Citation
Reed, M. (2014), "Using psychometric assessments over the lifespan of an employee", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 13 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-10-2013-0095
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Using psychometric assessments over the lifespan of an employee
Article Type: Metrics From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 13, Issue 2
The latest ideas on how to approach measurement and evaluation of HR activities
As global economic uncertainty persists, the market remains a difficult place for employers and employees alike. According to the CIPD Engagement Index (CIPD, 2013), employee engagement is at an all-time low but businesses can little afford the loss of productivity caused by low engagement, or the disruption and cost of consequent attrition. Keeping staff motivated and focused, through good times and bad, is an ongoing process.
One of the ways in which employers can help maintain engagement is to recognize that everyone has different motivators, depending on their personal work style, ability and career status. While companies have long recognized the importance of psychometric assessments as part of the recruitment process, increasing numbers of businesses are realizing the benefits of using these tools over the lifespan of their employees.
Ongoing insights for managing and motivating
Information about a candidates behavioral style can help recruiting managers to hire the person who best "fits" the business culture and team – this same information can also be used to effectively manage a candidate once hired. Insights provided by psychometrics can be invaluable when delivering training and development interventions and in the long run help businesses to improve retention.
Employees may change their behavior in the workplace in accordance with a number of factors, such a pressure or security. By working out what drives your staff, you can identify how best to motivate them. For example, some people are goal orientated, some want to work in a stable environment that enables them to maintain the status quo, while others thrive on interaction. Understanding how individuals behave at work and what drives them can help managers to unlock their staffs potential.
As an employee progresses in a role, or as a role evolves, behavioral preferences may shift – using assessments as part of the ongoing HR process will ensure managers have the information they need to motivate and manage staff effectively. Once you have determined what drives an individual and how they prefer to communicate, inspiring, motivating and managing them becomes much easier.
Reducing attrition and driving growth
Everything Office, which provides stationery and office supplies throughout the UK and Europe, successfully used Thomas International assessments to reduce their staff attrition and support company growth. Everything Office is predominately a telesales operation that was struggling with a high churn rate among its staff. It came to us looking for help in reducing that rate and increasing employee satisfaction.
Managing director, Bob Taylor, comments:
Profiling helped us to understand them [employees] better; identify weaknesses and pinpoint training needs. Those in jobs that were less than a perfect fit were helped to modify their behavior […] weve seen a reduction in employee frustration and people who had challenges are now performing well. The tools facilitated the start of a two way communication and helped us cement a better working environment. This was also reflected through a 50 percent reduction in attrition.
Changing entrenched attitudes
In contrast, the Dover Harbour Board implemented ongoing Thomas International assessments to help solve the challenges they were experiencing with long serving members of staff who had entrenched attitudes to their work and struggled to accept change. Head of Corporate Administration Anita Wilson explains:
As a company we are constantly evolving and over the last few years particularly the business has experienced significant cultural changes. We have used the Thomas International assessments for some time as a recruitment tool. The results of the assessments made us think about how we could apply them to staff management on an ongoing basis.
The assessments are to help our managers understand their teams, and what makes them tick, which in turn helps them to manage them better. We also use the assessments when the company, or individual teams are experiencing change, for example when new managers are appointed, or when there are team changes. By encouraging staff to undertake the assessments regularly, we are able to identify any issues they may have and consider how to deal with them.
With staff satisfaction, efficient teams and low staff turnover on the wish list of every company in these challenging times, a more thorough understanding of motivations, strengths and limitations of all team members is in everybodys interest to ensure a happier, more productive workforce and future organizational success.
Martin Reed
Thomas International, Marlow, UK
References
CIPD (2013), "CIPD employee outlook, winter 2012-13", available at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/employeeoutlook
About the author
Martin Reed is Chairman and CEO of Thomas International, the largest independent psychometric assessment company in the world. He joined Thomas Internationals sales team in 1991. He became top sales consultant in less than two years and was made Sales Team Leader (West London) shortly afterwards. In 1998, Reed opened Thomas Central London Office on Bond Street and later that year was promoted to UK Sales Director. In 2000, he became Managing Director of Thomas International UK, in 2005 he was appointed Chairman of Thomas International, and in 2007 he assumed dual responsibilities as Chairman and Chief Executive of Thomas UK and Thomas International. He is a founding member of Buckinghamshire Business First and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IoD). He is also a founding member and current Chair of the Business Test Publishers Association (BTPA). Martin Reed can be contacted at: mailto:info@thomas.co.uk