In a perfect world, work would always be enjoyable, and work environments would promote productivity and engagement. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. People find themselves in sticky situations or conflict with coworkers. Some personalities and behaviors are oil and water, and they will never mix.
What if there was a way to solve or even proactively stop these conflicts? Employee assessments offer quantitative insight into employee's natural tendencies and personalities. This information can enable managers to build balanced and effective teams, or solve conflicts between existing members.
Personalities and behaviors are complex and occur for various reasons. Each individual employee brings their own past experiences, and learned behaviors with them to the job each day. These experiences and personality differences can often lead to conflict between coworkers. Disagreements are a necessary evil that is required to make progress, but too much of it can inhibit productivity. Employee assessments reveal crucial information, about each employee, that is useful for solving differences.
Conflicts are easily solved if the root of the problem can be identified. Managers or team members may spend too much time trying to discover what the cause of an issue may be, but an employee assessment can easily predict problem areas. The guessing game is not a professional's favorite, and playing it to solve conflicts does not resolve the problem in a timely fashion. Conflicts that are not addressed between employees can cause lasting friction between team members, and will ultimately destroy a team's efficiency.
While assessments are successful in solving problems between existing employees, they are also helpful during the hiring process. With the recovery of the recession, more companies will be looking to hire in the near future, and they should be well equipped if they are to choose the individuals that will best fit the job and the team. Assessments provide hiring managers with a powerful tool that reveals the true person beneath the sparkling resume.
When hiring a new employee, managers have a tendency to choose people who are similar to themselves. This may seem like a good idea, but employee assessments will show that having a team composed of similar people can lead to disruptions and lower productivity. People with similar personalities will often have similar weaknesses.
If no balance exists, and there is no diversity within a group, small issues or concepts may be overlooked because there is a skewed view. If an entire team is made up of people who are not detail oriented, projects may need to be repeated several times in order to work out the problems that could have been caught had there been a detail oriented team member.
On the other hand, it would not be wise to hire someone who has a personality that is not compatible with the other team members. It is difficult enough to introduce a new face into an established team, but it doesn't have to be with the help of employee assessments. The same process is applicable when evaluating established teams. Assessing teams can lead to finding new ways to improve the work culture and the way all of the moving parts work together.
Assessments act as a refined tool that focuses on areas of behavior that impact an individual's work life. A mechanic would not work on a car without proper tools, and managers should not try to resolve conflict or hire an employee unprepared. Employee assessments can introduce a wealth of information that will educate professionals in a way that enables them to develop personally.
If knowledge is power, then assessments are powerful, and can only bring positive change through understanding. Consider using employee assessments during times of conflict, for hiring, and as a tool for constructing an effective and productive team.
Jim Sirbasku is co-founder and CEO of Profiles International, a leading provider of human resource management solutions and employment assessments for businesses worldwide.
