DataDome Blog

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means it is time for another episode of our continuing series – the World According to DISC. DISC profiles are an invaluable tool to help understand an individual’s behavior at work and at home, when relaxed and when stressed. Let’s meet one family and see how their behavioral styles influence their holiday celebration.

Don is a high D who works in sales. It’s been a slow year and the imminent arrival of Thanksgiving is a big reminder that most of the year is gone and time is running short if he is going to make his numbers for the year. He’s frustrated that so many people will be off of work, because every day between now and the end of the year counts so much toward hitting his targets. The one saving grace in his opinion is football. He’ll have a hard time keeping his seat at the dinner table because he’s focused on getting in a big dose of big screen football time. Since he can’t make any sales call on Thanksgiving Day anyway he’ll be diverting all his attention to cheering on his favorite teams.

Irene, Don’s wife, is a high I. She loves Thanksgiving mostly because it means the holiday party season has arrived and she loves to go to parties. She’s actually doing her best to try to turn the family Thanksgiving celebration into a party – she has invited just about every neighbor on her block to drop by and share dessert with them after the big turkey dinner. In fact, she’s starting to worry that she won’t have enough desserts and she’s rushing to the store to do a last minute shopping with her daughter, Sally in tow. Although Sally’s not enjoying the hectic scene at the supermarket, Irene is in her element – she’s run into several friend’s and is now happily chattering away with the cashier.

Daughter Sally is a high S and although she seems calm on the outside, she’s cringing on the inside at the turmoil in the supermarket. She didn’t really want to go, but her mom was in such a sudden panic about not having enough for dessert that she didn’t want to make a fuss. She’s looking forward to seeing her uncle and cousins who come to their house for Thanksgiving dinner every year. The lead-up and preparation is always a bit too hectic for her and her sister, Connie, is always snapping directions at her. Sally feels more comfortable after the big dinner when everything slows down. The football fans crowd into the den to cheer their favorite teams while Sally visits quietly with her cousins as they take their time clearing the table and putting away the leftovers.

Connie, is Sally’s older sister and has a high C disc profile. She has been snapping and fussing all day trying to put things in proper order for the big feast. She can’t understand why Sally takes so long to set the table when the process should be clear. She would do it herself, but she’s too busy because a few years ago she took over the cooking duties from her mother. Irene is a friendly person, but she can’t follow a recipe and Connie is now in charge of the Thanksgiving menu. She’s also planning on asking Don if she can carve the turkey this year – she thinks he makes a mess of it and she has been studying the proper procedure online for how to get the most meat off the bone in a neat and efficient manner. She’s set up a work area on the dining room sideboard with a platter and all the carving tools. She’s timed the turkey to be ready at 5pm exactly and she’s going to throw a fit if the bird is dry because Irene and Sally are late getting back from the supermarket.

Despite Connie’s worry, Irene and Sally manage to get back in plenty of time with a sackful of holiday cookies and an apple pie for the dessert crowd. Connie thinks that a homemade pie would be more appropriate, but agrees there wouldn’t be enough time to make one. She’s delighted that her dad has agreed to let her carve the turkey, and Don is delighted to have one less distraction from the day’s football watching. Sally finishes setting the table with the help of her cousins. As they quietly put out the fine linen napkins they save for special occasions and her mother’s good china, Sally takes comfort in the familiar objects and relishes the calm moment before the chaos of a crowded table. Irene forgets all her anxiety about being unprepared as she happily gets caught up on all the family gossip with her brother, who arrived while they were at the store.

Looks like it’s going to be a pleasant Thanksgiving after all. We at Data Dome hope you enjoy the lighthearted looks at prototypical DISC behavioral profiles that we feature in the World According to DISC series, and we wish you and your family a very happy holiday season!

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One of the great aspects of using DISC to understand ourselves and the people we work with is that it gives us a shared vocabulary for describing behaviors. A DISC profile chart is like a Rosetta Stone for helping people to collaborate and communicate. It helps identify the predispositions that can cause confusion, misunderstandings and friction so that they can be adjusted for a more harmonious and productive work environment.

