Psychometric Testing

Recruiters who stay informed about their new placement’s progress can help employers address teething problems by understanding the seven causes of under-performance, says MyProfiles Worldwide managing director, Axel Henriksen.

Sometimes, he says in the report, Why Smart Employees Underperform, the candidate seems to have “the right experience, solid qualifications, and a relevant work history, and… gave an impressive performance during the interview process”, but three months later their team is disgruntled, morale is low, and output and productivity are down.

He says the causes of under-performance are “hazards” that can be addressed.

Poor job fit

While skills can be taught, “behaviours are much more difficult to change”, the report says.

Too many people choose their jobs because of external influences, it says, without understanding themselves and their “mental DNA”. But it’s difficult to change natural behaviour, so if an employee isn’t motivated to change, then he or she “probably won’t”.

Henriksen advises recruiters to: “Know the job, know what type of person is successful in that job, and then hire others who have the behavioural traits that fit that job.” This is “easier said than done”, he notes, “but behavioural assessments can be extremely helpful”.

Inadequate capability
It’s no secret that most candidates exaggerate their abilities on their resumes and job applications, Henriksen points out, but when their capability - their skills, tools and experience - is lacking there is an increased chance that they will underperform.

Employers can avoid this hazard by being clear during the recruitment process on what skills the employee needs to perform in their job. If they are missing, the employer needs to know how to help the employee acquire them and how long the process will take.

Employers also need to ensure they’re providing the tools that help an employee deliver peak performance, he says, but importantly they need to recognise that “just because an employee has the skills to do a job doesn’t mean that he has the experience to apply those skills in his specific position.”

Recent graduates, outside hires from different industries and internal hires from different departments need special attention early in their employment because they might be used to different applications and terminology, and need time to learn and adjust, he adds.

Fuzzy goals and accountabilities

“Employees need to be very clear about their responsibilities and about the results you expect them to achieve,” Henriksen says.

He says SMART goals help employees focus on what is most important to the business, and should be:
•    Specific - the employee should be able to answer, at a minimum: Who is involved? What needs to be accomplished? When is the deadline? Why is this goal important?

•    Measurable - when progress is measured, employees stay on track, reach their targets and experience the sense of achievement that motivates them to keep working toward their goal.

•    Aligned - individual goals need to support the organisation’s priorities, otherwise the employee is not channeling his or her efforts in the most productive manner.

•    Realistic - employees must be both willing and able to work toward the goal, and will more likely perceive it as realistic if they have accomplished something similar in the past, Henriksen says.

•    Timed - if there is no timeframe, “there is no sense of urgency”.

Poor relationship with manager

A poor employee/manager relationship is the number-one reason for failure at work, Henriksen says, and it’s usually caused by one of two “flashpoints”.

Either the employee is unclear about the manager’s expectations, or the manager fails to adapt his or her style to the employee’s preferred styles.

The former problem can be addressed by ensuring the employee asks questions like “What are the top three priorities in my role that you would like me to focus on?” and “Why is this so important?” while the latter requires managers to understand their own styles as well as those of employees.
Poor relationship with co-workers

Four primary factors harm employee relationships:

•    Insensitivity toward others - this can damage any sort of team dynamic and potentially expose the employer to a hostile work environment and employment discrimination law suits, Henriksen says. “Managers who sense this hostility need to take quick and decisive action to prevent it from continuing.”

•    Unclear accountability - conflict can emerge between employees when they are unclear about business objectives, priorities, deadlines, processes or resources, Henriksen says. This can be a result of mixed messages, so communication is key.

•    Poor cultural fit - it’s not enough for an employee to present well on paper; their style, approach, and behaviour on the job must be consistent with the values and expectations of the organisation.

•    Incompatible styles - when co-workers’ communication styles and natural behaviours don’t mesh well with one another, and neither is willing to adapt, it causes stress and distraction for the entire team.

Health and wellness issues

“Whether they are absent from work altogether, or present but working at a reduced capacity, employees suffering from physical or mental illness have difficulty performing at their peak,” Henriksen says.

He says a comprehensive worksite health promotion program typically involves education about healthy living; supportive social and physical environments; programs to help employees achieve work/life balance; worksite screening; and follow-up interventions.

Physical and environmental factors

Numerous studies show that a pleasant and comfortable work environment improves worker productivity and reduces turnover, Henriksen says.

