Why Smart Employees Underperform : 7 Hazards to Avoid

Executive Briefing

Why Smart Employees Underperform:
7 Hazards to Avoid
Assessment Edge
www.assessmentedge.com
©2009 Profiles International, Inc. All rights reserved. 937.550.9580

Why Smart Employees Underperform: 7 Hazards to Avoid. Copyright 2009 by Profiles International. Printed and bound in the United States of
America. All rights reserved. No part of the report may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including
information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher.

Publisher
Profiles Research Institute
Dario Priolo, Managing Director
5205 Lake Shore Drive
Waco, Texas 76710-1732
Profiles International

Acknowledgements
CEO, Co-founder, Profiles International: Jim Sirbasku
President, Co-founder, Profiles International: Bud Haney
Editor-in-Chief: Dario Priolo
Managing Editor: Carrie D. Martinez
Creative Director: Kelley Taylor

Why Smart Employees Underperform: 7 Hazards to Avoid | 2
©2009 Profiles International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Why Smart Employees Underperform:
7 Hazards to Avoid
We’ve all been there. After an extensive and thorough search for a line manager, one
candidate stands out. This candidate has the right experience, solid qualifications, and a
relevant work history, and she gave an impressive performance during the interview
process. She said the right things, put forward some great ideas and generally presented
very well. You hired her.

Three months later, you begin to question your decision. Your new hire’s team appears
disgruntled, morale is low, and output and productivity are well behind the figures from
the previous quarter.

After investigating further and speaking with a few key team members, you realize there’s
a disconnect—a mismatch. While she looked impressive on paper and presented well
during one-on-one interviews, your new hire’s style, approach, and behavior on the job
are simply inconsistent with the values and expectations of your organization. Her modus
operandi is foreign to her colleagues. Your new hire is not a good cultural fit and one or
more of the following hazards may be the cause.

1. Inadequate capability
2. Poor job fit
3. Fuzzy goals and accountabilities
4. Poor relationship with manager
5. Poor relationship with co-workers
6. Health and wellness issues
7. Physical and environmental factors


Why Smart Employees Underperform: 7 Hazards to Avoid


Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t believe what you read on a resume!
Capability refers to the skills, tools and experience that a person needs in order to successfully
perform her job. When any of these factors are missing, there is an increased chance that the
employee will underperform. It isn’t uncommon for hiring professionals to overlook these basic
factors, especially if a candidate has solid academic credentials and comes across as intelligent and
confident in a job interview. Furthermore, it’s no secret that most candidates exaggerate their
abilities on their resumes and job applications.

Diagnostics that help you identify if an underperforming employee has adequate capability:

Skills—Do you know what skills are needed to perform the job and whether the employee possesses
those skills? If she doesn’t possess the necessary skills, how will you help her acquire them, and how
long do you expect that process to take? Skills training takes time and money, and results are never
guaranteed unless there is adequate commitment from both the manager and the employee. It’s in
everyone’s best interest for the manager to set appropriate expectations for the employee from the
beginning. This is especially true if the job requires special technical capabilities.

Tools—Even if an individual has the skills and experience to do the job, does he have the tools to
deliver peak performance? For example, a highly skilled and experienced web designer can’t build a
website without adequate computer hardware and software. The tools don’t have to be the most
up-to-date, but a system that crashes can be incredibly frustrating and unproductive, even to the
best performer.

Experience—Just because an employee has the skills to do a job doesn’t mean that he has the
experience to apply those skills in his specific position. This is especially true for recent graduates,
outside hires from different industries and internal hires from different departments. While the
required skills may be similar from one job to the next, differing applications and terminology may
require that the new hire take time to learn the nuances of his new position.


2. Poor job fit

“Fit” reflects the behaviors and interests needed to succeed in a job
Many people fall into the trap of choosing a profession or job that is a bad fit. We are who we
are. Our “mental DNA” is influenced both by our genetics and our early life experiences, and it
is almost completely formed by the time we are 20 years old. Rather than trying to
understand ourselves so that we can choose a calling that builds on our strengths and aligns
with our interests, we choose jobs because of peer pressure and societal influences.