Let’s explore an example using two classic DISC behavioral profiles: the high S and the high D. We’ll call them Sara and Dan respectively, but let’s assume at first that Sara and Dan have never taken a DISC assessment so although we know their DISC styles they don’t. Dan’s high D DISC style means that he tends to be forceful in encounters, particularly those that are in line with the goals he is trying to achieve. He makes fast decisions and likes to cut through the red tape to get things done. Sara, on the other hand, being a high S is more comfortable with a slow pace of change, she works steadily and diligently, she rarely ever makes waves and is persistent in how she approaches her work. Recently Sara and Dan have been asked to work on a project together and the results have been a disaster. Dan doesn’t understand why they haven’t made more progress. Sara seldom disagrees with him when they discuss project goals, but she always ends up working on other things – usually departmental duties for her boss, Cathy whom she has worked under for years. Sara hasn’t expressed it, but she feels oppressed by Dan. To her, his approach is chaotic and his goals are unclear and not thoroughly communicated. He always wants her to drop everything for some “new idea of the day” when she needs to make sure that working on this special project doesn’t disrupt things for Cathy, her boss.

So what’s going on in this situation? Dan thinks that he is communicating clearly because Sara offers no resistance to his intimidating style. She defers to his take-charge manner, so he assumes she’s on-board with his ideas. Sara thinks she is being loyal and responsible by taking care of her boss’s priorities as she has always done. She doesn’t understand why Dan has so much time to think of new ideas when he surely must have duties he was responsible for before this project began. Dan is starting to get impatient and frustrated with Sara because he thinks she’s slowing down the project and he won’t get the promotion he hoped volunteering for this project would bring him. Sara is getting little sleep at night because she’s afraid that she’ll get fired for not fulfilling her duties to her boss and is starting to avoid Dan and feel resentful for him putting her in this predicament.

Now let’s intervene and ask Sara and Dan to take DISC assessments and thoroughly brief them on their respective DISC profiles. We can help them see themselves more clearly, and perhaps more importantly help them to see the difference between how they see themselves and how others may be perceiving their actions.

Dan sees himself as:

• Focused on the big picture.
• Taking initiative.
• Decisive.
• Capable.

However, Sara sees Dan as:

• Arrogant.
• Chaotic.
• Disruptive.
• Egocentric.

On the other hand, Sara sees herself as:

• Loyal.
• Diligent.
• Responsible.
• Polite.

While Dan sees Sara as:

• Slow.
• Lacking ambition.
• Incompetent.
• Incommunicative.

As Dan and Sara learn more about their own behaviors and how their perception of themselves can differ greatly from how others may view them, they can be coached on strategies for more effective communication and learn how to recognize and adapt to the DISC profiles of others. Now that Dan knows he is a high D and Sara is not, he can strive to adjust his behavior – he begins by making sure he asks Sara more questions to actively confirm agreement on goals and commitment to priorities rather than just assume that a passive lack of argument actually meant a “yes.” Likewise, Sara now understands that Dan isn’t trying to get her fired, but that his high D behavior makes him put a lot of drive behind his actions, while her own high S gives her a natural bias towards being a less demonstrative person, so others may not realize when she is in disagreement or unhappy about a decision. Although it is uncomfortable for her, she resolves to do a better job of expressing her view and communicating the boundaries that make her feel that this project isn’t threatening her ability to complete her other duties.

Armed with the knowledge DISC profiles can bring, Dan discovers that Sara is actually a very thorough, productive and reliable worker who steadily moves the project agenda forward one accomplishment at a time. Sara also comes to appreciate Dan’s boldness and initiative especially when he helps secure more resources for the project and helps her talk to her boss about easing some of her departmental duties so she has more time to spend on this project without becoming overstressed.

DISC behavioral assessments are powerful tools for understanding the differences in the way we interact. However the profile itself is just information – great managers understand that it is in the adjustments we make and the strategies we coach in our people that the true strengths of DISC profiles are revealed. It’s easy to use DISC to excuse one’s self for one behavioral bias or another, that is why it is important to cultivate the idea that DISC equips us so that we can choose to adjust our behavior to better adapt to the needs of others.

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Understanding people is a subtle science. Even with great tools like DISC Profiles and Workplace Motivators at our disposal it is not uncommon for there to be confusion about what is a behavioral style versus what is driven by a motivator. Sometimes the symptoms can be very similar.

