Confidential ASSESS Selection Report for Suzanne Example Management-General, YourCo Date: 1/12/2000
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The Report In reviewing the ASSESS report, keep the following in mind:
The Graphic Profile When reviewing the graphic profile, keep in mind that:
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This section of the ASSESS report provides a quick summary of those areas in which the candidate is notably different from the professional norm group. In general, many of these characteristics have been classified as potential strengths or potential weaknesses. However the importance of these characteristics may vary considerably from job to job and, for some jobs, a characteristic that has been classified a weakness by ASSESS may be a strength or vice versa. Potential Strengths
Potential Weaknesses
Other
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The following results are based on the candidate's performance on standardized ability tests. They are presented as percentile comparisons to professional norms (people who, for the most part, have an education at or beyond the college undergraduate level) and to general population norms (people who, for the most part, have a high school education). Test scores have been plotted on the profile chart using professional norms. However, since people in the professional group tend to score much higher on the ability tests than the average person in the general population, it is often beneficial to also see the candidate's scores compared to general population norms. With few exceptions, if this person is being considered for a position requiring a college degree, you should pay most attention to the professional norm group comparisons. However, if she has limited formal education or if a college degree is not required, the general population comparisons may be more appropriate. Regardless, her results on the intellectual ability tests are only a partial indication of her ability to be successful at a job. Other factors such as education, technical training, job-related experience, personal accomplishments and character are different, but equally important, indicators of potential future success. Scores were available for the following ability tests:
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Comments:
While she should be able to reason through verbal and quantitative information to solve problems more quickly than the average person, she may be somewhat slower or less skilled than the typical professional. While her critical thinking abilities appear to be better than those of the average person, they may be somewhat lower than those of the typical professional. Occasionally, she may have some difficulty understanding some complex written problems or evaluating the merits of interpretations of the information presented in order to come to sound conclusions. She should have little difficulty solving problems that involve complex, abstract information. She should also be quick to grasp new ideas and solve problems that are outside her usual experience. The combined indications of good abstract reasoning but lower formal reasoning suggest that she is a capable person who either did not apply herself strongly in school or did not obtain the type of advanced education that would develop her formal abilities. Within the limits of her education and training, she should be capable. However, in comparison to others with better education, she may have occasional difficulty grasping and using concepts that are dependent on the types of skills developed by a good formal education. |
Thinking
Within the range of her intellectual skills, she shows an average tendency to probe into issues or problems. When she disciplines herself, she may be capable of insightful and reflective thought; however, she can be impulsive. She may need to be encouraged to be more patient and disciplined in her decision making, and to deal with information or problems in a more thorough manner. Apparently much less cautious and reserved than the typical professional, she is likely to make decisions and adopt courses of action without excessive deliberation. At her best, she probably will not waste effort on the evaluation of simple, straightforward decisions. At her worst, she may be undisciplined in her approach to complex problems or decisions that have serious consequences. She may be impulsive in selecting easy or first-available solutions, even in those situations that would be better addressed with more measured judgment. She may take unnecessary risks. When she takes the time to think things through, she should be very realistic and objective in her thinking, and unlikely to let her feelings influence her judgment. Her results suggest that she is as systematic and organized in her thinking as the typical professional. Since she tends to be both thoughtful and reflective in her thinking, and practical and objective in her orientation, her approach to decision making should show a good and balanced concern for both the immediate usefulness of solutions to problems and the broader or longer term consequences of those solutions. |
Working
She appears to have low drive and energy. She may be a spurt worker or someone who works more slowly and less energetically than most professionals. She probably does better when her work is externally paced. She appears to be strongly self-reliant and to have an average need to be free of control. She is probably the type of person who assumes responsibility, takes initiative and handles things on her own, yet she does not mind working within the rules and policies of the organization. A review of her results suggests she is similar to most professionals in her willingness to handle multiple demands and tasks at the same time. However, she also appears to be less organized than most and may tend to scatter her efforts or lose focus on important tasks when there are many things to do. She may need help to prioritize and complete important tasks. While her self-reliant nature should help her to take initiative in her work, her results suggest that she may not emphasize task completion as much as the typical professional. This lack of emphasis on follow-through may cause her to be perceived as undependable. She shows an average ability to handle pressure and frustration; she should recover from setbacks with average speed. She expressed a moderately high need for personal attention and feedback; she is likely to be motivated by recognition but not excessively concerned about it. Her results indicate that she does not enjoy personal involvement in activities requiring a strong detail orientation. This, in combination with her low interest in the planning and organizing aspects of work suggests that she will have difficulty with tasks or roles where accuracy and attention to detail are critical. |