Factors to consider include indoor temperature (ideally about 22 degrees), air quality, lighting conditions, excessive noise and traffic, a physical workplace layout that encourages efficient communication flow (but minimal disruption), and ergonomically correct workstations.

Save Money - Hire Right!

Comments (0) Aug 19 2009

Children need to know that it is natural to sometimes feel upset or angry, and they need to experience these feelings so that they learn to cope with it. The best way for a child to learn how to deal with these feelings is the example he gets from his parents or other adults. If a child sees you solve a  problem with a raised voice or fists, he she learns that that is how it is done.

You need to acknowledge how they feel, and help them see further than their anger. For example, you can say: “I know you feel angry, but you don’t need to use violence in any form. Other people have feelings and rights too.”

Perhaps there is a trigger or event that sets your child off. Try to see when they get angry and see if you can work out why. By addressing what is happening around him/her and dealing with it, you may be able to stop violent behaviour. You need to learn how to handle an angry situation and how to diffuse it. Don’t shout, and remain calm. Let your child hear the calmness in your voice, and see it from your body language. Ask questions like, why are they feeling bad? What happened that made them feel this way? What should you do next time when you realise that this is going to happen again? Make sure you listen to the child and address his/her needs. Help them learn how to manage their unhappy feelings and actions they take when they are unhappy. Encourage them to talk about how they feel in stead of lashing out.

If you are having problems, make sure you address them or get help. Children see this and learn to do the same.

Make sure your child knows he/she is loved and accepted. Reach out to them with affection often. Children who feel loved and accepted don’t feel the need for violent behaviour.

Sometimes when children feel aggressive, they feel frustrated. Often the way they are taught to learn does not correspond with their personality style, and this may frustrate them, much like an adult gets stressed when he or she is not working in a field that corresponds with their personality.  A Psychometric test may tell you what the child’s learning style is and how to best motivate him. This will take the frustration away.

Discover Your Child's Talents

Comments (0) Aug 09 2009

By Hannah du Plessis

Do you have any of the following concerns for your child?

“The teacher complains that my child can’t concentrate”

“My child is showing learning or behaviour difficulties”

“My child complains of being bored in class”

“The teacher complains that my child is not paying attention”

“My child is struggling with reading and/or maths”

“How do I know if my child is gifted?”

“I think my child is gifted, but he is just showing average results at school”

“My child is just not like my other children. The same rules don’t seem to apply to him. He demands more attention than my other children.”

A psychometric test will show the nature of your child’s difficulties and will equip you with strategies to help your child improve his difficulties, and also help them achieve their full potential. You get a report that shows you the personality style of your child, and how they can be motivated. You will get to know his learning style, and how one should adapt your teaching style to accommodate him.

One parent who used one of our tests did so as a last resort. He literally didn’t know where else to turn. His eight year old son, David, was having severe behaviour difficulties in class, and his schoolwork was suffering as a result. Besides that, he was driving his teacher round the bend. He literally couldn’t sit still for a minute, and he was always into everything exploring.

The psychometric test revealed that the boy had an adventurer personality, that he learned better by doing than by hearing or seeing, and that he loves to explore. He loves building or making things.

The teacher identified three others with similar interests in her class, and decided to adapt her teaching style to include practical learning methods: she bought toys for the class that stimulated their interest in building things and developed a hand-on approach for maths.

Needless to say David was a much happier boy after this as he could satisfy his need for building and exploring. He was seldom bored after that because he had enough to explore in his classroom. The school also invested in one of those jungle gym’s that help kids’ learning as they kept physically fit. His parents were happy that their child’s problem seems to be sorted.

Apart from helping with your child’s problems at school, our test also helps you to communicate more effectively with your child. Understanding each of your children’s personal style will help you know how each child is different from you and different from each other. This will help you know how to deal with each child as an individual because what is a punishment for one might not be a punishment for another.

Children are not exactly like us, nor are they exactly the same. In my own children for instance, when the eldest needed time out I used to send him to his room. He would happily stay in his room until he was cooled off or able to face us again.  He could stay there for up to three hours or more if he was sufficiently angry with us. On my youngest, this tactic didn’t work as he needed to be amongst people. Five minutes in his room was a bigger punishment for him than an hour or more for my eldest. I always used to say to them: “Go to your room until you feel better.” (or: “until you can be more pleasant with the rest of us”) My youngest always made that decision “to feel better” in five minutes or less, whereas my eldest sometimes took a whole day to “feel better.”