Let’s look at an example – Charlie and Margaret:

Both Charlie and Margaret appear to be fastidious about how they have arranged their offices – do they share the same DISC profile behavior? If something is moved out of place in either environment, it isn’t long before it is quickly put back exactly where it came from – are they operating with the same workplace motivator? Let’s examine further and see if we can find out: One day Charlie visits Margaret’s office. When he comes to the door she drops everything she’s currently doing to give him a friendly handshake, asks him to make himself comfortable and asks him about several people she knows from the floor where Charlie works. Despite Margaret’s friendly banter Charlie feels compelled to say to Margaret that she should move her desk so that her seat faces the door as it is proper procedure to first acknowledge a visitor at the door, then signal the person to enter and finally indicate which seat the visitor should take. Margaret takes the comment in stride and remarks how nice it was for him to stop by while he was on her floor.

On another day Margaret stops by Charlie’s office and finds him on the phone. He seems to be ignoring her until she knocks lightly on the open door. He then looks up, signals that he will be a moment, finishes his call, then asks her what business has brought her to his office today. Rather than focusing on his question she says that she thinks he should also rearrange his seating – his office has a beautiful view, but the way his desk is arranged his back is to the window and he can’t enjoy the vista.

What’s going on here? Because of the similar outcome regarding how carefully the offices are maintained, one might assume that both Charlie and Margaret share the same DISC style and the same motivator, but this is not the case. Charlie’s formality with his coworker is a clue that his DISC profile is that of a High C, he follows rules and procedures with rigidity and sees alternate arrangements of the office as breaking with decorum. Margaret, on the other hand, is a High I – her greeting is friendly, her conversational focus is on people and she is willing to drop everything she is doing to welcome Charlie when he arrives. Her reason for being fastidious about her office decor comes from responding to her dominant motivator, a High Aesthetic. She’s meticulously arranged her office in the way that most satisfies her artistic sensibility and responds to other environments accordingly. By contrast Charlie’s Aesthetic score is quite low, he has completely ignored the beautiful view in planning his office arrangement.

In this example opposing behavioral styles and motivations led to a similar expression. This is why gaining insights into both DISC behavior and Workplace Motivators is so valuable in bringing a greater clarity to interpersonal dynamics in the workplace. Often sources of friction and other detriments to productivity can be difficult to diagnose without looking at both behavior and motivations.

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Well folks, it is almost Halloween – that means it is is World According to DISC time again. Time to carve your pumpkins and pick out your costume for the Diabolical DISC Masquerade Party (costumes required, of course). Devils and princesses, movie monsters and pop-stars, comic book characters and astronauts will be in your neighborhood Trick or Treating. What will this year’s most popular costumes be? Perhaps a look at one family through the lens of DISC behavioral profiles can give us a hint:

Young Dennis is a high D according to his DISC profile. He’s set a big goal for his candy gathering escapades: twice as much candy as last year. To meet his goals he has enlisted his dad to take him to the next subdivision up the road where more of the residents have kids and therefore more houses giving out treats. He’s also delegated carrying a spare sack to his younger sister, Samantha, just in case he fills up his first candy bag. Dennis’s costume choice: Darth Vader.

Irene, Dennis’s mom, took a DISC assessment at work – she is a high I and she’s excited because she is going to go to a huge costume party the night before Halloween where tons of her friends will be. She is in the costume shop now having trouble deciding what to wear. She’s chatted with every employee in the store and most of the other customers asking their opinions of what they like best and which costume would most people love to see her in. She knows she doesn’t want a big heavy mask because she wants to easily see everyone who’ll be at the party and she’s afraid that if she wore one nobody would recognize her. In the end she settles for an attention getting Marie Antoinette outfit with a little handheld mask on a stick.

If Samantha the younger sibling were to take an assessment her DISC behavioral profile would show she is a high S. She’s nervous about going with Dennis and her dad to the other neighborhood because she’s comfortable sticking to the neighbors they’ve always visited for treats in the past, but in the end she agreed to stick with Dennis’s plan because they go Trick or Treating together every year. She sometimes wants to be the one to push the doorbell, but Dennis always does that and she doesn’t like to make a fuss about. Samantha was going to dress up as Lisa Simpson like she did last year, but the costume didn’t fit anymore so this year she’s going as Snow White.

