Hogan recently collaborated with an international diversified mining and materials company to identify personal characteristics associated with work-related decision-making in Operation and Maintenance jobs. The goal of this research was to show the Hogan Judgment Report (based on cognitive and non-cognitive factors related to making decisions and receiving feedback) would predict safe job performance and good decision-making in the mining and materials industry.
This criterion-related validation process consisted of a number of steps. The research study began when incumbent Operations and Maintenance employees, ranging from Managers and Superintendents to Operators and Tradespeople, completed all sections of the Hogan Judgment Assessment. Next, supervisors rated each of these employees with an online Performance Rating Form (PRF), providing outcome ratings in regards to overall job performance, job-related decision-making, and cognitive ability. Supervisors also had the opportunity to provide open-ended comments about each employee’s relative strengths and challenges related to his/her decision-making at work.
Four scales from the Hogan Judgment Assessment, which evaluates decision-making tendencies, showed consistent and statistically significant relationships with multiple supervisor performance ratings. Individuals scoring as Strategic in their approach to decisions, Cool-Headed or Genuine in their reactions to negative feedback, and generally Receptive to Feedback about previously unsuccessful decisions tended to receive higher performance ratings than individuals scoring as Tactical in their approach to decisions, Defensive or Superficial in their reactions to negative feedback, and generally Resistant to Feedback.
Furthermore, those who had a higher overall Receptiveness to Feedback score tended to be rated by their supervisors as:
- Overall, this employee makes good decisions at work (.33*)
- Engages in feedback to solve problems (.30*)
- Makes good decisions under ambiguous circumstances (.31*)
- Makes good decisions under stressful circumstances (.43**)
* Correlation is significant at .05 level; ** Correlation is significant at .01 level.
These findings are really exciting. The next phase is to expand the sample and continue this criteria-referenced research at the Executive levels. We look forward to coming to you soon with even more impressive results!