Categories
Hiring

Is the Resume Dead? (Part 1)

It’s a complicated question. I would argue that there are two sides to consider here – the candidate themselves and the employer. 

From the candidate’s perspective, they are looking to put their best foot forward. The resume is essentially a highlight reel of their career. Sure, they look slick, packed with keywords to beat the algorithms, but are they trustworthy? When over 50% of employers admit they can’t tell if a résumé is accurate, we’ve got a problem. Your résumé might as well be a well-crafted fiction, designed to trick the system but ultimately failing to deliver the ‘source of truth’ about your capabilities.

From the employer’s perspective, they are getting a huge influx of resumes for every job rec provided. It’s almost impossible to read through them all, so the majority of resumes are ignored completely. I recently ran across the stat of: Approximately 95% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS to manage candidate applications.  For employers, ATS is revolutionary in its ability to automate screening.  But then I see another stat that says:  88% to 94% of recruiters believe ATS systems reject qualified candidates because their resumes lack the proper keywords or are not formatted correctly. Other sources cite that 75% of resumes are discarded due to readability issues.  So it seems like ATS’s are sifting out, in a very efficient manner, most everyone you’d want to hire. 

And, just to throw a wrench in it all , there’s a third dimension to consider: the current technological landscape – specifically the impact of AI. 

Let me preface this by saying, I am a huge fan of AI. It’s the perfect way to quickly compile and make sense of just about anything, including people. So let me ask you this – why, in this golden age of AI, are resumes the source of truth about a person?

It’s a question PeopleBest as an organization has spent a lot of time on to understand. We are DRIVEN to be a source of truth behind helping each person and their success – using AI! Our use of ChatGPT and other LLM help us power the most accurate insights into human behavior while offering the ultimate source of truth behind each person’s uniqueness and potential.

So now that you know all the factors I’ve got in mind, let’s dive deeper into the true question, I really think is:

How do you retain maximum efficiency without missing the chance to grab the best people for each specific job?

Well, I’ve got some ideas…

  1. Skills-Based Hiring – A Growing Trend

Skills-based hiring has emerged as a powerful alternative to traditional résumé-based recruitment. The argument is that résumés often emphasize past titles and affiliations over actual capabilities, leading to a mismatch between what a candidate can do and what a job requires. In this context, skills assessments can serve as a more objective measure of a candidate’s abilities. Interestingly, companies like Walmart and IBM are already leaning heavily on this approach, reducing the emphasis on college degrees and instead focusing on the specific skills needed for a role.


One thing to note, however, is that while skills assessments provide valuable insights, they are not the panacea for all hiring challenges. Skills alone do not paint the full picture of an individual’s capacity to thrive in a role or within a company’s culture. This is where behavioral data becomes indispensable.

  1. The Behavioral Data Approach – To be transparent, here’s where my interest really lies. 

While skills tell us what a person can do, behavioral data reveals how and why they do it. At PeopleBest our software dives deep into the traits that drive a person’s actions and decision-making processes. Matched to the ‘exact’ metrics of success, or even the unique job description, along with using a model of your best people where possible, we correlate a FIT score automatically. Scores can be automatically inserted into any ATS so there is zero time lost in review.  Candidates can even receive a complimentary summary of their Styles without revealing any sensitive data as a thank you.

By understanding these behaviors, companies can predict not just job performance but also cultural fit and long-term potential.  Screening candidates upfront is also extremely cost effective as we include this as part of our subscription, maximizing efficiencies at every turn.

  1. The Job Application – The ‘New’ Idea That Can

We discovered this idea, in an interesting way, working with a couple of clients.  With one client we asked a series of questions to a slew of their most productive employees and found an extremely high correlation of this one question to overall success. 

Ready?  Here it is:  “Do you devote time or volunteer with groups outside of work such as social, sports, or faith-based organizations?”

