How to Use Existing Resources to Address Difficult People Issues

Many of our clients use Hogan Assessments to support selection and talent development programs. Due to the pandemic, however, selection has (understandably) been cut back dramatically. Now, HR teams have to focus on more difficult people issues while learning and development programs may be put on hold.

However, we still speak to HR professionals and coaches on a daily basis about support for different types of people initiatives. Not surprisingly, at a time when leaders are making decisions in high-pressure circumstances, and with budgets tighter than ever, addressing difficult people issues is extra complicated. As a result, we are keen to encourage clients to use valuable resources that are already available to them.

Many have not thought about using existing resources to support pressing, often unavoidable interventions. Here are three of the most common situations where we have been able to recommend organizations take another look at the Hogan Assessment data they already hold.

Leaders Under Pressure

The last three months have caused unprecedented stress for those in senior positions, who have had to balance the future survival of their organizations with the welfare and motivation of their workforces. Many leaders are showing signs of derailers, or performance risks, which are starting to impede their effectiveness and create problems with relationships. But we have also seen many leaders who appear to thrive despite what is happening because they see present problems as new and interesting challenges. Revisiting Hogan Development Survey (HDS) scores can provide real insight for leaders about how their natural coping mechanisms may be showing up and help identify strategies to manage them.

Virtual Teams

While there was already a push to more remote working and less travel, teams meeting virtually with little or no face-to-face contact have increased exponentially. Some people enjoy the independence, while others miss the close collaboration. Some teams must completely adapt how they work to stand still, let alone become high performing. Collective Hogan data can help teams understand their collective strengths and skill gaps; how they are likely to communicate, innovate, and adapt; and how their culture and values might influence their approach.

Organizational Restructuring

We have been hearing about more cases of downsizing and mergers of departments and functions, which mean people are being displaced and roles are disappearing. Existing Hogan results can serve as additional objective data during times of difficult decisions. Hogan results provide information to help identify candidates who will be best placed to succeed in new roles with changed responsibilities and requirements. For those who find themselves in the really unfortunate position of losing their jobs, Hogan profiles can be used to support outplacement by helping to identify how people work through the emotional rollercoaster and by highlighting roles and environments that are likely to play to their strengths and values in future.

While the dynamics and focus may have changed, HR professionals and coaches are still supporting people on a daily basis. Hogan’s suite of tools identifies how people are likely to show up at their best and, in times of pressure, at their worst — providing insights during difficult, ambiguous, and complex times. It’s time to take another look at existing Hogan reports.

Source: Hogan Assessments Blog