"Oh no, not a test!"
Personality Profiling: A Great Managerial Tool for Fine-tuning

Why is it every time the word, test, is mentioned, people break out in a sweat and get all negative and full of dread? Just recently my staff underwent a performance profiling (notice I avoided calling it a test) in order to improve our work patterns and efficiency. While cognitive ability tests continue to be the most commonly used form of psychological testing in the workplace, personality tests are being used more and more frequently.

Employers use different types of personality tests for different purposes. The hiring or selection process for matching the right person to the job is one purpose. For example, an insurance company might use a measure of extroversion-introversion to select applicants for a sales job so that their characteristics match successful incumbents in their sales force. Another reason for profiling is for a manager to understand the employees and determine if there is a better way to motivate them.

As a manager, one of the most important ingredients to leading a team is knowing how to manage each individual on that team. While it would be much easier if we could just coach the team as a whole, it is not realistic. We have all heard the old saying, that no two snowflakes are alike; well the same belief can be applied to each staff member. Each employee has a unique personality, sets of skills and level of motivation. It should be no wonder then that each employee responds differently to stress, conflict, and of course, the manager.

There are hundreds of tests available and many are offered on-line. So the testing can be convenient, affordable, and industry specific. When conducting this type of exercise, it is important to reassure your staff that there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. And I am happy to report that no one on my staff flunked.

What is truly valuable are the management reports that I received after my staff completed their profiles. The report allowed me to understand their behavioral tendencies, how they respond to stress, how to increase their effectiveness, and how best to motivate them. Of course, personality profile tests should not be used exclusively in managing a team, but they can be used as a guide and a reminder that each employee possesses unique strengths and qualities.

Has your office caught the Bracket Fever?

Unchecked, March Madness-during which 64 college teams are winnowed to two for the championship game-can sideline productivity, according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

It estimates that the hoopla will cost as much as $889.6 million in lost productivity for U.S. businesses this year if the approximately 14.3 million workers who consider themselves big college basketball fans spend as little as 13 minutes monitoring the Internet for game updates and live video, pondering tournament picks, and engaging in round ball trash talk during the 16 business days of championship play that ends April 4.

This means the tournament may prompt activity that runs counter to some company policies. Such as use of the company email to monitor games or on-site gambling. But not all of this basketball fever is necessarily a bad thing.

Tournaments like this can boost company morale and bring the non- tournament fans around as well. It's going to happen every year; why not prepare for it. Society of Human Resources suggest, holding non-monetary raffles, supplying a television in the break room for viewing, or offering a casual Team sweatshirt day.

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