This data has shown a strong correlation between this behavior and overall job success. A candidate who consistently engages in these activities is often someone with a strong drive to help others—a trait that translates into effective teamwork, leadership, and a positive influence on company culture. These are insights that a résumé or even a skills test might overlook but are critical to making the right hire.

  1. Performance-Based Interviewing – Out with the ‘Old’ and in with the ‘New’

Why are there constant rounds of interviews with dozens of people involved that slow down (not to mention complicate) the process?

This interview technique focuses on evaluating candidates through a detailed examination of their past achievements and behaviors to ensure they have a proven track record of success, aligning them with the specific demands and culture of your organization.

A performance-based question might be: “Can you walk me through a time when you were faced with a major challenge at work and how you overcame it? What specific actions did you take, and what was the outcome?”


This question digs into the candidate’s past behavior and decision-making process, revealing how they handle real-world situations and whether they have a history of effectively solving problems and delivering results. It’s not just about what they say they can do; it’s about what they’ve actually done.

With all this in mind, I hope you’re asking yourself, ““Why am I looking at their resume so much?”

Gone are the days where companies should be relying on schools, past companies, gut feelings or vague impressions. The methods listed above give you hard data and real insights to make smarter hiring decisions. You end up with a team of proven performers, reducing turnover, boosting productivity, and creating a workplace where everyone knows they’re surrounded by the best. It’s about making sure you hire winners, not just people who look good on paper. 

Now, go be amazing!!  (…and let me know how it goes or holler for any help!?)

Categories
People

3 Steps To Boost Employee Happiness In 2023

This year started with the Great Resignation. The “quiet quitting” trend arrived this summer.

And now 2022 is ending with a probable recession. In other words? It’s been a tough 12 months.

Many of this year’s employment trends have focused on workers’ unfulfilled needs. Employees felt unheard, underpaid and underdeveloped, so they sought out new opportunities. They felt frustrated over high expectations and low recognition, so they decided to give a little less. We’ve seen the trend of dissatisfaction play out in research, too. Workers report that they are lonely and face massive burnout.

Many leaders — myself included — are troubled by the dwindling emotional health of their employees and how the decline is impacting team members. We root for our workers. We want them to thrive. We also root for our businesses, and we know that when worker engagement falls, so does productivity, innovation, and other vital signs.

So how do we make sure our workers are happy?

Step 1: Get to know your workers

The first step to improving employee happiness is to get to know your workers. I’m sure you know your workers’ names and titles. And I know you’ve got a general idea of who’s a superstar and who’s a problem child. But that’s not what I’m getting at — I want to know if you actually know the people on your payroll.

Picture this team. Amy is from Michigan and got a communications degree from a small school somewhere out West. Oscar hails from California and started his career overseas, though you can’t remember where. Before moving over to the private sector, Donna worked for the federal government — but what did she do, again?

Knowing the basics of your employees’ stories shows that you didn’t daydream through their job interview or newcomer lunch. This knowledge also provides a sense of kinship. A familiarity between you and your workers makes them feel seen.

Step 2: Know the WHY Inside

While these kinds of details are important, they may not give you all the information you need to help your workers succeed. Employees’ stories will help you discover what makes them tick. Insights about their behavior will help chart a path to professional success.

For example: Do you know how much or little they like or feel comfortable with feedback on how they’re doing? It’s important to understand your employees’ backgrounds. But it’s just as essential to know WHO they are inside — how they think, how they work, and how they grow.

Take Oscar, for instance: He started his professional life in London after studying abroad there during his undergrad. He moved back to the States to care for his parents, but he longs for opportunities that will satisfy his thirst for learning and adventure.

Behavior data will help decode Oscar’s story and reveal who he is and what works best in connecting with him.  Knowing the behavioral WHY inside can help Oscar’s mentors understand how to help him succeed.

Step 3: Lead workers to greatness

Workers are hungry for new opportunities. This desire is so great that a lack of opportunities for growth motivates some to quit. The Sitel Group, a customer experience management company, released a research in 2019 that concluded 37% of employees would leave their current job if they were not offered training to gain new skills.

