A disciplined process — not a crystal ball.
Executive transitions carry real cost. When a senior leader doesn't work out, organizations absorb operational disruption, team turnover, lost momentum, and the expense of restarting a search. Much of that risk traces back to how candidates are evaluated, not to a shortage of capable people.
Top Notch Finders developed the Neural Talent Intelligence System™ (NTIS™) to bring more structure and rigor to that evaluation. NTIS™ assesses observable, job-related behaviors and capabilities. It is a decision-support tool that informs human judgment; it does not replace it, and no assessment can guarantee an individual's future performance.
What NTIS™ Assesses
(Each dimension reflects observable behavior, anchored to the US Department of Labor O*NET occupational framework)
Signal & Anomaly Recognition
How readily a candidate identifies operational signals, irregularities, and emerging problems.
O*NET anchors: Problem Sensitivity; Complex Problem Solving.
Composure Under Pressure
How a leader tends to function during sustained operational demands — quality events, supply disruptions, and reporting pressure.
O*NET anchors: Stress Tolerance; Self-Control. (Behavioral indicators only, not a clinical or physiological measure.)
Learning Agility
How quickly an executive tends to acquire domain knowledge when entering a new environment, technology, or market.
O*NET anchors: Active Learning; Adaptability.
Cross-Functional Effectiveness
How a leader builds alignment across engineering, operations, finance, and commercial functions.
O*NET anchors: Coordination; Social Perceptiveness; Management of Personnel Resources.
Adaptive Capacity
How an executive tends to respond when conditions shift.
O*NET anchors: Adaptability; Judgment and Decision Making.
How we use NTIS™ responsibly.
NTIS™ measures job-relevant behaviors, not neurological, medical, or cognitive-clinical states. References to "neural" and related terms describe our proprietary methodology's design philosophy, not a measurement of brain activity. NTIS™ produces decision-support information for our consultants and your hiring team; a qualified human always makes the final recommendation and decision. We assess only job-related characteristics and never infer or use protected characteristics such as race, sex, age, religion, national origin, or disability.