New Leadership Assessment Suite from Aon Hewitt Enables Global Organizations to Build a Robust Pipeline of Future Leaders

Comprehensive Suite of Global Solutions Includes Web-Based Simulation and Computer Adaptive Tests Designed to Help Prepare High Potential Talent for Leadership Roles

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Apr 11, 2013, 10:46 ET

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Increased competition, economic volatility and the complexities of global business today make strong leadership a business imperative. To help companies identify and develop strong leaders throughout all levels of the organization, Aon Hewitt, the global human resources solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), today announced the next generation of LEADeR®, its robust suite of assessment tools that enable organizations to measure and assess managers' readiness for leadership roles.

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A recent Aon Hewitt leadership study found that mid- and senior-level leaders are viewed as the most critical roles in organizations but are also the most challenging to attract and retain. Companies are addressing this challenge by increasingly relying on assessment and development programs to build strong and agile leadership pipelines. Aon Hewitt's Top Companies for Leaders study reveals that 100 percent of Top Companies have formal strategies for assessing and developing leaders and identifying high potential talent. Companies also are reaching deeper into their organization to identify future leaders. Ninety-two percent of Top Companies identify high potentials in first level management roles and 56 percent formally assess potential in entry level positions.

"The speed and complexity of business around the world has dramatically increased demand for high potential leaders. However, with an increasingly mobile and global workforce, many organizations struggle with finding the right tools to help them build a robust pipeline of future leaders," said Veronica Harvey, a partner in Aon Hewitt's Performance, Reward and Talent practice. "Our fully updated LEADeR® solution offers a menu of first-in-class assessment options to help an organization identify highly talented individuals and accelerate the development of high-potential leaders who can drive the organization's long-term strategy and position it for future success."

The newest version of LEADeR® includes a web-based, day-in-the-life simulation that puts employees through challenges and interactions that enable them to experience—in real time—the situations they may face in the leadership roles for which they are being prepared. The suite of tools offered in Aon Hewitt's next generation LEADeR® solution includes computer adaptive logic and personality tests, live and digital interviewing, writing assessments and multi-rater surveys. Unlike other leadership assessment solutions, LEADeR® is fully modular, allowing organizations to choose the competencies they want to measure, the assessment tools they want to include and the specific components they want in their resulting assessment reports. To address an increasingly global and mobile workforce, assessments can be conducted from anywhere and at any time, including mobile devices and iPads. They can also be provided in multiple languages.

"Effective leadership is the backbone of our global economy," said Lorraine Stomski, head of Aon Hewitt's Leadership practice. "Innovation, engagement, productivity and financial success all hinge on the availability and strength of leaders. LEADeR® provides a state-of-the-art way for organizations to control the future by more effectively managing their leadership pipelines."

About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions. The company partners with organizations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance. Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies. With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees. For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 65,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world's best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon's global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.