You probably know a medical doctor that trained at a prestigious school and worked for
several years at a modern hospital. Despite adequate skills, tools and experience, he is aloof,
insensitive and has a terrible bedside manner, and you only see him if no one else is available.
He might have been better suited as a lawyer so that he could cross-examine a witness on
trial. In short, he really doesn’t possess the innate compassion that would make him a great
doctor. He is a poor fit for his job.

Skills can be taught, but behaviors are much more difficult to change
A doctor can improve his bedside manner through training and mentoring, but it takes
tremendous effort and motivation to change natural behavior. If an individual isn’t motivated
to change, then he probably won’t.

It is important to understand a person’s innate behaviors and interests when trying to match
him with the right job. Know the job, know what type of person is successful in that job, and
then hire others who have the behavioral traits that fit that job. This is easier said than done
because it is difficult to gauge behaviors in a job interview, but behavioral assessments can be
extremely helpful.




Clear goals help focus and motivate employees to achieve the desired results
Employees need to be very clear about their responsibilities and about the results you expect
them to achieve. Daily work and priorities are easily affected by the crisis of the day, new
requests or changes in direction. Setting and tracking SMART goals helps your employees
focus on what is most important to your business, and clear accountabilities help ensure that
the work gets done with minimal conflict.

Use SMART goals to create clarity and improve the employee’s performance

Specific – Your employee has a much better chance of accomplishing a specific goal than a
general goal. To set a specific goal, the employee must answer, at a minimum: Who is
involved? What needs to be accomplished? When is the deadline? Why is this goal
important?

Measurable – Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of
each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target
dates, and experience the thrill of achievement that motivates you to keep working toward
your goal.

Aligned – The individual’s goals need to support the organization’s priorities. Otherwise, the
employee is not channeling his efforts in the most productive manner for the organization.

Realistic – To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both
willing and able to work. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. Your
goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished, or if you have
accomplished something similar in the past.

Timed – A goal should be grounded within a time frame, otherwise there is no sense of
urgency. Why Smart Employees Underperform: 7 Hazards to Avoid | 6



Do as I say and not as I do…clear as mud!
A poor relationship with one’s boss is the number one reason for failure at work. There are two
common flashpoints that adversely impact performance.

1. The employee is unclear about the manager's expectations
Goals should cascade down from a manager to his employees so that everyone understands how
they contribute to the objectives of both the team and the organization. If an employee does not
understand the goals she has been given, or if she hasn’t been given goals at all, the onus is on her
to seek clarity. Asking a simple question such as, "What are the top three priorities in my role that
you would like me to focus on?" can help everyone on the team gain clarity. Employees should
also ask "Why is this so important?" as the answer will give them a lot of good clues for
developing the relationship with their manager.

2. Managers fail to adapt their styles to the employees’ preferred styles.
Every employee/manager relationship is unique and requires a different management approach.
For example, the approach taken by highly decisive boss working with a highly decisive employee
should be significantly different from the approach taken by this same boss when working with a
less-decisive employee. The decisive employee thrives on quick decisions, while the other
employee will be more methodical in his or her decision-making approach. The less-decisive
employee will potentially enter into conflict with the faster-paced manager. A "one-size fits all"
management approach will likely result in frustration for everyone.

Managers and employees who understand each other’s preferred styles will better understand
how to communicate and work together effectively. We have identified seven factors that strongly
predict the compatibility between a manager and her workers. These are: self-assurance, self-
reliance, conformity, optimism, decisiveness, objectivity, and approach to learning. Assessing a
manager and her employees allows her to use objective information about herself and her
workers so that they can work more effectively toward a common goal.




