Executive Search
Devereaux Consulting specialises in senior executive and academic leadership appointments across the higher education and non-government school sectors. Our consulting team comprises three PhD-qualified partners, bringing together deep sector knowledge, international candidate reach, and research-level rigour in candidate assessment.
We are a full-service, boutique firm that is proudly local and independent. We do not delegate or outsource any aspect of our work. The consultants you meet at the briefing are the same people who will approach candidates on your behalf, assess them, and support your selection committee through to appointment.
Our approach to assessment
Our assessment framework draws directly on the psychological expertise and research background of our consulting team. We treat assessment as an evidence-gathering process, structured around four dimensions: scholarly and professional standing; leadership and management capability; values and cultural alignment; and motivation and preparedness for the specific demands of the role. We use structured behavioural interviewing to gather specific, evidenced examples, and we are professionally accredited to administer a range of psychometric assessments including SHL's Occupational Personality Questionnaire and Hogan Assessments.
Supporting your selection committee
We work with selection committees to establish the conditions for effective group decision-making. At the outset, we help committees develop a shared evaluative framework that goes beyond the formal selection criteria. We provide interview questions designed to probe whether candidates have genuinely navigated the situations they are likely to encounter in the role. We also recommend practices that ensure the committee's full range of observations surfaces in deliberation, rather than being shaped by the dynamics of the room.
Our commitment to candidates
We treat every candidate with the same care and respect, regardless of seniority or the outcome of their application. We keep candidates well informed at every stage of the process, and we provide meaningful, timely feedback throughout. We understand that engaging with a search process can be a significant personal commitment, and we take that seriously.
When a candidate is unsuccessful, we offer a personalised debrief that goes beyond the outcome of the decision. We discuss the reasons behind the selection committee's decision where appropriate, and provide practical guidance on how candidates might best position themselves for future opportunities.
