Why Don’t The Assessment Results Match Reality? | Fact-Checking Part 2/2
This blog is a continuation of the recap of our latest webinar. If you haven’t read it, click here to do so first. The recorded video of the webinar is linked below.
Why Do Results Not Match Reality?
From last week’s blog we know that leadership assessments are more reliable and trusted than other assessment types. But, sometimes we’re given results that we might not entirely agree with. I’ve been there myself with my own results. What’s important is really understanding what’s being measured (skills), where it’s being measured (exercises), and how your behavioral responses during the simulation led to the scores you received.
Pinsight assessments measure learning aptitude, learning agility, personality, and a variety of skill competencies. You can learn more about our platform here. These reports are extensive, detailed, and provide individuals a clear picture of their personality and skills as demonstrated within the assessment at that time.
Their results might not match the individual if they took the assessment under a lot of stress or duress, if they were ill, or if they were distracted by something else happening in their life. Those big, clear, and understandable reasons should be communicated to their manager or team leads prior to taking the assessment. However, more often than not, those are not the causes for the perceived disconnect. Instead, we’ve found the following 6 reasons to be the most common reasons why assessment results don’t match the reality:
6 Reasons Assessment Results Don’t Match the “Reality”
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| 1. Are we talking about the same skill? Sometimes we use the same words to describe different behaviors. | Ensure that you understand what the assessment results mean by reviewing the definition and measured behaviors. |
| 2. Is your personality coloring your perception? It’s natural that we perceive others through the lens of our own personality. | Take an assessment and see where you score on different personality factors. Note especially very high and very low scores – those traits are most likely influencing your perception of others. |
| 3. Is a particular strength overshadowing other skills? Some people are so good at one thing that it’s difficult to see their shortcomings. | No one is perfect for any job, no matter how great of an impression they may make. Every person has some strengths and some weaknesses. When you hear yourself thinking “Joe is perfect for the job,” take a minute to write down the pros and cons of hiring him. |
| 4. Does company culture encourage the behavior? If the company culture doesn’t encourage a particular behavior, people learn to suppress it. | Understanding the company or team culture will shed some light on what behaviors are encouraged and discouraged. If you see strength on the assessment but not at work, the company culture may be discouraging the behavior. |
| 5. Did you have a good opportunity to observe the behavior? We can’t see people in all situations and so we form impressions based on our limited experience with them. | Other people may have observed the candidate or employee in different situations and so they may have access to new data. Asking for their input will augment your impression and bring it closer to the truth. |
| 6. Is the person relying on a strong team? Some people are effective because they have built an effective team around them. | Explore what resources the person needs to succeed and ask yourself if you can provide those resources also in the new position, especially if you see that the candidate or employee didn’t perform well on the assessment. |
Watch the Webinar
Webinar Information
- Topic: Fact-Checking Leadership Assessments: Why Results Sometimes Don’t Match the Reality
- Event Date: November 17, 2020
- Hosts: Martin Lanik, CEO of Pinsight, and Michelle Brown, COO