Can’t we just all get along?
There are four primary factors that harm relationships among co-workers:

1. Insensitivity toward others – Insensitive co-workers damage any sort of team dynamic and
potentially expose the employer to hostile work environment and employment discrimination
law suits. Any remarks that might be interpreted as discriminatory with regard to gender, age,
sexual orientation, race, or disability contribute to a hostile work environment. Managers who
sense this hostility need to take quick and decisive action to prevent it from continuing.

2. Unclear accountability – Conflict between interdependent employees or groups emerges
because they are unclear about business objectives, priorities, and deadlines, as well as
processes and resources for delivery. Additionally, mixed messages create incongruence that
actually encourages departments to pull against each other in the interest of achieving their own
objectives—to the detriment of the greater organization . When accountabilities are unclear,
balls get dropped, turf wars rage, confusion reigns, and productivity plummets. This leads to
frustration and indifference, and ultimately underperformance.

3. Poor cultural fit - Cultural fit refers to the employee’s compatibility with the organization's
values and mode of operation. While the employee presents well on paper and performs well
during one-on-one interviews, the employee’s style, approach, and behavior on the job are
simply inconsistent with the values and expectations of your organization. Their modus operandi
is foreign to their colleagues.

4. Incompatible styles – Co-workers have communication styles and natural behaviors that
simply don’t mesh well with one another, and neither is willing to adapt his style. This creates
conflict and hostility, which creates stress and distraction for the entire team.




An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Approximately $260 billion in output is lost each year in the US because of health-related
problems. Whether they are absent from work altogether, or present but working at a reduced
capacity, employees suffering from physical or mental illness have difficulty performing at their
peak.

Employees spend approximately 36% of their total waking hours at work. This makes the
worksite an ideal place to provide workers with the knowledge and skills needed to help
improve attitudes and behaviors concerning health.

A comprehensive worksite health promotion program typically contains six elements:

1. Education about—and encouragement of—healthy living, focusing on overarching lifestyle
changes. Disseminate information and build awareness of healthy living issues, preferably
tailored to employees’ interests and needs.

2. Supportive social and physical environments. This includes implementing policies that
promote healthy behaviors and reduce risk of disease.

3. Linkage to related programs that help employees balance work and family life.

4. Worksite screening programs, ideally linked to medical care that ensures follow-up and
appropriate treatment as necessary.

5. Processes for supporting individual behavior change with follow-up interventions.

6. A continuous improvement process that enhances the program’s effectiveness.




Snug as a bug in a rug
Numerous behavioral studies have proven that a pleasant and comfortable work environment
improves worker productivity and reduces turnover.

For example, indoor temperature affects several human responses, including thermal comfort,
perceived air quality, sick building syndrome symptoms, and performance at work. Researchers
in Finland showed that when the interior air temperature was 30 oC, worker performance was
8.9% below worker performance at the optimal temperature of 22 oC.

Physical Factors
1. Workplace layout encourages efficient communication flow but minimal disruption
2. Ergonomically correct workplace reduces fatigue and distractions to reduce errors and injury
3. Safety awareness and concerns that can cause stress and accidents

Environmental Factors
1. Temperature
2. Air Quality
3. Lighting Conditions
4. Excessive Noise
5. Traffic

Indeed, it has been found that a productive work environment requires that management be
able to positively motivate its employees in an infrastructure that is amenable to employees’
needs.


Summary:

2. Poor job fit


Profiles International – Who We Are
Profiles International helps organizations worldwide create high-performing workforces.

Through our comprehensive employment assessments and innovative talent management solutions,
our clients gain a competitive advantage by selecting the right people and managing them to their
full potential.

Where We Are
Profiles serves 122 countries
around the globe and has
material in 32 languages.