Our assessments offer an online test that your child completes that takes around 15-20 minutes. The report is emailed to you immediately so you can take the appropriate action. It might be that the teacher can accommodate him in class. It might be that he/she will learn better one-on-one with a tutor. Whatever the outcome, it will be positive and will help your child find his little place in the sun.

Our assessments can be sold individually or in groups of ten to parents. We also have site licences available for schools or resource and guidance teachers.

If you want that test for your child, click here and click on the appropriate link for parents or teachers.

If you want a tutor for your child, click here.

Comments (0) Jul 05 2009

By: Brian Tracy

Learn how to influence others — Simply by using your words

Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in your life.

Would you like to be able to influence people you speak with, and get them to agree with your point of view?

How well you communicate, influence, persuade, and negotiate will ultimately determine the quality of your life.

If you could take everything we know about communications, put it all in a large pot, boil it and distill it down into its critical essence, it is about the importance of relationships in successful selling. Building and maintaining long-term selling relationships is the key behavior and skill of the top ten percent of the money earners in sales, in every field, selling every product and service.

The Reason for Success

Most of your success in life will depend on your ability to get along well with other people, and on the quality of your relationships. Psychologist Sidney Jourard, found that 85 percent of a person’s happiness in life comes from happy interactions with other people. The reverse holds true as well: 85 percent of a person’s unhappiness or problems in life comes from difficulties in getting along with others.

Sell to Lots of People

Anyone can sell to a few people, some of the time. But only the very best human relations experts can sell to a wide variety of people, and sell to them repeatedly. The only way that you can make the kind of big money that you are capable of is by selling more easily, and more often, to the prospects you talk to, and by having those prospects open doors to others through testimonials and referrals.

All top salespeople build and maintain high quality business relationships with their customers and sell to them repeatedly year after year.

Decide Emotionally, Justify Logically

We are all sensitive to the quality of our relationships with other people. We are primarily emotional and we make most of our decisions on the basis of how we feel inside. We may carefully consider all of the logical and practical reasons why or why not with regard to buying a product or service, but in the final analysis we tend to go with our gut feeling. We listen to our inner voices. We obey the dictates of our hearts. We buy on the basis of how we feel about the relationship that we have with the other person. Where there is no relationship, there is no sale.

Focus on the Key Variable

Everything that you ever learned of value in the profession of selling, regarding your product or service, or personality, is only helpful to the degree to which it contributes to the building of high quality relationships with customers.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, become a relationship expert in sales. Focus first on the relationship, above all, and the sale will take care of itself.

Second, take care of your relationships once you have built them. Never take them for granted. Tend to them as you would to a flower garden.

Successful Sales Start Here!

Comments (0) Jun 17 2009

Prepare a Cover Letter using a Job DescriptionTip: Send your covering letter and your CV with a psychometric test.  This will give the employer enough information to hire you on the spot.

My Career Match

Comments (0) Jun 17 2009

By Hannah du Plessis

In my previous article “Are we praising too much?” I discussed the modern teaching method of mind control teaching: Praising. With constantly praising children, we are taking advantage of the human need for approval, and creating a generation who can’t do anything unless they get approval.

How do you change your teaching style?

First you need to ask yourself what the student needs: The student needs unconditional love. No strings attached, just love. The student also needs support and encouragement. If you understand the difference: Praise is conditional. Praise manipulates with reward rather than helping kids develop the skills they need and the values we want to instil.

So how do you do it?

You need genuine affection and love for the child. If you have that, “Good Job!” is not necessary. If you don’t have it, “Good Job!” won’t help. It will seem fake to the child. If we are praising just to discourage bad behaviour, it won’t be effective for long, as children see right through that.

If the child behaves badly, you need to work with the child to figure out the reasons he behaves this way. First ask what you expect of the child is reasonable. Then together, figure out a way with the child for him to be able to do it. This takes courage, care, talent and time. This may explain why the praise route is popular with teachers.

So what do you say when kids do something impressive?

Some people insist that this need to be “reinforced” because then the child would learn that it is a good thing to do, and repeat his performance. There it is again … control. So do you believe that all children are inherently evil? Do you believe they won’t like the feeling of accomplishment after doing something impressive? Do you think that saying nothing will encourage him to become evil?

So, you can say nothing. Or you can say exactly what you saw. This provides unbiased feedback. Even if you only acknowledge: “You did it … how does that make you feel?” This puts the emphasis on the child instead of your feelings.

If the child does something good for another child, you can comment on how the other child may feel because of this kind act for example: “Johnny seems happy that you shared your crayons with him.”

