Today, we turn to safety and risk applications of the ADEPT-15 personality model and look at specific reports that can be generated using the ADEPT-15 measure.
In previous articles, we have discussed the overall structure and validation studies conducted on Aon Assessment Service’s exciting measure of workplace personality, the ADEPT-15 (for more on this, click on this link.
Unlike some dimensions of behaviour, risk and safety behaviours tend to be public and unambiguous in their outcome, especially when applied to high-risk industries such as mining, manufacturing and transportation.
The calamities of mining accidents or massive transportation failures attract headline news and can be particularly damaging to the future of the organization involved. As a result, talent professionals are often called upon to mitigate such risks by identifying dangers or potential dangers in the behaviour of current or future employees that may lead to damaging outcomes.
Safety and risk: Industry trends
In the VUCA world of work, organizations are increasingly aware of how their business strategy and the talent they employ to deliver on that strategy can interact with social, economic and political forces that shape their marketplaces. The relative simplicity of a few decades ago has given way to a business world that is vulnerable to dynamic shifts due to disruptive technology as well as changing sentiments and the application of a wider set of human and environmental rights to everyday operations.
In fact, research conducted by Aon suggests that in the immediate and near future, businesses will have to contend with an increased focus on sustainable and ethical practices as a strategic imperative.
Ultimately, the exposure that any organization has to reputational risk, ethical compromise, and its public image will in large part be a function of individual decisions and behaviours of its staff.
As such, it makes sense to ensure that accurate data is made available to decision makers and talent professionals in terms of individual risk patterns and behavioural themes that may predict future actions that could expose organisations to such risks.
The Aon risk and safety model
In response to the above, Aon has developed an internationally benchmarked model of safety and risk behaviors that can be empirically measured by the ADEPT-15 personality measure as well as selected ability assessments.
At its core, the model proposes a behavioural component to safety and risk behaviours as well as an aptitude of cognitive component. Together, an individual’s behavioural tendencies and ability to react to potentially dangerous circumstances form the basis of the person’s risk profile.
The components of the model are:
- Safety Orientation. This represents a person’s behavioural tendencies to be compliant to safety standards and to avoid risky behaviours. The safety orientation is further subdivided into:
- Impulse control: Having the discipline to resist temptation, adhere to rules, and work hard without being distracted. This also involves being cautious of risks, acting with care, and being resistant to boredom.
- Ethical awareness: Being empathic to others, tending to see others’ perspective, and cooperating well. It also references being honest, open, and delivering on promises and commitments.
- Impulse control: Having the discipline to resist temptation, adhere to rules, and work hard without being distracted. This also involves being cautious of risks, acting with care, and being resistant to boredom.
- Abilities. As mentioned above, the abilities measured ensure that the safety and risk model not only focuses on behaviour but also measures abilities that can make a critical differences in people’s ability to avoid risk, react to danger, and have the sufficient cognitive capacity to resist distraction, confusion, or poor judgement.
Although not restricted to heavy industry and transportation, the abilities measured in the model have a particular relevance to these spheres and include: - Multi-tasking
- Sense of direction
- Adaptive memory
- Spatial memory
- Ability to concentrate
- Reaction speed.
Measuring risk and safety
As mentioned in previous articles, the ADEPT-15 measure is an innovative and world-beating tool that rests upon more than 50 years of research on work-related behaviour and incorporates the latest computer adaptive technologies.
At its core, the Aon risk and safety model is measured by the ADEPT-15 (in terms of the Safety Orientation), whereas the abilities are measured by cut-e’s (now Aon) wide range of highly specialized ability assessments.
Figure 1. Summary of the Aon risk and safety assessment application battery
As Figure 1 above summarizes, the core assessments of the solution comprises the ADEPT-15, as well as the scales mt-drv, the scales nav and the scales e3+.
As with all Aon assessments, these measures are designed to be delivered on any device, PC or smartphone, and incorporates the highest benchmarks of computer adaptive testing, item banking, and dynamic, gamified presentation.
Additional abilities that can be included in the assessment battery reference reaction speed (scales rt-drv), adaptive memory (gridChallenge) and observation and information retention (scales mem-drv).
An important advantage of using highly adaptive testing that is worth noting is that participant completion times tend to be far shorter than industry norms or tests that measure similar constructs. On average, for a participant to complete the core assessments will only take around 18-20 minutes, making this a very scalable and easy-to-administer solution.
Reporting options
Aon’s risk and safety reporting options include a comprehensive report on a candidate’s results in all the dimensions mentioned above.
The risk & safety report includes an overall risk and safety score thatallows for quick decision-making capabilities, as well as more in-depth insights into the subcomponents of safety orientation (i.e. impulse control and ethical awareness) and abilities with a focus on strengths and development areas for the candidate.
Our assessment product team is also currently developing an integrated risk and safety module that can be used in our Talent Match Reports for clients who wish to include risk and safety in their assessment reporting.
Final thoughts
While safety risks and reputational impacts can never be fully avoided, the behaviours that often give rise to them can certainly be managed and mitigated through accurate and scientifically robust measurement.
In using Aon’s internationally benchmarked and award-winning tools, we believe that clients who are concerned about risk and safety in their talent decision making can be assured of an accurate and defensible measurement solution when they choose the safety and risk applications of the ADEPT-15 tool.
If you are interested in taking the conversation on safety and risk mitigation forward, why not connect with us at: info@tts-talent.com?