Assessment Edge
www.assessmentedge.com

937.550.9580

©2009 Profiles International, Inc. All rights reserved. Why Smart Employees Underperform: 7 Hazards to Avoid | 12

How We Do It – Overview of our assessments and solutions
Your Business Objective Our Popular Solutions
High-level Strategic Workforce Management
Identifying high-potential employees and managers PXT CP360 PSA CSP
Strategic workforce and succession planning PXT PPI CP360 PSA CSP
Restructuring, reorganizing and downsizing PXT PPI PMF WES PSA CSP PLP
Post-merger integration of organizations PXT PPI PMF WES PSA CSP PLP
Everyday Workforce Management
Basic pre-employment screening SOS PST
Screening, interviewing and selecting job candidates PXT PST EBC PSA CSP
Onboarding new employees PXT PPI PMF
Improving employee productivity and work quality PXT PPI WES
Improving employee motivation and communication PPI PMF WES
Resolving conflict between co-workers PPI
Selecting and managing teams PPI
Evaluating management effectiveness PXT PPI CP360 WES
Prioritizing management development needs CP360 WES
Sales and Customer-facing Workforce Management
Screening, interviewing and selecting job candidates PST EBC PSA CSP
Retaining and growing customers and accounts PSA CSP PLP
Improving sales performance PPI CP360 PMF WES PSA PLP

Legend SOS Step One Survey PMF Profiles Managerial Fit
PXT ProfileXT WES Workplace Engagement Survey
PST Profiles Skills Tests PSA Profiles Sales Assessment
EBC Employee Background Checks CSP Customer Service Profile
PPI Profiles Performance Indicator PLP Profiles LoyaltyPro
CP360 CheckPoint 360


How We Do It – Assessment and solution descriptions

Step One Survey II® (SOSII)
The SOSII is a brief pre-hire assessment that measures an individual’s basic work-related
values. It is
used primarily as a screening tool early in the candidate selection process.

This assessment provides valid insight into an applicant’s work ethic, reliability, integrity,
propensity
for substance abuse, and attitudes toward theft — including property, data and time.

ProfileXT® (PXT)
The PXT assessment measures how well an individual fits specific jobs in your organization. The “job
matching” feature of the PXT is unique, and it enables you to evaluate an individual relative to the
qualities required to successfully perform in a specific job. It is used throughout the employee life
cycle for selection, on-boarding, managing, and strategic workforce planning.

This assessment reveals consistent, in-depth, objective insight into an individual's thinking and
reasoning style, relevant behavioral traits, occupational interests, and match to specific jobs in your
organization. It helps your managers interview and select people who have the highest probability
of being successful in a role, and provides practical recommendations for coaching them to
maximum performance. It also gives your organization consistent language and metrics to support
strategic workforce and succession planning, talent management and reorganization efforts.


Profiles Performance Indicator™ (PPI)
The Profiles Performance Indicator is a DISC-type assessment that reveals aspects of an individual's
personality that could impact their fit with their manager, coworkers and team, and their job
performance. It is used primarily for motivating and coaching employees, and resolving post-hire
conflict and performance issues.

The PPI specifically measures an individual's motivational intensity and behaviors related to
productivity, quality of work, initiative, teamwork, problem solving, and adapting to change, as well
as response to conflict, stress, and frustration. The output from this assessment serves as an
“operator's manual” for an employee, which helps managers better motivate, coach, and
communicate with the employee. It also helps to predict and minimize conflict among co-workers,
and it provides crucial information for improving team selection and performance.

A powerful feature of the PPI is the Team Analysis Report, designed to help managers form new
teams, reduce team conflict, improve team communication, improve their ability to anticipate
problems, and enhance their team leadership skills.

It helps evaluate overall team balance, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as team members’
personality characteristics along 12 key factors: control, composure, social influence, analytical,
patience, results orientation, precision, expressiveness, ambition, teamwork, positive expectancy,
and quality of work. It also provides team leaders with practical recommendations and action steps
to take in order to succeed in their jobs.



CheckPoint 360°™
The CheckPoint Management System is a 360-degree assessment. It is used primarily to evaluate the
effectiveness of your managers and leaders. This assessment combines feedback from direct reports,
peers, supervisors, and even customers, with a personalized program for developing specific
leadership skills based on that feedback. This process highlights a manager’s job performance in 8
universal management competencies: communication, leadership, adapting to change, relationships,
task management, production, development of others, and personal development.