Questions are even better than descriptions: Rather than “Great work!” for a piece of writing or a drawing ask the student how he/she felt about it. What does he like best about his work? Which part did he struggle with? How did he figure out how to do that particular part over there? Does he feel he accomplished something? How does he feel about his work?

Now don’t get me wrong: All compliments, thankyous and “good jobs” aren’t wrong. It is our motives that are wrong when we’re saying them. Is what we’re saying going to help the child? Or are our words teaching the child to always look for approval? Are we helping the child get excited about what they are doing, or are we just teaching them to get through something in order to get a pat on the back?

You don’t need to make evaluations to encourage children. Show a genuine interest in the student. Show you care. That is all children need in order to shine.

First Tutors

Discover Your Child's Talents

Comments (0) Jun 07 2009

By Hannah du Plessis

When you attend any class today, you often hear the teacher say “Well done!” or “that’s excellent work” or “Susan is listening so nicely” or “Thank you, Johnny for doing such neat and tidy work.”

Is praise a good thing or is it a form of control? Who benefits by praise?

Praising kids would certainly work in the short run as they are hungry for attention and praise. However, using it too often can have damaging effects. Kids need our approval and they need love. They need support and encouragement. But praise shouldn’t be used too lavishly. Here’s why:

Verbal rewards used to reinforce good behaviour has less to do with the emotional needs of the child you “reward” than your need for convenience. It is therefore used purely to manipulate. The teacher is then exploiting the child’s dependence on the need for approval, and is therefore taking advantage of the child’s needs to turn it into their favour. Is this not a form of bullying?

Apart from that, children become reliant on our decisions, our evaluations about what is good and what is bad, rather than learning it for themselves. They become “praise junkies.” The more we praise the more kids need it. Children who learn this way are less likely to work something out for themselves and to persist in difficult tasks as they become dependent on approval every step of the way, and lose interest if they don’t get it.

Making kids dependent on praise steals their sense of accomplishment as they start doing things to please others instead of finding things out for themselves.

Once kids are dependent on positive comments, they feel pressured in keeping it up. The focus is on creating positive comments instead of the work at hand. Their interest declines as they have to concentrate on keeping the positive comments going, instead of satisfying their natural curiosity, It stifles growth, independence, interest and pleasure.

Consider this: Susan is sharing her lunch with a poor student. Would you rather she do it because it is the right thing to do, or because she gets praised for it? What does she learn by being praised?

Would you rather your children find a passion for your subject or learn to depend on approval?

First Tutors

Comments (0) May 31 2009

By: Brian Tracy

Perhaps the most powerful single factor in your financial success is your beliefs about yourself and money. We call this the Law of Belief. It says simply this: Whatever you believe, with feeling, becomes your reality.

What Successful People Believe

Whatever you intensely believe becomes your reality. That we have a tendency to block out any information coming in to us that is inconsistent with our reality. What we’ve discovered is that successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. And they will not entertain, think about, or talk about the possibilities that they’ll fail. They do not even consider the possibility of failure.

Positive Thinking Versus Positive Knowing

You always act in a matter consistent with your beliefs. The most important belief system you can build is a prosperity consciousness where you absolutely believe that you are going achieve your financial goals. We call this positive knowing versus positive thinking. Positive thinking can sometimes be wishing or hoping. But positive knowing is when you absolutely know that no matter what, you will be successful.

The Foundation of Willpower

Another principle related to your beliefs is willpower. We know that willpower is essential to any success. Willpower is based on confidence. It’s based on conviction. It’s based on faith. It’s based on your belief in your ability to triumph over all obstacles. And you can develop willpower by persistence, by working on your goals, by reading the biographies of successful people, by listening to audio programs, by reading books about people who’ve achieved success. The more information you take into your mind consistent with success, the more likely it is that you will develop the willpower to push you through the obstacles and difficulties you will experience.

“Accomplish More in a Month Than Most People Accomplish in a Year”

The Miracle of Self-Discipline

Your ability to discipline yourself “to do what you should, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not,” is the key to becoming a great person and living a great life.

When you develop the habits of self-discipline, you will accomplish more in a month than most people accomplish in a year.

Learn how to practice higher levels of self-discipline and self-control in every area of your life.

Beat the Odds on Success

Remember that success is rare. Only one person in one hundred becomes wealthy in the course of a lifetime. Only five percent achieve financial independence. That means that the odds against you are 19-to-1. The only way that you’re going to achieve your financial goals is if you get really serious. To succeed, you must get serious. You must get busy. You must get active. You must get going. Remember, everything counts.

