Bohan and Bradstreet

July 2013


CT Economy: Better, Still Not Good

Monday, July 8, 2013  by Ed Bradstreet

Connecticut's economy started taking bigger strides forward in the first half of 2013, but a robust statewide recovery is unlikely for the second half of the year, economists say, as employers remain cautious about adding to their workforce. "We are on a modestly positive track from what had been an extremely disappointing and subpar recovery," said Peter Gioia, vice president and economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. "We are going to see the economy strengthen in the fall and perhaps strengthen in a real fashion in 2014."

While better than 2012, key economic indicators from the first half of 2013 such as new housing starts, employment levels, and state gross domestic product still aren't to the point where economists feel Connecticut is on the verge of an economic boom. Employment levels at the end of May, for example, reached their highest levels since February 2009, with 1.65 million residents actively in the workforce. Key industries like manufacturing and finance, however, are still trending downward, which is holding back the state's recovery, Lanza said. Employment in those sectors must gain steam if the state wants a rosier economic outlook, economists say.

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20130708/PRINTEDITION/307039942

 

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Candidate Coaching Corner – Personality Assessments

Monday, July 1, 2013  by Ed Bradstreet

According to research by Kenexa, over the past decade personality measures have increased in popularity as predictors of performance. There are many reasons for this, including the emergence of the five-factor framework, research showing personality measures can have very useful levels of validity, and the tendency for such measures to demonstrate less adverse impact than measures of cognitive ability.   Many of Bohan & Bradstreet’s clients subscribe to a personality assessment as part of the evaluation process.  The Predictive Index (PI) is a tool widely used in the talent acquisition and management process.  The PI is a scientifically validated behavioral assessment that accurately predicts workplace behavior.  The PI has helped organizations to understand what drives individual and team behavior in the workplace. This insight into employee behavior enables companies to make balanced decisions in the areas of talent acquisition, talent development, change management and growth strategies.  The PI combined with the PRO (Performance Requirement Options), which helps managers identify the specific behavioral drivers that are critically necessary to perform a job well, provides a customized target profile for a specific role.

With this increased use of personality assessments as part of talent management strategies, there have been concerns about the “fakability” of personality inventories. Specifically, because most personality inventories are relatively transparent, concerns have been raised about the extent to which job applicants answer them honestly. Whether conscious or not, research suggests applicants are motivated to present the image most likely to be viewed positively by decision makers. Incumbents, who already have the job and who may be responding under “research-only” instructions, have less motivation to attempt to manage the impressions they make. The result of this “test-taker motivation” may well be exaggerated levels of conscientiousness, agreeableness and extraversion for many applicants.

When taking a personality assessment, it is critical you are honest and self-reflected; having said that, you should not be modest when taking this assessment.

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