kick-off meeting was particularly important for us, as the recruitment had a time challenge,” says Karttunen, and continues, “Avila completed the whole process within a week, which was a really important factor for us.”

The assessment with Petteri Eronen was arranged quickly thanks to the online assessment, and the results of the assessment were ready within a few days of the kick-off meeting. According to Karttunen, Avila’s assessment psychologist had a professional approach and an in-depth understanding of the criteria required for the role. The feedback was constructive, and the report also gave tips on how to guide and familiarize Eronen when starting a new collaboration.

“The report also gave clear suggestions on what the lead executive and the team should take into account when starting to work with Petteri. This was clearly a value-adding element for us,” says Karttunen.

Successful suitability assessment supports positive employer image

A successful assessment process can also strengthen the employer’s image, as at its best the assessment also gives the candidate tools for a better self-image. Karttunen was particularly pleased when Eronen contacted her after the assessment to thank her for a pleasant and smooth assessment process. He said the assessment was the best he had participated in during his career, highlighting the constructive and coaching interview.

“We were particularly warmed by Petteri’s positive feedback on the evaluation experience. We want to treat all our candidates as well as possible and always leave a good employer image,” emphasises Karttunen.