Behavior data tells employers who needs what kind of opportunity and why. It aligns employees with available opportunities based on their strengths, interests and behaviors. The best part about this? It keeps workers happy, and it strengthens your business.

I’ve just walked through three steps to help you understand your people and boost their happiness in 2023.  As I conclude, I want to leave you with a question: When will YOU start to know your team?

I’ll make it easy for you. Give us a call, and we’ll run a free team study on each of your people and provide you with a free analysis of each person and how you can achieve each of these steps.  All you have to do is call (714) 685-1020 or email us at [email protected] with the code HAPPINESS23.

PeopleBest is in the business of creating happiness and productivity, so we can’t wait to help you.

Happy New Year!

Categories
People

Coaching As A Preventive Mental Health Tool

It’s no longer sufficient for employers to simply recognize the importance of mental health. Organizations must provide proactive support for employees — or risk serious business consequences.

A recent report from Mercer found that employees deeply need mental health support. One in five respondents worldwide said they experience high or extreme levels of stress on a daily basis. Those numbers rose to 25% among U.S. workers.

The dire state of worker mental health isn’t exactly surprising. According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. As employees struggle to get the help they need, they’ve turned to their employers.

Eighty percent of respondents in a 2022 poll from the American Psychological Association said they plan to consider employers’ mental health-related offerings when they search for a new job.

Employers have taken note. Many organizations are offering new and enhanced mental health benefits, from wellness rooms and awareness efforts to time off and expanded health insurance coverage.

As organizations devise strategies to support worker mental health, I have one suggestion: Don’t forget the preventive measures. Some of the world’s leading experts in mental health point to the power of preventive care, yet it’s something we employers, in our haste to get workers the help they need, often forget about. Read on to learn more about one way employers can focus on prevention in mental wellness.

The value of prevention

As employers, and as people, we tend to view mental health care as something that comes after: after symptoms get bad, after a crisis occurs. Don’t get me wrong. Mental health support should be readily available and accessible whenever anyone needs it.

But there’s another timing element to consider: before. Consider the perspective of Nick Taylor, a U.K.-based clinical psychologist who founded workplace mental health platform Unmind. In an interview with HR Dive, Taylor spoke about employers’ overwhelming focus on reactive care.

“The historical approach to the topic of mental health has been to put all of our focus on people who have mental illnesses. And the problem is that category keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and we just can’t build enough nets to catch people as they kind of fall into that category of mental illness…All of the focus has been on reactive solutions; we wait for people to get unwell and we try to get them a solution for them. But there aren’t enough therapists, clinicians and social workers in the world to support those people. We’re saying, ‘Hold up. Stop putting all your attention on reactive care and focus your attention on proactive care.’”

What could prevention look like?

So how can employers provide their workforces with proactive mental health solutions? One possible solution: Coaching.

The APA encourages organizations to train managers to promote health and well-being. Managers and supervisors who work directly with employees have a special opportunity to highlight opportunities that create support.

I would suggest employers take this a step further and provide coaching with an eye toward mental health — not only as a way to flag issues but also as a way to build mental health strength. Through coaching, employers can help employees build resilience.

Coaching can be especially successful when employers are equipped with real-time data about their employees’ strengths and weaknesses. With PeopleBest’s AI-powered platform, employers get a picture of where their employees thrive, how they succeed, and where they need to buid. To find out how PeopleBest can serve your team, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.

PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies

Categories
People

What Makes A Good Manager?

We all know the famous saying: People don’t leave bad jobs — they leave bad managers. And that’s true. But, it’s more than a just a famous line, especially when you look at the fascinating research on how great managers can make a huge difference.

Did you know, workers are 80% more likely to improve in their jobs when they see managers making bringing their A game, according to software developer Humu. Humu’s report also revealed that employees felt more support and showed greater resilience when they were working under good managers during the pandemic.

A Gallup study found that an excellent manager can boost a business’s profitability by 48%. The same study showed that great managers can increase employee engagement by 30% and drive productivity by 22%.

