Collaborating with an ambitious organisation in the making
The Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Berne asked cinfo for expert support in assessing candidates for a series of newly created strategic positions. Through the voices of the Wyss Academy and cinfo, find out why an impartial, external review was so beneficial for the recruitment process.
“Building diverse and multidisciplinary teams”
The Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Berne
“The Wyss Academy for Nature’s vision is to achieve a just and sustainable world where nature conservation and human wellbeing reinforce each other. The Wyss Academy for Nature was established in 2020 by the Wyss Foundation, the University of Berne and the Canton of Berne. It brings together various stakeholders in academia, the public and private sectors, civil society and local communities to research, co-design and implement innovations to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land-use change and rising inequalities with the aim of achieving ‘Sustainable Development Goals’.
Creating new pathways toward systemic transformation requires innovative forms of collaboration. We are convinced that diverse and multifaceted teams comprising researchers, diplomats, entrepreneurs and innovators, are key to realising our vision.
Diverse and multifaceted teams are key to realising our vision.
Considering this and relying on previous experience, we sought cinfo’s expertise in the recruitment of strategic positions to obtain objective second opinions on the candidates’ fit into the organisation – so-called third-party reviews – and to conduct deeper assessments on candidates’ skills and competencies.
Working with cinfo has been dynamic, uncomplicated and highly professional. Beyond its extensive expertise related to the labour market and the recruitment and selection of personnel, we very much appreciate cinfo’s structured candidate feedback, which we deem valuable for making informed decisions.
We have recently become a member of cinfo’s network and are looking forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration with them in candidate recruitment and assessment throughout the Wyss Academy‘s growth journey.”
“Supporting a trail-blazing organisation”
cinfo, Beat Geiser
“cinfo has over 20 years of experience in supporting organisations, from screening people for junior programmes to assessments for senior positions. Wyss Academy’s recruitment request for various key roles in the organisation added a new dimension. The aim was not to select candidates or to assess profiles in depth, but to provide a second opinion.
It is a particularly challenging task to fill key roles in an organisation that is blazing new trails and has such ambitious goals as the Wyss Academy. What profiles does an organisation need to be able to work on a scientific basis, implement acquired knowledge quickly and successfully influence social and political conditions?
Can only those with scientific expertise achieve such results, or is solid experience in social processes more important? To what extent does knowledge of geographical and political processes contribute to success? Or does the key lie in personal commitment and the ability to collaborate with people of differing opinions? In short: what do successful candidates need to bring to the table? And on what criteria do we use to assess these candidates?
What do successful candidates need to bring to the table?
These science-related, international positions focusing on the management and consultancy of hubs in Africa and Latin America attracted a wide range of candidates. This included academic profiles with experience on different continents, those with a scientific background and experience in policy issues, and researchers with broad management experience from the regions concerned or from Europe and North America.
Since the Wyss Academy mainly assessed professional skills, cinfo paid particular attention to the personality of the candidates. For this purpose, we used a psychometric procedure, the Bochum Inventory of Job-Related Personality Descriptions, for the interview and incorporated role-play scenarios into the interviews.
The Wyss Academy continues to strengthen its organisation. It’s expected that cinfo will assist in further recruitment efforts.”