Resolve to Achieve Greatly

Self-mastery, self-control, self-discipline are essential for anyone who wants to achieve greatly. And control over your thoughts is the hardest exercise in self-mastery that you will ever engage in. See if you can talk and think about only what you desire and not talk or think about anything that you don’t want for 24 hours. Then you’ll see what you’re really made of. It’s a hard thing to do but with practice, you can reach the point where you are thinking about your goals and desires most of the time. Then, your whole life will change for the better.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do to build a belief system consistent with the financial success you desire:

First, continually repeat to yourself the words, pictures and thoughts consistent with your dreams and goals. Whatever you repeat often enough, over and over, becomes a new belief.

Second, set a goal for yourself to think and talk only about the things that you want for the next 24 hours. This will be one of the hardest things you ever do. But if you can keep your mind on what you want and off of what you don’t want for 24 hours, you can begin to change your entire future.

Know Your Personality

Comments (0) May 06 2009

By Hannah du Plessis

What does the future hold for recruitment? We have seen a tremendous growth in technology over the past ten years. We have also seen a major change in the way businesses market their products or services. Will the same changes be present in the recruitment industry?

As businesses become increasingly process driven, it is a given that hiring will become a business process. Companies that have started doing this already have reported astounding results. This process includes:

Making a job description, where performance expectations are clarified

This ensures that the prospect knows what is expected of them, and which skills and qualifications they need for the job. They know who to report to, the way your company works, and where they fit in the bigger picture. Besides, you cover all the legal issues that might arise if there is a dispute or the recruit doesn’t perform as expected.

The implementation of sourcing programs that are consumer based

With the advent of social bookmarking, you also have another possibility: You can find top people online on the networks you belong to. People will gravitate towards groups with similar interests as theirs and this will be the first place you look when you need to hire as here you will find people who already show that they are interested in the type of work you’re offering, and are the top people in their field.

A solution-based sales and marketing system for recruiting

An effective recruiting process includes marketing and sales principles: In marketing, the most creative advertisement gets the best results. A well trained sales person usually follows up once the marketing has brought in prospects. In order to get the best recruit or the best response, businesses will have to be creative in their advertisements, and be able to sell their job to the best candidate.

Speaking of sales, one could adopt a sales type process and funnel for your prospective recruits. This includes a CRM system to keep in contact with your prospective recruits whose skills and personality match the type of job you are offering. This will enable you to have a database of suitable people ready for when you have a job opening that matches their skills.  All you need to do is let them know.

The use of an evidenced-based interviewing process

Psychometric testing takes the guesswork out of the recruitment process, and gives evidence about the behaviour of the candidate. This balances the process that used to stress skills and performance at the interview by turning to facts. More and more businesses are using psychometric testing to ensure that they hire a top quality person that will be happy in that job so that they don’t have to go through the expensive hiring process too often.

One very creative way of finding the best people is to create a platform where their skills are picked up at an early age. My son is into computer programming and was picked up by a company that specialise in programming when he was fourteen. They created a website where kids could program their own games, gave them the tools and the way to start, and then watched them programme. The best were handpicked by them, and offered a scholarship. Obviously they had a job when they graduated.

Another way to find the top people in your industry would be to create a platform where they could shine. Examples are American Idol and its sister programs in other countries, the Next Top Model, and Hell’s Kitchen, to name but a few. You could have similar competitions, or try to think up a creative way not mentioned here.

One thing is certain: The way we hire is changing as dramatically as technology and marketing. Isn’t it exciting?

Save Money - Hire Right!

Comments (0) Apr 28 2009

By: Petey Parker

A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart his kind of training to corporate executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.

I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and my plan included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up.

The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver’s seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy.

Well! I looked around for a “Candid Camera!” Wouldn’t you?
I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, “Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell.”

“You bet,” he replied, “I used to be in Corporate America.
But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be.

I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day’s work and done it well. I evaluate my personal
assets and… wham! I became a cab driver.

One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXCEED the customer’s expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being ‘great’ better than just getting by on ‘average’”.

Find Out What Is The Perfect Career For You And then as Confucius said: “Find a Career You are Passionate about and you WILL Never Work A Day In Your Life”

To Take the Test and Findout What Your Are Born To DO!

Perfect Career

Comments (0) Apr 20 2009