These statistics, while illuminating, raise an important question: What makes a good manager? Research promises amazing results from good, great, and excellent managers. But what are the exact qualities that make managers so effective?

The 1-2-3 checklist of a good manager

At PeopleBest, we’ve spent years distilling behavior data from managers from every industry, nationally and globally. This information has allowed us to single out the skills that make good managers great. Here are three TOP areas to challenge your management skills on:

1.Decision Quality

A manager’s confidence stems from the proven quality of her decision making. How does she execute business goals? How does she ensure efficiency, productivity, and profit? Decision quality says it all.

A question for you: How much do you allow others to share in both a decision and ownership of this decision? People support that which they help create, so decisions may not always be yours alone.

2. Coaching Effectiveness

A good manager can take a mediocre worker and make a star employee. How? Coaching. Through motivation, goal setting, and follow through, managers help workers see and reach their own potential.

To be a great coach you need to be organized, consistent, and have the time to be there for each person you manage. It’s one thing to be skilled but if you’re not consistently spending time and managing progress, you’re not progressing? Remember: You can’t manage what you don’t measure!

3. Team Building

A coach doesn’t lead one player — she leads the whole team. Managers must be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each individual team member and align her team accordingly.

Finding each person’s code of success is essential… Just ask us to help, if you wish!

Show managers where they shine

PeopleBest’s software gives managers a window into their skills, providing the self knowledge they need to recognize their strengths and improve on their weaknesses.

When managers understand the qualities that make them great — and the qualities that could make them greater — they create the potential to drive the business results everyone dreams of. Better retention? Check. Greater productivity? You bet. Amplified engagement? Absolutely.

Allow us to show you how to become a rock-star manager.
No obligation, just schedule a demo to chat.

Categories
People

It’s Time To Grow The People You Have

With so many companies reeling over the effects of the Great Resignation, leaders are considering all kinds of strategies to help them find and keep good talent.

A focus on finding and keeping good talent is a natural response when you’ve got open roles that desperately need filling. But I’d like to point out that the phenomenon embroiling the job market is called the Great Resignation, not the Great Recruitment. The name — and the problem — should remind employers to focus on not just backfilling open roles, but stopping workers from resigning in the first place.

That’s no easy task. Today, I’d like to discuss one method employers can use to tackle this problem: Growing the workers you have.

What does upskilling have to do with the Great Resignation?

A lack of opportunities for growth can cause workers to quit. The Sitel Group, a customer experience management company, released a research in 2019 that concluded 37% of employees would leave their current job if they were not offered training to gain new skills. A LinkedIn report approached the question from the opposite direction, asking employees whether learning opportunities would convince them to stay. Sure enough, 94% of respondents said they would stick around at an employer invested in their learning.

Some employers have launched learning initiatives designed to bump up retention and recruitment. Big tech companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft, for example, have created tech training programs aimed at filling the pipeline with savvy workers who hail from diverse backgrounds.

Employers that invest in upskilling wield a powerful tool capable of both stalling resignation rates and bolstering recruitment success.

But there’s something you should know about upskilling: It works best when you know something about the workers you’re offering it to. A training on public speaking may terrify someone who excels at independent, numbers-based work. But it could offer incredible motivation to the worker who’s keen on scoring a leadership position in the next couple of years.

To find out how PeopleBest can help you approach upskilling intuitively, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.

PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies

Categories
People

#InvestInOurPlanet, invest in your people

What do our efforts toward conserving the planet have to do with employment? 

April 22nd is Earth Day, so this question might come to mind as you plan any related events. The planet and our workforce are obviously interconnected, but celebrations like Earth Day challenge employers to dig a little deeper to determine how people management and planet management align.

The theme for this Earth Day is #InvestInOurPlanet, according to the organization heading up the celebration. It’s a helpful theme for employers, because it prompts a compelling parallel: Invest in our planet, invest in our people.

