Learn the importance of assessment tools –to nurture engagement, productivity & retention
By: Deborah Kraussé
“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.” Anne M. Mulcahy, former chairperson and CEO of Xerox Corporation
- Engagement refers to the level of emotional commitment and involvement employees have toward their job and organization.
- Productivity refers to the level of output and efficiency employees achieve in their work.
- Retention refers to employees who are more likely to stay with their employer and less likely to seek employment elsewhere.
The Pandemic’s Impact on Engagement, Productivity, and Retention
The mandatory lockdowns, masks, and social distancing in 2020 disrupted our work lives. Happy and engaged employees started to experience stress and uncertainty about their jobs and the future of their careers. As a result of this disruption, companies are now experiencing a disconnect between the job environment employees want and expect compared to the job environment organizations have in place. Organizations must address the root cause of the disconnect and implement retention strategies — research shows disengaged employees are more likely to leave their employer.[1] Efforts need to be made to avoid an increase in turnover; high turnover can be a significant challenge for employers, leading to increased costs, reduced productivity, loss of corporate knowledge and experience, decreased morale, and a negative impact on company culture.
Assessment Tools to the Rescue
Great news! Assessment tools can help rebuild the culture employees want by training employees on important topics such as team development, leadership, coaching, decision-making, communication, change management, and stress management. Providing the workforce with these opportunities for growth and support through training and development can increase engagement, productivity, and retention by giving them a sense of purpose and feeling invested in their work. Organizations that invest in their employees recognize that they are one of their most valuable assets.
Assessment tools, administered by certified professionals, nurture employee growth and development opportunities. These tools can measure an individual’s thinking, personality, and behavioral preferences, which provides self-awareness and a better understanding and appreciation of others. Increased self-awareness can lead to emotional intelligence.
Understanding Two Types of Assessment Tools
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are assessment tools designed to measure an individual’s personality and cognitive preferences.
- Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument – Created by Ned Herrmann while he was General Electric’s Manager of Management Education. Ned’s extensive research was based on thinking preferences and used science as his foundation.
- Myers-Briggs Type Instrument– Developed by Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. They were inspired by the personality theories of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Their research is based on psychology.
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) measures thinking preferences across the four quadrants of the brain: analytical, sequential, interpersonal, and imaginative. Identifying an individual’s thinking preferences can help individuals and teams make decisions and communicate more effectively. This is especially important after COVID, as employees have had to adapt to new ways of working together. Leveraging thinking preferences helps individuals and teams to improve communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Communication Example: An employee that scores high in the analytical quadrant may be able to help others with data analysis. Another employee that scores high in the interpersonal quadrant may be able to help with team communications and collaboration.
Decision-Making Example: By understanding individual thinking preferences and those of teammates, decisions can be made that consider a broader range of perspectives. For example, teammates with a mix of analytical and imaginative thinkers may be able to develop a more comprehensive strategy than a team comprised solely of analytical thinkers.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality assessment tool that categorizes individuals into one of sixteen distinct personality types. MBTI measures preferences in four categories: (1) extraversion vs. introversion, (2) sensing vs. intuition, (3) thinking vs. feeling, and (4) judging vs. perceiving. When an individual understands their “Type,” this helps them gain self-awareness and a better understanding of others. All sixteen personality types have their unique strengths and weaknesses.
By knowing their “Type,” employees can better understand their communication style, problem-solving approach, and how they respond to stress. Knowing MBTI Types within a team can help leverage each other’s strengths to achieve team goals.
Stress Management Example: INFJ Types may be prone to overthinking, while ESTJ Types may become stressed when they lose control of a situation. Employees can develop strategies to manage their stress levels by knowing MBTI Type. For some types, mindfulness techniques work best for dealing with stress. For other MBTI Types, intense exercise is the key to stress management.
How Assessment Tools Can Help You
After completing an assessment tool, employees often refer to the experience as “a light bulb moment” by helping individuals gain new insights and perspectives on themselves, their behavior, and their performance, leading to improved self-awareness, personal growth, and professional development. They also discover a newfound appreciation of others professionally and personally. These unique strengths and differences can be leveraged to improve work performance or get along better with others.
Assessment tools in the post-Covid workforce are a valuable resource for developing employees. Here are some ways assessment tools can help your organization:
- Team Building – Help team members maximize their contributions and effectiveness.
- Leader Development Retreat – Help develop more effective leaders by teaching and helping them apply a leadership model based on the principles of assessment tools.
- Impactful Influencing – Help individuals develop better communication skills and the ability to influence others ethically.
- Appreciate Differences in Others – Help improve awareness and appreciation of self and others, which leads to better communication and interpersonal skills.
Investing and committing to employees’ growth and development can boost employee morale and lead to a more engaged, happier, healthier, and committed workforce.
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Deborah Kraussé is a Director at Warren Whitney with more than 12 years of extensive HR and project management experience. She is passionate about helping her clients develop customized solutions and provides a range of HR consulting services, including training/development, organization development, employee engagement, and performance management.
If you have any questions or seek further clarification, please call us at 804.282.9566 or email Stephanie Ford at sford@warrenwhitney.com. We do not charge for the initial call. We want to learn more about your business needs.
[1] Gallup’s State of the American Workforce April 20, 2023 Report
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