Charlie is Dennis and Samantha’s dad. His DISC style indicates he is a high C and not a big fan of Halloween. He gets grouchy thinking about all the unruly kids running across his well-manicured lawn and the inevitable toilet paper that will be lobbed across his carefully trimmed hedges. He has set a rigid timetable up for taking the kids Trick or Treating and he will inspect every piece of candy to make sure nothing has been tampered with. He’s dreading going to the party Friday with his wife, partly because the babysitter always ignores his instructions regarding what time the kids are supposed to be in bed and what TV shows they are allowed to watch. Since Irene is going as Marie Antoinette he thought it would be only right to go as Louis the Sixteenth, but none of the costumes at the shop were authentic enough for his tastes so he is going instead as Cardinal Richelieu.

Well, before we wrap up this lighthearted look at DISC behavior during one of our favorite holidays, here’s a few more quick takes on DISC meets Halloween:

The Wolfman – Low I, Low C
Dracula – High D, Low I, High S
Dr. Frankenstein – High D, High C
The Creature (Frankenstein’s Monster) – Low D, Low I, High S, Low C
Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde – High C, Low D / Low C, High D
Batman – High D, Low I, Low S, High C
Princess Leia – High D
Little Red Riding Hood – Low D, High I

And remember no DISC Halloween celebration is complete until somebody dresses up as Dr. William Moulton Marston’s other invention – Wonder Woman.

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It was a little over a year ago that we discussed five ways leaders who understood DISC profiles could reduce stress amongst their employees. For many companies the climate is even more stress-inducing today: cutbacks have forced companies to ask for even higher levels of productivity from the employees that remain, workers are being asked to take on responsibilities of those who are no longer there – constantly adapting from their natural DISC behavioral style.

Occasionally stepping away from one’s natural DISC behavioral style is usually not a big deal, in fact it is commonplace to see some variance between a person’s natural and adapted DISC profiles. Taking on a new behavior once in a while might actually be a deliberate strategy or a welcome change of pace, but long-term sustained adaptions that push an individual away from their natural DISC style can be trouble.

Maintaining an exaggerated state of adapted behavior takes energy – the person is essentially stepping on the mental gas to keep themselves in a behavioral pattern that doesn’t come naturally. This constant depletion of energy can express itself in numerous ways: irritability, poor morale, aggressiveness, “shutting down”, even physical manifestations – headaches, susceptibility to illness, etc. Unfortunately even with these changes of mood and morale it can still be difficult for an untrained observer to pinpoint causes in manner that provides information for mitigating the stressed behaviors. In the case of high S’s this can be further exacerbated by their reluctance to make waves. The stresses can build and build if the high S provides them no outlet – the situation becomes a powder keg of pent up frustration waiting to explode.

DISC profiles are a great way to see beyond the surface and recognize when there are large gaps between adapted and natural DISC styles. The greater the gap the more energy the individual is expending to reach the adapted behavior. If all four DISC behavior categories are adapting above the line then the person may be feeling forced to be “all things to everybody” – a constant state of crisis. Understanding the DISC profiles gives you a tool to diagnose the situation and take steps tailored to the individual’s causes of stress as indicated by their behavioral profile.

For a quick understanding of what stresses out people with certain DISC profiles check out our previous observations in The World According to DISC: Stress Someone Out in Style and The World According to DISC: The Low Side of Stress Styles.

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The DISC Profile world is rife with examples and explanations of the various behaviors found on the high side of the charts. High D, I, S and C behaviors are the staples of behavioral consultants and organizational designers, but we here at Data Dome want to make sure you understand that very low scores in a behavior category can be just as predictive as the high DISC styles. Fortunately for us we’ve got a couple of great celebrities to look to for examples of Low C DISC profiles in action…

It almost seems that Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton are having a contest to see who’s DISC behavior profile displays a lower C.

Let’s first look at the DISC adjectives to get a feel for what a low C DISC style is like:

• independent
• opinionated
• unconventional
• uninhibited
• free-thinker
• unconstrained
• avoid detail
• self-governing
• defiant/rebellious of rules set by others
• careless with details

Both actresses have been noted in the media for outrageous behavior and a lack of discipline in business dealings. Paris, famous for being famous, was described in an article on the 10 worst celebrity business owners as having “failed at the business of being herself.” According to the article, acting in an unconstrained way, inattentive to the details of endorsement deals has led her to being sued for millions in damages. And with several scandalous pictures and tapes floating about on the Internet, one would hardly categorize Paris Hilton as “inhibited.”

