In a previous blog I challenged larger employers to invest in the development of their employees to stimulate innovation and growth, rather than risk negatively impacting their organisation’s culture through restructuring.
I have recently been reflecting on conversations with people who were made redundant and I recall that many didn’t want to leave their previous employer. While a lot observed that their career had benefitted from that next opportunity, they also left me wondering how the previous employer wasn’t able to unlock the potential that existed in those same employees but it was evident that some employees had simply lost their motivation.
It doesn’t have to be that way though – unlocking talent and motivation requires a combination of managerial skill and resource. Psychometric ‘tools’ are an often under-utilised managerial resource that can help managers to unlock an employee’s talent and potential. These ‘tools’ range from questionnaires that identify personality traits, values, motives interests to tests of ability.
Reputable psychometric assessments have been developed over years of refinement and employers should use these resources more extensively during recruitment, succession, career planning or performance development discussions. These resources can be particularly useful at the start of the year when employees are generally feeling refreshed after a holiday and reassessing their career goals.
Greg Cateley │ People & Culture Specialist