Many of our clients use Hogan Assessments to support selection programmes and development activity, both individual and collective.

In the current environment, understandably, selection has been dramatically cut back and HR teams are having to focus their attention on more difficult people issues while, perhaps, learning and development programmes are pushed back.

However, we still speak to HR professionals and coaches on a daily basis about support for different types of people initiatives.  As one might expect, at a time when leaders of organisations are having to make decisions in extremely pressured circumstances, with budgets tighter than ever, our clients are forced to limit their choices in a number of areas, so we are keen to encourage the use of valuable resources they may already have available at their disposal.

To some, the following might seem obvious, but we know from our conversations that many have not thought about using existing resources to support pressing interventions which, although most of us may prefer to avoid, are often unavoidable in the present environment.  Here are three of the most common examples where we have been able to recommend organisations take another look at the Hogan Assessment data they already hold.

 Leaders under pressure: There is no doubt that the last three months have been unprecedented in terms of additional stress for those in senior positions, balancing the future survival of their organisation with the welfare and motivation of their workforce.  Many will be showing signs of derailing risks which are starting to impede their effectiveness or creating problems with relationships.  We also see many cases of leaders who appear to thrive despite what is happening – seeing present problems as a new and interesting challenge.  Revisiting Hogan HDS scores can provide real insight for leaders about how their natural coping mechanisms may be showing up as well as helping to identify strategies to manage them.

 Virtual Teams: While there was already a push to more remote working and less travel, there has been an exponential rise in teams meeting virtually with little or no face to face contact. Some will enjoy independence while others miss the close collaboration.  Some teams must completely adapt the way they work to stand still let alone become a high performing team.  Collective Hogan data can help understand the strengths and skills gaps across the team, how they are likely to communicate, innovate and adapt, and how the culture and values of the team may influence their approach.

 Organisational Restructure:  Inevitably we are hearing more cases where downsizing or mergers of departments and functions mean people are displaced and roles disappear.  Existing Hogan results provide information to help identify candidates who will be best placed to succeed in new roles with changed responsibilities and requirements – additional objective data at a time of difficult decisions.  For those who find themselves in the really unfortunate position of losing their jobs, Hogan profiles are being used to support outplacement – helping to identify how people work through the emotional rollercoaster, 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.  The Hogan 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 potentially emotive times.  Maybe it is worth taking another look at those existing Hogan reports!