Similarly, Lindsay has had numerous run-ins with authorities, has shown flagrant disregard for public safety in her use of drugs and alcohol while driving. Despite her talent and creativity she has been called “officially unreliable” and unprofessional on movie sets. The notion of self-governing seems like an apt description of someone who smokes despite being an asthma sufferer since the age of two. With nude photo-shoots as Marylin Monroe and a movie role as a stripper, Lohan also fits the “uninhibited” adjective.

I imagine they would both nod their heads in agreement when they read in their DISC profiles: “Respect my defiant nature”.

That is they might if they bothered to show up to fill out the DISC assessment.

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Data Dome announces new fall and winter dates for our intensive two-day DISC certification program. Get the credentials that could take your career to a new level – learn about DISC and interpreting DISC profiles from Arthur Schoeck – twice-recognized as International Trainer of the Year by Target Training International.

Our Certified Professional Behavioral Strategist training could give you a competitive edge. Earning Advanced Experiential DISC Certification isn’t easy, but it can open new opportunities for both you and the organization you work for or for the clients you work with.

We have upcoming two-day sessions lined up for you: September 28th & 29th, October 27th & 28th, November 17th & 18th, December 14th & 15th, January 25th & 26th.

Go to the reservation form to request your space for upcoming sessions or call Art Schoeck at 404-814-0739 to schedule your certification training.

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In a recent post by John G. Agno for Coaching Tip: The Leadership Blog some interesting, survey results are brought to light indicating that an alarming 33% of employees consider their managers to be incompetent. The article goes on to suggest that communication problems and recession-induced organizational changes may have much to do with the very high incompetence rating.

Agno seems to be on the right track. Communication is an essential managerial skill, but what is often overlooked are the DISC behavioral underpinnings that can make all the difference between a distrustful and unhealthy communication culture and one where information flows freely, encouraging trust and a sense of inclusion around the office.

Relationship dynamics within the workplace can be impacted by conflicting motivations and communication that isn’t adapted to the diversity of DISC behavioral styles amongst the staff. When a worker doesn’t understand a manager’s motivation or is expected to digest information that runs counter to the worker’s DISC style then the worker may come to a conclusion that the manager is in fact incompetent.

For example, let’s say the manager is a high C who is operating with strong Utilitarian/Economic motivators and the employee is a high D with strong Individualistic/Political motivators. The manager may announce a cutback based on a cut and dry procedural determination – profits are down, so cut costs – while the high D employee is focused on the goals set forth for the department and has a hard time seeing how they can be achieved with less staff. Without adapting communication that reconciles these points of view and behavioral biases it’s easy to see how a conflict could arise. The high C boss could take the high D employees natural resistance to the cutback as a disregard and disrespect of procedural authority and even a naivety in the face to the dollar and cents facts of the situation. The employee in turn could see the manager’s action as callous in difficult times and sabotaging of the ability to reach important objectives.

So how might this go differently? If the manager above were a more skillful communicator and was armed with the kind of knowledge that assessments can provide about employees she could have adapted her style to better communicate with her employee – putting the platinum rule in action. Tools like DISC assessments would have uncovered the manager and worker’s DISC styles and a tool like Motivation Insights could have revealed how each rated the six value categories in the spectrum of Workplace Motivators. The manager could have made the employee more involved in the decision and discussed how the best way to help most of the employees was by pursuing the overall goal of keeping the business alive – a goal which necessitated the cutback. The two could then move to a more productive conversation of how to adjust strategy and tactics under the changed circumstances. The improved communication changes the employee’s perception of the manager as an incompetent, uncaring, dictator who ignores business objectives into a new appraisal as a competent leader willing to make tough decisions for the overall good of the many.

We’ve discussed here how the same decision communicated differently could change the perception of competence. Adapting communication based on an understanding of workplace motivators, values, and DISC behavioral styles can go a long way toward improving office morale and trust within the company culture.

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It’s Labor Day on Monday so we thought we’d put the World According to DISC lens on a family preparing for their annual cookout:

High D, Dad, is on a mission to make this the best Labor Day ever! He wants to throw a big cookout so he can show-off the big gas grill he is going to buy at a big Labor Day sale using the big bonus he got for blowing away his numbers last quarter. He hit his goal and then some and he’s ready to celebrate, so nothing is going to stand in the way of his long-weekend projects: mow the lawn, sweep the driveway, finish the deck, buy the grill, conquer the cookout.