The CheckPoint 360 helps managers identify and prioritize their own development opportunities. And
it helps the organization to better focus management training and development investments;
proactively uncover misaligned priorities between senior executives and front-line managers; and
surface management issues that could lead to low employee productivity, morale, job-satisfaction,
and increased turnover.

Profiles Managerial Fit ™ (PMF)
People typically don’t quit their companies, they quit their bosses. Profiles Managerial Fit (PMF)
measures critical aspects of compatibility between a manager and their employees. This report offers
an in-depth look at one’s approach to learning, as well as six critical dimensions of compatibility with
their manager: self-assurance, conformity, optimism, decisiveness, self-reliance, and objectivity.

Managers use this information for adapting their styles in order to get the most from each employee;
improve communication; increase engagement, satisfaction, and productivity; and reduce employee
turnover.



Workplace Engagement Survey (WES)
Our Workplace Engagement Survey (WES) measures the degree to which your employees connect
with their work and feel committed to the organization and its goals. This gives you and your
management team a detailed view of what influences engagement across all of your workforce
segments and how your employees compare statistically to the overall working population.

In addition, the WES measures “satisfaction with employer” and “satisfaction with manager” across
your entire organization, and gives recommendations for your organization to improve.

Profiles Skills Tests (PST)
Profiles International provides comprehensive assessments to measure essential knowledge and
skills. We use powerful technologies, such as performance-based testing, which simulates popular
software products like Microsoft Office, to ensure accurate, reliable, assessment of knowledge,
skills, and abilities. Our skills assessments cover Software Skills, Clerical Skills, Call Center Skills,
Accounting and Finance, Medical, Nursing, Legal, Industrial, Computer Literacy, Retail, Food
Services, Information Technology, Staffing, and Human Resources.

Employee Background Checks (EBC)
Profiles International provides comprehensive employee background checks for our clients. These
include Consumer Credit Reports, Criminal History Record, Drivers' History Report (DMV), Education
Verification, Employment History Verification, Foreign Nationals Terrorist Sanctions Search (OFAC,
CLFST & OSFI), Identity Verification Search, Incarceration Records Search, Military Service
Verification, Cursory Nationwide Criminal Index Database Search (CNID), and many more.



Profiles Sales Assessment™ (PSA)
The Profiles Sales Assessment (PSA) measures how well a person fits specific sales jobs in your
organization. It is used primarily for selecting, on-boarding and managing sales people and account
managers.

The “job modeling” feature of the PSA is unique, and can be customized by company, sales position,
department, manager, geography, or any combination of these factors. This enables you to evaluate
an individual relative to the qualities required to perform successfully in a specific sales job in your
organization. It also predicts on-the-job performance in seven critical sales behaviors: prospecting,
call reluctance, closing the sale, self-starting, teamwork, building and maintaining relationships, and
compensation preference.

Customer Service Profile™ (CSP)
The Customer Service Profile (CSP) measures how well a person fits specific customer service jobs in
your organization. It is used primarily for selecting, on-boarding, and managing customer service
employees.

The CSP also looks at what your current and future employees believe is a high level of customer
service, while at the same time showing where they align (or not) with the company’s perspective.
We have a general industry version of this assessment as well as vertical specialties in hospitality,
healthcare, financial services, and retail.



Profiles Loyalty Pro™ (PLP)
Profiles LoyaltyPro™ is a web-based customer loyalty surveying tool. Loyalty, as determined
through the “voice of the customer,” is a leading indicator that predicts the “staying power” of an
account.

Profiles LoyaltyPro™ offers companies a tool to gather ongoing, critical account intelligence that
helps them assess the relationship between the buyer and the supplier, ultimately driving the action
plan to improve customer service. Having insight into your customer’s perception of your
relationship allows you to steer the strategic business efforts and initiatives of the account
management teams to continually improve customer relationships and build a network of loyal
customers.


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