Work Style Assessment

Work Styles are personality characteristics of an individual that can affect how well someone performs a job and is one of the latest and exciting areas in the vast and expanding body of Persoanlity Research. The taxonomy of work style is assessed based on the O*NET framework  (Borman et. al.,1999) that is conceptualized utilizing constructs from personality assessment models like Five Factor Model, Big 5, Hogan etc..  Tucareers as part of its research has come up with  its own assessment scale for measuring the work styles.

For helping individuals to answer the assessment in this area , do note that the answer to each question beginning with "I see myself as someone who" and may ask one to agree / disagree with the statement. As an example, a question may ask an individual to see himself/herself as a person who puts off unpleasant tasks (activities he she may not like) or whether one is goal oriented person (focused on achieving any target that one may have set for oneself and working consistently towards that). Answer has to be answered instinctively as it applies to him/her. Important to remember and counsel individuals that there are no right or wrong answers, but one has to answer with all honesty for best recommendations. The recommendations are made based on matching the work style profile of the individual with the requirements of the different occupations.

The details of the various dimensions assessed for this area are provided below

Achievement Orientation-Personal goal setting, trying to succeed at those goals, and striving to be competent in own work. The sub order traits under Achievement Orientation are

  • Achievement/Effort-Establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Persistence- Persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Initiative- Willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Social Influence- Having an impact on others in the organization, and displaying energy and leadership. The sub order traits under Social Influence are

  • Energy – Energy and stamina to accomplish work tasks
  • Leadership- Willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Interpersonal Orientation- Being pleasant, cooperative, sensitive to others, easy to get along with, and having a preference for associating with other organization members. The sub order traits under Interpersonal Orientation are

  • Cooperation - Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Concern for Others - Being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Social Orientation - Preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Adjustment - Maturity, poise, flexibility, and restraint to cope with pressure, stress, criticism, setbacks, personal and work-related problems, etc. The sub order traits under Adjustment are

  • Self Control - Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Stress Tolerance - Accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility - Being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Conscientiousness - Dependability, commitment to doing the job correctly and carefully, and being trustworthy, accountable, and attentive to details. The sub order traits under Conscientiousness are

  • Dependability- Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Attention to Detail - Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Integrity - Being honest and ethical.

Independence - Developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Practical Intelligence - Generating useful ideas and thinking things through logically. The sub order traits under Practical Intelligence are

  • Innovation - Creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
  • Analytical Thinking - Analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problem

You can browse the different occupations requiring these traits on the ONET site and can use examples of suitable careers while interpreting report to candidates.

In the next post we look at the Abilities Assessment in more detail.

References

  • Borman, W. C., Kubisiak, U. C., & Schneider, R. J. (1999). Work styles.