High I, Mom, is right on board, now that all of her friend’s are back from their summer vacations she’s been anxious to get energized with a big gathering. A Labor Day cookout is the perfect excuse to bask in the approval of friends and neighbors. She’s trying to remember everyone’s favorite side dishes, desserts and drinks so that everyone will talk about what a wonderful time they had at the party. Last year someone wanted pickles and she didn’t have any so sent her daughter to the store in the middle of the party so the guest wouldn’t be disappointed.

High S, Daughter, is happy too – they do a cookout every year and in her mind it is a sacred family tradition. Sure it is a break from the normal routine, but she’s looking forward to helping her dad sweep the driveway and mom prepare the hamburgers, potato salad and special family recipe cole slaw like they do each year for the cookout. She’s a little concerned though about her dad getting a new grill – the old charcoal one always worked so reliably…

High C, Son, is indifferent about the occasion, but adamant that if you’re going to do a Labor Day cookout then you should do it right. Despite his mom’s suggestions that they get chicken to put on the grill because her friend said it was much healthier for a cookout, he insists that hamburgers are the proper choice due to their faster cooking time. An important consideration, he continues, because after studying the assembly instructions for the grill his dad plans to buy he estimates that it will take 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete the assembly and that the extra cooking time for the chicken would risk delaying serving the guests at an appropriate time. He shows his mom his proposed timetable for the day and she has little choice, but to agree.

So there you have it a family of disparate DISC styles coming together in perfect harmony to prepare for a traditional Labor Day cookout. We at Data Dome hope that you enjoy these glimpses into the lighter side of DISC and that you and yours enjoy a happy and safe holiday, and don’t forget the pickles!

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Smart hiring is crucial to your company’s success and making the wrong benchmarking choices can be costly – wasting time and money, and potentially harming culture and morale. To help you prepare for your next hiring decision we put together this list of top 5 common mistakes to avoid:

1) Assuming you’ve already got the best people.
Companies frequently select new employees by benchmarking the characteristics of current employees. While defining behaviors, skills and motivators that are characteristic of top performers can be useful, it assumes that YOUR top performers are the best available. Benchmarking against top performers in your industry can set the bar higher and help you identify key hiring attributes for a more effective team.

2) Past performance bias.
The business climate never stands still: new approaches, new technologies, economic changes, global shifts all impact the competitive marketplace. Just because something worked well before, doesn’t mean that it will necessarily continue to work when the climate changes. Benchmarking against past top performers may bias you towards skills that have become outdated or behaviors and motivators that aren’t well-suited to the current landscape.

3) Not having well-defined guidelines.
This can be subtle. Let’s say you need to hire to grow a new division. You might benchmark against an employee who has been great at maintaining high levels of quality – very systems and process oriented – so you hire someone similarly detail-driven who values rules and structure. Unfortunately, what you needed was also someone who thrived on making order out of chaos, which wasn’t one of the benchmarked employee’s characteristics. There is often a big difference between being good at building effective structure and being good at operating effectively within an already defined structure.

4) Too much like you.
This relates to the previous mistake. We all like looking in the mirror, but hiring someone just like ourselves might be a mistake. If we are not objective about what’s truly needed to build an effective team we may overload our staff with “mini-me” clones that appeal to us during the interview process, but throw group performance out of balance.

5) Identifying only what you want, not what you don’t want.
When gathering your benchmarks in preparation for a new hire you may notice that all of your top performers share some attributes. Maybe you’ve given them all DISC assessments and you recognize some overlapping behaviors, or they’ve got areas of overlap that can be measured by their Workplace Motivators results. Well before you rush to write the job description based on these findings ask yourself, “Did my bottom performers share any behaviors or motivators with my top performers?” Separating the desirable traits from the coincidental traits can make a huge impact in the success of your hiring process. Every commonality surfaced by your benchmarking should be compared against top and bottom performers to identify the ones which are unique to the top performers. Likewise, if you benchmark the bottom you may also identify undesirable traits, motivators or job-specific behaviors, which you wouldn’t have know to filter for if you only benchmarked the upper echelon of your team.

Taking the time to prepare for and avoid these mistakes is not as difficult as you might think. Assessments that take as little as 15 – 20 minutes to administer can save you thousands of dollars and untold time by identifying the data needed for more effective benchmarking, and more accurate application of those benchmarks to your hiring decisions.

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