Investing in people is the business of all employers, no matter the industry. This Earth Day, consider how your work to better planet Earth can further your efforts to better the people you employ.

Your people care — and they care that you care

Emerging data has an important message for employers: Workers notice what you value.

A 2021 survey published by the IBM Institute for Value found that 71% of employees and job seekers said environmentally sustainable companies were more attractive than other companies. What’s more, some two-thirds of respondents said they were more likely to apply to and accept jobs at environmentally and socially responsible organizations.

These numbers call employers to care about the world around them. It’s not just the right thing to do — it’s good business practice.

Matching outward efforts with inward progress

When employers engage with social and environmental issues, they need to match their outward efforts with an inner commitment to their employees. Otherwise, their commitments appear hollow, especially to their workers.

So this Earth Day — whether your organization embarks on a tree-planting day or makes a million-dollar commitment to the World Wide Fund for Nature — it’s important to consider not only how you’re investing in the planet, but how you’re investing in your people.

For example: Do you consider your candidates’ strengths as much as their resume? Do you understand your reports’ strengths and divide work accordingly? Have you taken time to identify your team’s goals and chart a path to their success?

Whatever your approach, it needs to be highly personal and deeply customizable. To find out how PeopleBest can serve your team, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.

PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies

Categories
People

How To Create An Inclusive Holiday Calendar

Organizations across the globe are attempting to be more inclusive. That’s a lofty and often nebulous goal, leaving many with a big question: Where do we start?

Consider taking a look at your organization’s list of recognized holidays. Many companies adopt the holiday schedule followed by the federal government or the one used by the New York Stock Exchange. While these plans make room for traditional Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, they leave out days recognized by many other religions and cultures.

We’ve compiled a couple of tips that will help you make your holiday plan more inclusive. As you push your organization to grow more accepting and supportive, make sure your policies don’t alienate those celebrating holidays employers once left unnoticed.

Plan ahead

Now is the time to pull out your calendar. Perhaps you’ve worked with HR to chunk out time around holidays like President’s Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I assure you, no one will complain about having a few long weekends here and there, even if they don’t celebrate the holiday in question. But consider this: You may have groups of employees who have to use their personal days to take off for the holidays that mean most to them and their families. Or they may show up to work anyways.

As you contemplate your holiday schedule, take a look at the free resources available online to learn more about the holidays recognized by the world’s major religions. This interfaith calendar lists days celebrated by Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish communities.

There are also cultural and historical holidays to think about. Many Asian communities celebrate the lunar new year. And President Joe Biden last year made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Consider the floating holiday

At this point you’re probably starting to fret — you can’t give everyone the day off for all of these holidays! Many organizations have had this realization, and they’ve come up with a great solution: floating holidays.

West Virginia University Medicine, for example, offers its 17,000 employees a floating holiday to use in addition to its six standard paid holidays. So outside of New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, employees can take an extra paid day off each year at their discretion.

Shortly after Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday, some organizations instituted a floating holiday policy for the day. JPMorgan, for instance, gave U.S. workers the option of taking off June 19 or saving the day for later. It also told employees it would recognize the holiday in its regular holiday schedule in following years.

Other organizations use floating holidays to help with staffing. When smaller holidays roll around but operations need to continue, some staffers get the day off, while others come in but get a floating day to use whenever they want.

Celebrate awareness — together

As you open your holiday plans, you may end up learning more about your employees. Encourage workers to share about their beliefs, practices and traditions. This may be the time to institute a voluntary “show and tell” around the office.

Holiday planning is a great place to start on your journey toward inclusion. But it’s only one piece of the puzzle. To find out how PeopleBest can help your organization grow in diversity, equity and inclusion, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.

PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies.

Categories
People

Do you get me? Why it’s essential to understand your team.

I know you can name them. I know you can recite their titles. I know you’ve got a general idea of whether they’re a superstar or a headache. But that’s not really what I’m asking — I want to know if you actually get them.

