Personality +.
Author | Wiseman, David |
Position | Predicting behavior in the work place - Brief Article |
Predicting behavior in the unpredictable office environment.
A young man applied for a job as a machine operator at a manufacturing company in Utah -- a family-owned firm in its third generation. The young man's father and grandfather had worked at the company and the management was happy to hire a third-generation employee.
Within his first four months, the young man had three accidents. His employers were mystified.
Shortly thereafter, a behavioral testing consultant was brought in to evaluate the company's workforce and measure work-related behaviors. Behavioral testing devices were applied to determine job suitability.
With the help of the consultant, the Utah company learned that the young man's personality did not predispose him to be a good machine operator. A machine operator needs patience and tolerance for repetitive work. This young man was assertive, impatient and analytical -- capabilities that weren't being tapped.
The owner decided to reward the young man's family loyalty to the company by offering to send him to college. The young man graduated and eventually earned an advanced degree. More than 15 years later he is still with the company, now as a valued senior manager.
Valued Workers Work Better
Many companies would have fired an impatient, young worker who crashed the equipment three times in four months. But this management team believed people to be their most valuable resource and realized that employee satisfaction is directly related to job suitability. In cooperation with the consultant, a variety of job models were constructed that validly demonstrated the behavioral requirements of each type of work.
The most important thing any CEO or manager can do is determine how to motivate the people who impact the bottom line. It's a recognized adage that workers who have a sense of fulfillment and derive satisfaction from their work simply work better.
Unfortunately, many managers assume that what motivates them motivates others -- a common hiring mistake.
Businesses need a variety of personalities in order to function smoothly decision makers, risk takers, leaders and followers. Key to unlocking the motivational needs of employees is recognizing that each is important and needs to be communicated with differently. This requires keen awareness by managers and executives alike. Effective communication -- reaching people on the level where they hear most clearly -- is the...
To continue reading
Request your trialCOPYRIGHT GALE, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.