Relating
She describes herself as outgoing and social. She should be comfortable meeting people and probably prefers jobs with high levels of social interaction rather than working alone. Apparently highly assertive as well as socially outgoing, she is likely to be an initiator of personal interactions. She should be able to control most encounters and should make a strong first impression in most situations. She is likely to state her attitudes and opinions freely. This may occasionally result in unnecessary conflict. Although she appears to have some tendency to analyze people and their motivations, her perspective is likely to be negative. Her assessments of others may be overly critical and faultfinding. She describes herself as being less friendly and agreeable than many professionals and, in general, does not appear to worry about whether she pleases people or is liked by them. Without proper self-control, she may sometimes be unpleasant and disagreeable. She also appears to be a competitive person who enjoys winning. If not moderated or controlled, this competitiveness may carry over into aggressive, me-first behavior. She appears to have a capacity for displaying anger or a temper, and it may sometimes show. She presents herself to be as positive in her outlook as most professionals, but less reserved or controlled than is typical. She will tend to show her feelings and be easy for others to read. She is likely to be more sensitive to criticism than many professionals. She may tend to overreact to negative feedback. At these times, she may interpret it more personally than it is intended or she may respond defensively. She appears to be about average both in her need to conform to conventional or traditional behavior codes and in her wish that others conform. |
Influencing
She appears to very much enjoy dealing with people in a directive or persuasive manner and probably seeks opportunities to influence or manage others. Her style is likely to be strong, forceful and assertive. In her dealings with others, she should be able to use the following tools, techniques and styles:
Her dealings with people could be adversely affected by the following:
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This section provides interview and reference probes for following up and obtaining more information regarding this candidate's potential problem characteristics. For each identified "Topic," ASSESS suggests several questions to assist you in interviewing the candidate. ASSESS also generates several questions to facilitate discussion of potential problem characteristics with the candidate's references. Probes were generated for the following topics:
For additional, more detailed information on conducting good behavior-based interviews, please visit the ASSESS manager's resource website at http://www.bigby.com/systems/ASSESSv2/resources/welcome.asp. |
Very Low Restraint This person appears to have a very low level of personal restraint. People who are low on this attribute can be spontaneous and, in some cases, creative; unfortunately, they also may be impulsive in their decisions and actions. They also may be extreme in their display of emotions. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Low Work Pace This person appears to have a low work pace in comparison to the typical professional. This may mean that she has some difficulty keeping up with the work pace of others or that she must "work smart" and concentrate her efforts to be effective. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Very Low Work Organization This person scored very low on a measure of work organization. People with low scores may have difficulty planning and organizing their own and others work activities. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Low Follow-Through This person scored low on a measure of follow-through. Some people with low scores on this measure tend to start projects but not complete them before moving on to the next project. Others tend to not complete assignments thoroughly or to miss deadlines.
Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Potential For Aggressiveness This person's results suggest that she may be aggressive and competitive in her dealings with others. While this could be an advantage, particularly in some sales jobs, people with this profile may have difficulty working cooperatively with others. At times, they may be overly unpleasant and domineering. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Low Need To Be Liked This person scores somewhat low on the measure of needing to be liked. People who score low on this measure are sometimes quick to confront others or find it very easy and natural to respond to situations in a competitive fashion. If they do not moderate their competitive style, they can be seen as unnecessarily disagreeable and difficult. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Capacity to Display a Temper This person's results suggest a capacity to display a temper. Some people with this profile have a tendency to show aggression and may say or do things that they later regret. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Low Positiveness About People This person scores somewhat low on the measure of positiveness or trust in other people. People who score low on this measure can be critical or unnecessarily suspicious of others. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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Low Criticism Tolerance This person scored low on the measure of criticism tolerance. People who score low on this measure can be unnecessarily sensitive to criticism; however, some people with this profile have learned to control their sensitivity in most circumstances. Interview Probes:
Reference Probe Questions: When talking with her references ask the following types of questions.
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This section suggests ways to effectively manage this person. Each management suggestion identifies a potential problem area for this candidate and recommends an approach to optimizing her effectiveness on the job. For some suggestions, reference books and other resources are listed for additional recommendations.
