Organizations in transition: how talent makes the difference

Case study: Local government BKZ

In major restructuring processes, the focus is often placed on processes, structures, and efficiency gains. Yet one fundamental question quickly emerges: how can an organization make the best possible use of its people in a changing context? A concrete example is the merger of Beveren Kruibeke Zwijndrecht, which was created on January 1, 2025, through the voluntary merger of three former municipalities. With a surface area of more than 200 km², this is the largest merged municipality in Flanders. Such a merger brings significant organizational as well as human challenges: teams must learn to collaborate, processes need to be harmonized, and shared objectives must be redefined. To actively support this complex transition, the merged local government decided to implement development centers to support its management team members.

More than a measurement tool

Development centers are structured programs that provide an in-depth view of talent, growth potential, and development needs. By combining personality analyses with exercises based on real-life scenarios, learning ability assessments, and presentation and analytical exercises, a nuanced understanding emerges of how team members operate and which roles suit them best. Equally important as the assessments themselves is the way the results are communicated. Participants receive their personal development reports a few days before the feedback session, giving them sufficient time to review the results, formulate questions, and note any reflections. As a result, the feedback session becomes a genuine interaction. This conversation is a standard part of the development center and takes place not only with the participant, but also with the organization’s responsible managers. In this way, the process focuses on clarity, alignment, and effective facilitation of the further development trajectory.

New roles, greater challenges

Change inevitably brings complexity. Roles become broader, responsibilities increase, and decisions have a greater impact. That is precisely why it is important to understand which competencies are present within the organization and where development needs still exist. Differences in professional backgrounds also play a major role: some employees already have extensive experience with transitions or within larger organizations, while others are less familiar with change processes. This diversity is a clear strength, but it requires a thoughtful approach. How do you set the bar both high and achievable? And how do you ensure that each team member maximizes their talent, while the team as a whole remains strong and effective?

Managing differences intelligently

Early insight into competencies and growth potential makes decisions more sustainable and better substantiated. By making talent visible and linking it to the strategic needs of the organization, each team member can contribute effectively and the management team can respond flexibly to change. Because not everyone starts from the same point, customization is crucial. At Beveren Kruibeke Zwijndrecht, we translated the results into concrete steps on an individual level: some participants were advised to follow targeted training programs to further develop specific competencies, while others were offered coaching trajectories to fully unlock their potential. At the same time, the analyses provided guidance for strategic decisions within the administration: who was ready for a role with greater impact, which team combinations strengthened collaboration and complementarity, and where possible development areas could be identified.

Development centers in times of change

Development centers are essential for organizations involved in mergers, restructuring processes, or growth trajectories that need to make thoughtful decisions quickly about roles and people. Especially when responsibilities broaden and complexity increases, they provide the necessary support to avoid mismatches. At the same time, they are a clear advantage for organizations that consciously want to invest in internal mobility and development, and make maximum use of their existing talent. They also form a strong lever for teams that need to grow in collaboration and complementarity, and for management teams that want to base decisions on objective insights. By proactively implementing them as a diagnostic tool before major change processes or restructurings, organizations can not only optimize the use of individual talents, but also remain resilient, agile, and future-proof as a whole. Development centers are not evaluation tools, but decision-making instruments for organizations that want to deploy their people strategically in times of change.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR DEVELOPMENT CENTERS?
Contact Myra Vandekerckhove via m.vandekerckhove@searchselection.com or +32 (0)495 81 90 76