corporate Talent Development
Make better people decisions.
Before they become expensive.
High salaries don't come with instructions. You hired smart, capable people and expected the rest to follow. Unfortunately, nobody translated the rest into a universally intuitive understanding, so now everyone is just doing their personal best. Now, if you were in the business of handing participation trophies, you'd be doing so good right now that you wouldn't even be here. But you are. And we can fix that - before it costs you more than it already has: in replacement costs, (re)training costs, and lost productivity costs.
Behavioral science does the heavy lifting. 15 years in startup & multinational HR space, and extensive cross-functional practice of industrial psychology make sense of it for you - and serve it to you on a cookie platter.
We start not with advice, but with data: you-specific data.
At the center of our processes is the Harrison Assessment — the most comprehensive workplace-behavioral mapping tool in the industry, which tells us exactly what we need to know about what's happening with your people. Not people like them. Yours:
So, unlike the classic personality tests, this isn’t about boxing people in... It’s about understanding how they work, what they need, and what kind of environment helps them thrive - so their organizations can thrive, too.
About Ascend.cIQ
At Ascend.cIQ (say it: ascend-kick), we believe that a company's greatest competitive advantage is how well it understands its own people.
In a world where AI is reshaping every industry, intelligence is - more than anything else - a function of the ability to develop and adapt. The companies that will come out ahead aren't necessarily the ones with the best technology, but the ones with the most self-aware, strategically developed teams behind it.
Our approach to HR consulting and workforce optimization goes beyond generic frameworks. We identify the precise behavioral differences between an individual's current profile and the ideal profile for their role - and turn that insight into a clear, step-by-step plan for leadership development and employee engagement.
Because developing your people isn't just good HR practice, but how companies - from ambitious startups to scaling mid-market teams - get smarter.
This is for you if:
- You aim to scale your company without losing culture or control, with the right owners who can build structures and processes that don’t depend solely on you.
- Are scaling and feel your team dynamics haven’t caught up to your business growth.
- Know your managers and leaders need real development, not motivational mantras.
- Are seeing cracks in performance, engagement, communication, or retention.
- Want data-backed insight into your people, not opinions and guesswork.
- Are willing to invest time, attention, and leadership ownership into real change.
- You value proactivity, transparency, and integrity, and want a team that can think and act independently while staying loyal to your company culture.
- You believe in solving problems with a “come with a problem, leave with a solution” mindset and prefer clear, practical insights about risks and consequences.
This is especially well suited for comanies that are:
- 50-300 employees
- Growth-stage, post-startup, or actively professionalizing
- Led by founders or executives who see people strategy as business strategy
- Navigating rapid growth, restructuring, or leadership transitions
This is not for you if:
- Want a one-off workshop with no follow-through.
- Aren’t willing to act on what the data reveals.
- Expect cultural change without leadership involvement.
- You believe investing in your employees’ development and well-being is a waste of time or money.
- Want someone to “fix employees” instead of developing leaders and systems.
- Aren’t open to honest conversations about performance and behavior.
This also won't be the right fit if your organization is:
- Highly bureaucratic with no room to implement change
- Shopping for icebreakers, games, or inspirational talks
Next Chapter Lab
You've checked every box. But why does it feel like they were the wrong boxes?
This is for you if:
- You're a high-achieving professional who feels like you've done everything right - but you're still wondering: “What’s next?”
- You’re going through a career transition, eyeing a promotion, or thinking about starting your own thing - and you want clarity, a plan, and a professional by your side.
- You know you're capable of more - more freedom, more meaning, more aligned success.
- You want to align your work with your values, strengths, and long-term vision. You want a work that matters to you and works in your favor - not just in favor of someone else’s goals and KPIs.
- You want a job where you get to be a whole human being, seen and heard—not just a productive professional.
- You know where you want to get - but not how to get there.
- You’re willing to look within, challenge some beliefs, and do the inner work - because real change doesn’t happen in a comfort zone.
This is NOT for you if:
- You expect plug-and-play, pre-written answers.
- You’re looking for someone to hand you a new CV and a magic solution.
- You’re not ready to take action between sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this help me figure out what I'd be good at...that's not what I'm doing now?
Short answer: yeah!
We map out roles, industries, or even business ideas tailored to your skills, lifestyle, and ambitions, as well as your vantage points for breaking into them. We also give you access to a (peculiarly specific) list of 600+ careers - with a match score for each based on how they suit your values and career preferences.
Whether you just had a child and want a less dynamic work life, or you’re bored stiff in your current job - we factor in your full reality. Your resume is just a part of it.
I don't have the time.
That’s exactly why this process helps - it focuses your energy on what matters, and helps you stop wasting time on things that don’t align with who you are.
How quickly will we see results?
Many insights are immediate - like identifying skill gaps, team friction, or leadership blind spots and unconscious communication tendencies. Some improvements, like behavioral changes and engagement gains, show measurable impact between 3-6 months.
Is your work suitable for all company sizes?
Yes, we work with organizations from fast-growing startups to established multinational corporations. Our methods are scalable and adaptable to various business environments and team structures. However, for best results, working with smaller teams of up to 15 people at a time is recommended (larger teams are broken into cohorts).
What if the assessment isn’t accurate?
It literally checks if your answers are reliable. How? The way the questions are developed alows for noting how well you understood them and/or how focused and present you were for each, and lets us know which ones tripped you up (and you can see it too in the report). If your answers were not reliable - we redo it. No extra charge.
I just want a new job, not self-reflection.
Totally fair. Unfortunately, in 2026 your odds of getting one by stabbing in the dark are...low. If your strategy doesn't rely on networking and being well connected - it needs to rely on a) being acutely aware of your unique assets, and b) knowing how to utilize them to do nothing short of sweeping the people on the other side off their feet, chairs, and budget restraints.
What does any of this do for my team... and my bottom line?
We target the most expensive talent problems companies tend to normalize. Here's how that shows up in real dollars:
Talent Acquisition: We help you hire people whose behaviors (beyond resume qualifications) match the role and your culture, so you’re not paying twice for the same position. →A single bad hire typically costs 30–50% of annual salary (up to 200% for leadership roles).
Employee Engagement & Retention: We identify what’s driving disengagement and turnover early, so you can intervene before people walk out the door.turnover. →Replacing one professional employee costs 75–125% of their salary.
Talent and Leadership Development: We develop managers intentionally before performance issues, attrition, or burnout spread across their teams - preventing strong individual contributors from becoming costly, underprepared managers. →A poorly developed manager costs an organization roughly $7k–$15k per direct report, per year.
Team Dynamics: We fix role confusion, friction, and inefficiencies that not-so-quietly drag teams down, and realign teams to work effectively together. →Dysfunctional teams lose an average of 20–30% of total productivity annually.
Self-Awareness: We increase individual and leadership self-awareness, reducing miscommunication, defensiveness, and decision errors - especially at senior levels. →Low self-awareness in leaders can conservatively cost $200k+ per year in avoidable impact.
Performance Improvement: We focus development efforts on the right levers instead of generic coaching or failed PIPs. →Underperformance typically costs 5–15% of salary per employee, per year.
A less frequently asked question?
Email Vesna at vesna@vbtalentventures.com or reach out to her via LinkedIn (in/vesna-babarogich/sphr)!