INDUSTRYNEWS
Psychometric
Testing - Testing
for Talent?
Bill Pratt of Ten
Human Resources
explains...
The psychometric testing
business seems to lean more
heavily to exciting new
products than those that
are well-established. This is
partly because some people
have done the same test half
a dozen times on various
training programmes and are
bored with it, and the easiest
thing to do is repackage some
old ideas!
Even though there are
hundreds of personality tests
on the market, they are all
measuring much the same
thing: about half a dozen
personality traits and a similar
number of abilities. It is a bit
like colours: there may be only
three primary colours and seven
in the rainbow, but go to your
local B&Q and you have a
hundred shades of what used
to be called “off white”. So you
take an old idea and repackage
it. For example, there used to
be something called charm,
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JUL 2014
which is now called “emotional
intelligence” Similarly, people
used to be described as “cool”,
but now they are “resilient”.
Talent management is a new
fashion, and there is money to
be made if you can find a way of
measuring this elusive quality.
“Learning Agility” - what is
that you may ask? “
It is a person’s ability and
willingness to learn from
experience to improve future
performance. This can be
broken down into another four
areas, People Agility, Results
Agility, Mental Agility and
Change Agility. There is a
great deal of definition to be
attributed to these areas. If I
wrote it, you would be falling
asleep!!
‘Are new products
too good to
be true?’
Is there good reason to
be testing these areas? A
recent academic journal gave
consultants (myself included)
the opportunity to evaluate the
Agility concept, the results of
which “Not much is new” and
“Still searching for clarity”. The
overall verdict was: Are new
products too good to be true?
Probably, was the outcome.
Testing can be advantageous,
but it will always be a “people
thing”
Call Bill Pratt on
01454 418855
www.tenhr.co.uk
ORIGIN INTRODUCES
PRODUCT TRAINING
TO GET INSTALLERS
FIGHTING FIT
Origin Frames Ltd, award winning UK
manufacturer of aluminium bi-folding
doors, has introduced an installation
training programme, to further support
its trade partners and improve the quality
of service offered to end users. The
‘Fitter Fitter’ training programme benefits
installers by demonstrating the most
efficient and technically accurate way to
install Origin’s bi-folding doors and results
in attendees receiving Origin accreditation.
The full day course, free
to Origin’s trade agents, is
designed to cover all elements
of bi-folding door and blind
installation and gives installers
the chance to ask questions
directly to Origin’s technical
team.
The training includes a
demonstration of how to install
a basic 3 doors set on a dedicated
training rig, full product
information and troubleshooting
on service issues such as fork,
hinge and lock replacement.
David Ginger, Technical
Manager at Origin, comments:
“As a British manufacturer, we
are dedicated to supporting our
trade agents up and down the
country. The Fitter Fitter training
has been introduced to provide
in-depth product information and
installation advice to our trade
partners, to ensure end users have
a high quality of installation to
match the doors.
“Since launching the Fitter
Fitter training in late 2013, we
have already seen a 23 per cent
reduction in technical installation
queries, which is a great result.”
The ‘Fitter Fitter’ training
days are held at Origin’s
headquarters in High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire, and include a
tour of Origin’s factory to show
trade partners how the bi-folding
doors are made from start to
finish. Passing the Fitter Fitter
course results in certification from
Origin as an approved installer, as
well as a certificate of attendance,
a small service kit and an Origin
Accredited Fitter sticker for
vehicles.
“It is vital that we work
alongside our trade agents to
achieve the best possible customer
service for the end user. The Fitter
Fitter days are just one of the
ways that we support our trade
agents; to maintain high levels
of service and performance. We
also hold Sales Training days to
help them achieve a higher lead
conversion rate to grow their
businesses,” concluded David.
In addition to the Fitter
Fitter training days, Origin has
created an online bi-folding door
installation video guide giving
step by step instructions to all its
trade partners.
To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com