Harald Ackerschott

What Harald Ackerschott does

Harald Ackerschott GmbH is a Bonn, Germany-based consulting psychology firm founded in 1994 that specializes in personnel selection, aptitude diagnostics (Eignungsdiagnostik), management audit, coaching, and commissioned research. The firm serves organizations requiring scientifically validated hiring and leadership evaluation, including both private enterprises and public sector bodies, and reports over 25 years of continuous operation with longterm customers. Operationally it runs as a small consultancy led by founder and principal consultant Harald Ackerschott (PhD Psychology), supported by senior consultant Annika van Veen (MSc Psychology).

The firm's flagship product is abcI (ackerschott basic cognitions Indicator), a proprietary online cognitive assessment tool that measures performance potential and decision-making behavior of individuals and groups. The abcI is delivered as a browser-based test (~60 minutes) and an iPad version for assessment centers and executive assessments, and supports nine languages (German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Mandarin). It is developed and applied in compliance with DIN 33430 (German standard for personnel selection procedures), ISO 10667 (Assessment Service Delivery), and ISO 30408, and the firm has been an active participant in those standards-setting bodies, with Ackerschott serving as project leader for the ISO 10667 revision and as head of ISO TC260 Workgroup 5 on Recruiting.

The business model combines professional services (consulting, management audit, coaching, commissioned research) with subscription/usage of the abcI assessment platform for client engagements. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise clients and is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led and consulting-driven, supported by content marketing through the firm's business psychology blog, conference participation at events such as ZUKUNFT PERSONAL, EAWOP, and the International Test Commission, and the founder's standing in international HR standards work. Operating geographies include the DACH region, Western Europe (Netherlands), Eastern Europe (Romania), Northern Europe (Sweden), the United States, and occasional engagements in East Asia (China).

Name

Harald Ackerschott

Legal name

Harald Ackerschott GmbH

Website

https://ackerschott.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harald Ackerschott GmbH is a Bonn-based consulting psychology firm, founded in 1994, that delivers personnel selection, cognitive assessment via its proprietary abcI platform, management audit, coaching, and commissioned research to enterprise and public sector clients in Europe and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Assessment Services: Online assessment testing using abcI for personnel selection and development purposes.
2. Consulting Services: Personnel selection consulting, management audit, coaching, and commissioned research services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Harald Ackerschott GmbH is a consulting psychology firm providing personnel selection, management audit, coaching, consulting, and commissioned research services. The firm delivers these services using its proprietary abcI (ackerschott basic cognitions Indicator) online cognitive assessment tool, which measures performance potential and decision-making behavior of individuals and groups for hiring, development, and executive assessment purposes. The offering is grounded in compliance with DIN 33430, ISO 10667, and ISO 30408 international standards for personnel assessment.

Product overview

Harald Ackerschott GmbH is a consulting psychology firm offering psychological assessment services centered on its proprietary abcI (ackerschott basic cognitions Indicator) online assessment tool. The company provides personnel selection services using the abcI as a scientifically-based measurement instrument compliant with DIN 33430 and ISO 10667 standards. Additional services include consulting, management audit, coaching, and commissioned research. The abcI product is the core offering, available as an online test or iPad-based assessment for use in personnel selection, development, and executive evaluation contexts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• abcI: Online assessment tool for measuring cognitive performance and potential
• abcÎ

Products and services

• abcI (ackerschott basic cognitions Indicator) Online Assessment An online cognitive assessment tool for measuring performance potential and decision-making behavior of individuals and groups. Used for personnel selection and development, the test captures criteria of human performance potential related to work performance that cannot be obtained from application documents or interviews. Available as a browser-based online test (approximately 60 minutes) or iPad version for Assessment Centers and Executive Assessments. Available in 9 languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Turkish, and Mandarin.
• Personnel Selection Service Professional personnel selection consulting using scientifically validated psychometric assessments (including the abcI tool) for hiring decisions. Designed for HR departments and hiring managers in organizations seeking evidence-based candidate evaluation compliant with DIN 33430 and ISO 10667 standards.
• Consulting Service General HR and organizational psychology consulting leveraging the firm's methodological expertise in aptitude diagnostics and assessment. Aimed at organizations seeking expert guidance on personnel decisions and HR strategy.
• Management Audit Systematic evaluation of management candidates and executives using psychometric assessment tools. Designed for organizations making senior leadership appointments and requiring objective, standards-compliant evaluation of management potential.
• Coaching Professional coaching services for individual development, grounded in the firm's assessment methodology and expertise. Targeted at professionals and executives seeking development support based on validated assessment insights.
• Commissioned Research Custom research services commissioned by organizations on topics within business psychology, aptitude diagnostics, and assessment methodology. Leverages the firm's academic expertise and involvement in international HR standards development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99%+ acceptance rate for abcI Instant Feedback feature among test participants

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISO TC260 (Human Resource Management)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019Harald Ackerschott leads Workgroup 5 on Recruiting. The company actively participates in developing international HR standards including ISO 10667 (Assessment Service Delivery), ISO 30414 (Human Capital Reporting), and candidate experience guidelines.
• International Test Commission (ITC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in ITC activities including symposiums on international guidelines impact on national practice. Harald Ackerschott presented on German professional standards at EAWOP 2013.
• EAWOP (European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference participation and presentation of abcI at 16th congress in Münster, Germany in 2013.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Thomas International: Thomas International provides personality and aptitude assessments (DISC-based and cognitive tools) used internationally for personnel selection and development. Similar mid-sized assessment vendor profile with comparable customer segments.
• PSI (Psychological Services Inc.): PSI is a specialist provider of psychometric tests for selection, development, and career guidance. Closely comparable to Harald Ackerschott's standardized cognitive assessment approach and similar niche positioning as a test publisher.
• Birkman International: Birkman International provides personality and organizational assessments used in leadership development, team effectiveness, and selection. Comparable as a mid-sized assessment publisher with international reach and behavioral measurement focus.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with deep assessment, leadership development, and executive search capabilities. Overlaps with Harald Ackerschott in executive assessment and management audit services, though at significantly larger scale.
• Saville Assessment (part of Willis Towers Watson): Saville Assessment delivers personality, ability, and competency assessments as part of WTW's broader talent consulting portfolio. Comparable standardized assessment product (similar in structure to abcI) but embedded within a much larger consulting ecosystem.
• Aon Assessment Solutions (formerly cut-e): Aon's Assessment Solutions business (incorporating cut-e) provides online psychometric assessments, simulations, and talent analytics for global enterprises. Direct overlap with abcI on cognitive/personality testing for selection and development.
• SHL: SHL is a global leader in psychometric assessment and talent measurement, offering cognitive and behavioral tests for personnel selection. Highly comparable to Harald Ackerschott's abcI offering but at much larger scale, with broader product suite and global enterprise footprint.
• CEB/Gartner HR Research: CEB (now Gartner) provides HR research, benchmarking, and leadership assessment services to large enterprises. Overlaps with the consulting and management audit positioning of Harald Ackerschott at enterprise scale.

Regional players

• Lücking & Partner: Lücking & Partner is a German management consultancy specializing in personnel selection and HR-related services. Comparable regional HR consulting niche with similar consulting-led service model in DACH.
• Hogrefe Verlag: Hogrefe is a leading German-language publisher of psychometric tests and psychological assessments. Closely comparable in DIN 33430-compliant test development and German market standards expertise, though focused on publishing rather than consulting services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harald-ackerschott-gmbh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harald Ackerschott