Measuring and understanding new hires

Ingenuity, initiative and work ethic are essential traits when unusual circumstances require that employees adapt to new work styles and processes. Combined, they reflect an employee’s ability to think about problems on their own, create a solution, implement a course of action and follow through on their tasks. CRI assesses these traits by means of an assessment tool, The Achiever, which measures an applicant’s mental and behavioral qualities. 

Ingenuity: Measures a person’s ability to be inventive, imaginative, or clever. We seek to measure this quality by observing how readily someone is willing to be an agent for change. Good mental acuity, flexibility and an appetite for at least moderate risk are required for someone to think outside of the box and make decisions based on the information at hand instead of looking to prior situations for guidance. Individuals with these traits are more likely to push business forward and implement change and growth in the workplace. 

Initiative: Is represented by a person’s power or ability to begin and/or follow through with a plan or task. While The Achiever measures several traits that influence initiative, two key behaviors measured are internal drive and assertiveness. People who possess strong initiative are characterized by good energy levels and a desire to control situations. Too little energy often results in poor self-motivation while a passive nature can mean that an individual won’t take action when necessary. 

Work Ethic: Basically, work ethic is represented by a set of values based on moral virtues encompassing hard work and diligence. Employees with a strong work ethic are typically more reliable, dependable, and honest and tend to work for the betterment of the company. Overall, they are good representatives of company objectives and morals. Whether or not they are consistent in their actions as well as their ability to adhere to policies and make decisions based on what is expected of them is also deduced from their level of flexibility.

For more information about The Achiever and what it measures, please visit www.criw.com.