Remaining Task-Focused Her interpersonal style may be more energetic than her work style. As a result, she may overemphasize the interpersonal aspects of her job at the expense of actually completing work tasks, especially if the tasks require expending physical energy. (She may be more "talk" than "do.") Her productivity may need to be closely managed. Be certain to hold her to high performance standards to ensure that her "do" matches her "talk." The following book may be helpful:
Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed to Do and What to Do About It by Ferdinand Fournies, McGraw-Hill, 1999.
Developing Restraint The quality of her analysis and decisions could be improved by the development of more restraint. Encourage her to record her first thoughts, then have her return to them later and ask tough questions about their usefulness. Suggest she play "devil's advocate" for herself to critique her ideas or plans (and thereby improve them). Encourage her to ask others to help generate alternatives and to judge these against her first ideas. If necessary, require her to obtain approval before launching new programs or initiatives.
Handling A Demanding Work Pace Her slow or methodical work pace may not be adequate in a fast-paced work environment. If this position demands high productivity in limited time frames, she is likely to need external pacing, time deadlines and specific work goals to be effective. The following books may be helpful:
Motivation and Goal Setting: How to Set and Achieve Goals and Inspire Others (Motivation and Goal Setting) by Jim Cairo, Career Press, 1998. Motivation in the Workplace: Inspiring Motivation in the Workplace by Lydia Banks, Amer Media Inc., 1997.
Developing More Self-Control She appears to have low self-control in interpersonal situations and may be excessively spontaneous in expressing her feelings, reacting to situations, voicing her opinions, etc. She should be encouraged to consider her impact on other people and think before she speaks or acts.
Becoming Less Critical of Others She may be exceedingly critical or mistrusting of others, and she is apt to voice her displeasure. As a result, others may find her a difficult person with whom to work, and morale may suffer. Encourage her to develop realistic expectations for the performance of others and, if she has supervisory or management responsibilities, to recognize effort and to reward accomplishments. Training and development in areas such as positive performance management would also be appropriate.
Developing Tact If she does not control her assertiveness, her strong style could be abrasive and irritating to co-workers, customers and others. We recommend that the quality of her work relationships be monitored to determine if her assertiveness turns too easily to aggression or excessive pushiness. If it does, she will need direct feedback and coaching from a strong manager to change her aggressive behaviors. This one-on-one coaching should be supplemented with human relations training and a course in positive assertiveness. She should be given the explicit goal of learning how to present herself and accomplish her objectives in a more agreeable and less intimidating manner. She should also be held accountable for using this new knowledge to behave less aggressively. The following book may be helpful:
Sharpen Your Team's Skills in People Skills by Di Kamp & Dianne Kamp, McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Tolerating Criticism She appears to be thin-skinned and prone to taking negative feedback more personally than it is intended. In correcting her, her boss should make a special effort to criticize the behavior, not the person -- that is, correct her in a manner where the focus is on observed behavior and where clear suggestions for changes in behavior are provided. When possible, give negative feedback in a manner that allows her to maintain her self-esteem yet still calls for her to meet performance standards. The following book may be helpful:
The Power of Positive Criticism by Hendrie Davis Weisinger, AMACOM, 1999.
Avoiding Temperamental Outbursts She is likely to respond to stress, or what she perceives as slights or personal attacks, with temper or other outward displays of emotion or anger. Sometimes this temper may be displayed as aggressiveness toward others. If any of these behaviors is displayed on the job, it will be important for her manager(s) to firmly and consistently indicate these types of behaviors are not appropriate and should be kept under control. She should be encouraged and rewarded for developing higher levels of personal self-control and for finding positive outlets for aggressiveness such as competitive sports or any type of intense aerobic exercise. Course work or training in positive assertiveness and anger management may also be helpful. The following book may be helpful:
Anger and Conflict in the Workplace: Spot the Signs, Avoid the Trauma by Lynne McClure, Impact Publishing, 2000.
General Coaching Resources The following books are general resources that may be useful in coaching this person or other people in your organization. Masterful Coaching: Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the Way They Think and Work Together by Robert Hargrove, Pfeiffer & Company, 1995. Leader As Coach: Strategies for Coaching & Developing Others by David B. Peterson & Mary Dee Hicks, Personnel Decisions International, 1996. Action Coaching: How to Leverage Individual Performance for Company Success by David L. Dotlich & Peter C. Cairo, Jossey-Bass, 1999. Results-Based Leadership by David Ulrich, Jack Zenger, & Norman Smallwood, Harvard Business School Press, 1999. Leadership: The ASTD Trainer´s Sourcebook by Anne F. Coyle, McGraw-Hill, 1996. Coaching for Improved Work Performance by Ferdinand Fournies, McGraw-Hill, 2000.
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