The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology posed this question using standard game theory – strategic decision making – in a recent social experiment. In the experiment, two people interact, each with the option of competing or cooperating. If both cooperate, both win; if one competes while the other cooperates, the selfish person wins even bigger.

Participants were provided information regarding the other person’s reputation as either selfish or cooperative. As expected, if a person expected to interact with someone with a reputation for selfishness, he or she would behave selfishly, but if a person expected to interact with someone with a reputation for cooperation, he or she would tend to cooperate.

The real kicker, however, concerned a particular wrinkle. In some cases, researchers would provide participants with both data regarding the other person’s performance and description of that person’s reputation. Participants invariably trusted the reputation rather than the data.

What does this mean? That reputation trumps fact in some cases. That’s why self-awareness and reputation management are essential to the success of our daily interactions. To learn more about how reputation can affect every aspect of your work relationships, check out our ebook Who Are You?

For most people, there is a vast disparity between identity (how you see yourself) and reputation (how others see you). This disparity causes them to overestimate their strengths, ignore feedback, deny their shortcomings, and, ultimately, damage their reputations.

Take Michael Scott from The Office, for example (possibly the worst offender of this disparity). Reputation descriptor that comes to mind? Clueless. How would he describe himself? Well…

How his coworkers would describe him? Impulsive, poor attention to detail and social cues, terrible listener, offensively insensitive…the list goes on. While his staff is consistently loyal, most employees wouldn’t put up with a boss this unaware.

For most people, there is a vast disparity between identity (how you see yourself) and reputation (how others see you). This disparity causes them to overestimate their strengths, ignore feedback, deny their shortcomings, and, ultimately, damage their reputations.

Take Michael Scott from The Office, for example (possibly the worst offender of this disparity). Reputation descriptor that comes to mind? Clueless. How would he describe himself? Well…

How his coworkers would describe him? Impulsive, poor attention to detail and social cues, terrible listener, offensively insensitive…the list goes on. While his staff is consistently loyal, most employees wouldn’t put up with a boss this unaware.

Ideas worth spreading. TED’s tagline has been sending thrill-chills down the spines of knowledge-hungry dilettantes and the curious erudite alike. TED, one of the most well-established non-profit organizations that pedestals the pursuit of knowledge, showcases some of the greatest minds in the Technology, Entertainment, and Design sectors. In one short, neatly packaged talk, presenters share their current and sometimes futuristic perspectives on fascinating and ground-breaking ideas. Topics have ranged from enlightening Americans on the origin of General Tso’s chicken to proposing a self-repairing underwater architecture to keep Venice from turning into an Atlantis, and featured speakers from Malcolm Gladwell to Bill Gates.

On October 8th, one of Hogan’s own, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, joined the ranks at TED@NYC with a presentation based on his latest book, Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt.

Photo by Ryan Lash

Cheers to you, Tomas!

Ideas worth spreading. TED’s tagline has been sending thrill-chills down the spines of knowledge-hungry dilettantes and the curious erudite alike. TED, one of the most well-established non-profit organizations that pedestals the pursuit of knowledge, showcases some of the greatest minds in the Technology, Entertainment, and Design sectors. In one short, neatly packaged talk, presenters share their current and sometimes futuristic perspectives on fascinating and ground-breaking ideas. Topics have ranged from enlightening Americans on the origin of General Tso’s chicken to proposing a self-repairing underwater architecture to keep Venice from turning into an Atlantis, and featured speakers from Malcolm Gladwell to Bill Gates.

On October 8th, one of Hogan’s own, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, joined the ranks at TED@NYC with a presentation based on his latest book, Confidence: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem, Insecurity, and Self-Doubt.

Photo by Ryan Lash

Cheers to you, Tomas!

Company Expands International Growth Into Japan, Providing Clients With Industry Leading Assessments

To support the global reach of its clients, Hogan established an industry-leading network of international partners operating in more than 40 countries across six continents.

Hogan announced a strategic partnership with Fuji Xerox Learning Institute Inc., a provider of assessment and consulting solutions in Japan.

"FXLI plans to integrate Hogan assessments into its well-established practices, such as sales effectiveness training and leadership development," said Kiyo Ogushi, corporate vice president at FXLI. "Our research-based firm, which is an active member of the Japanese testing association, will also use Hogan Assessments to support the evaluation of an individual's global outlook and for managerial development."

Founded in 1989, FXLI has headquarters in Tokyo, as well as offices in Kobe and Osaka, and employs more than 150 individuals.

"Hogan is well regarded as a global leader in assessments, and a large part of that success depends on our worldwide network of partners," said Ryan Ross, vice president of global alliances at Hogan. "With FXLI at the helm of Japan's psychometric market, Hogan Assessments is especially excited by the enormous potential of this newfound partnership."

Download a PDF of How Hogan Does Global

Download a PDF of How Hogan Does Global

Reflect™ by GMAC, Powered by Hogan, a self-assessment and development tool that evaluates personal and professional soft skills imperative in today's workplace, was named a Top HR Product of 2013 by Human Resource Executive® magazine. GMAC and Hogan were honored with this distinction on Monday, October 7, 2013, at the 16th Annual HR Technology Conference & Expo's Top HR Products of 2013 Awards Luncheon at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

"This is a terrific honor and wonderful acknowledgement from such a leading authority as Human Resource Executive," said Andrew Martelli, GMAC vice president, new product development. "In developing Reflect, GMAC and Hogan set out to create something not only grounded in science but also accessible with or without a facilitator, clearly presented in the language of business and directed at professionals or students looking to strengthen their soft skills to further their educational or professional aspirations."

The Top HR Products of 2013 contest aims to acknowledge the best and most innovative human resources products of the year. The editors of Human Resource Executive reviewed and assessed all submissions and product demonstrations to identify the HR industry's most groundbreaking solutions, evaluating products based on their ease of use, innovation and value added to the HR profession. Previous winners include The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Interactive Edition and Power Resume Search by Monster Worldwide.

Today's young professionals must be prepared with not only the technical knowledge, but also the soft skills and self-awareness that are often indicative of success in management roles. To meet this demand, GMAC and Hogan developed Reflect, the only product of its kind that combines world-class Hogan personality assessments with reporting and self-development advice tailored to the user.

"Reflect by GMAC is unique to the market," said Ryan Ross, vice president of Global Alliances at Hogan. "This solution gives today's entry-level professionals the ability to understand their strengths, identify areas for improvement and work to develop their skills proactively to perform better and start on the right path for success. We are honored to receive such recognition for the innovation it brings to the HR industry."

Reflect is an interactive, customizable competency solution available online. Reflect provides a personalized action plan, career development resources and a benchmarking section so participants can compare their scores against high-performing professionals across 14 different career paths.

"Human Resource Executive has been evaluating HR products and conducting this competition for 25 years," explained David Shadovitz, editor of Human Resource Executive. "Our goal has always been to identify products and services that clearly offer value to the HR community while demonstrating innovation. With Reflect, Hogan and GMAC have shown how assessments can help even the most recent entrants to the workforce gain the strategic insight to guide their own careers and reach their professional goals."