In this era of employment, workers have all the power. Employees can walk away from gigs that disappoint and find a job that truly thrills them. You want to be that thrilling employer. That’s a tall order because thrilling requires more than a good salary, a choice benefits package and the requisite perks of modern employment.

You’ve got to wow. And to wow your workers, you’ve got to really get them.

Knowledge vs. knowing

Think of your team. Sally, she’s from New Mexico and has a degree in engineering from some university in Texas. And Dominic hails from Alaska and started his career in the military, though you forget which branch. Hugo is an interesting character — he spent the first 10 years of his work life abroad in Europe, if you remember correctly, but came here to… what was it exactly?

You can know a few facts about your workers to show that you paid a little attention during their interview and first-day-at-the-company lunch. But none of this information will help you discover who your workers are, why they show up to work and what type of person they want to become.

Take Sally, for instance: She is the first woman in her family to earn a degree in the STEM field, which is why she’s so proud that she attended Texas Tech. She’s got her eyes on a promotion to lead engineer to show her 10-year-old daughter what’s possible. She needs some additional training to get her ready, but the opportunity would only motivate her more.

What could you discover about Dominic and Hugo that would uncover their motivation and ambition?

Dig deeper

Employees’ stories will help you discover so much about what makes them tick. But their background may not give you all the information you need to help them succeed.

Behavior data will help decode human stories and reveal the path forward. You may want to help Sally work toward her promotion, but you need to know the strengths that will help her get there and the weaknesses that may hold her back.

Behavior data will provide the roadmap to Sally’s promotion. Sally scores high in learning — she’s ready to take on any challenge so long as she has the information she needs. She scores low in sociability, however, which explains why she wants a promotion that demands more technical skills over leadership capabilities.

Connect the dots

Current research is reporting that workers are facing a deep sense of loneliness as the pandemic drags on and remote work, hampered social gatherings and short-term quarantines continue. Workers crave connection — don’t be afraid to give it to them. As you learn about them, pair your growing knowledge with the hard data that will help you understand how they are wired to learn and grow.

To find out how PeopleBest can unlock the potential of your team, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.
PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies

Categories
People

How behavior data can boost HR’s people analytics

People analytics is a term that has become buzzworthy in the last five years. People analytics? It’s essential. It’s game-changing. It’s the secret to HR’s success!

But what exactly is it?

Gartner puts it this way: “People analytics is the collection and application of talent data to improve critical talent and business outcomes.” This “talent data” generally measures a few different areas, from engagement and diversity to retention and recruiting.

People analytics is a good thing, and it can absolutely help HR departments get down to business. But datasets often lack one key element: Behavior. Information about employees’ habits will decode all of the other intel they report about their productivity, satisfaction and hang ups.

Add behavior — it just makes sense

Behavior data informs other areas of people analytics. Let’s consider how it can illuminate findings about company leaders.

Perhaps HR’s people analytics flag that there’s some frustration brewing in the engineering department, and many employees are reporting dissatisfaction with team leadership.

The analytics stop there.

HR pulls the performance reviews for engineering managers completed by the chief technology officer, but everyone has exceeded expectations. What does HR do now?

Behavior data lights the path forward. Behavior data can tell HR, for example, whether a manager’s leadership style is out of sync with a team’s preferences. A boss with micro-managing tendencies may irritate a group of workers who want to work hard on their long lists of tasks without a lot of interruption.
The situation could skew the other way, of course. A group of early career, entry level employees may falter without extra support from a hands-off boss.

Behavior data will tell you exactly how people are oriented. Regular people analytics? It won’t get you there.

You can’t count on lackluster data

With workers leaving their jobs in droves, employers must do whatever they can to recruit and retain the best talent. Data can help them do that, but the numbers have to reveal why people struggle or thrive in their roles.

When a dataset reports underwhelming results, employers are left guessing at their next move. But when the numbers flag the biggest issues and indicate the best response, HR knows the right path forward.

To find out how PeopleBest can provide the data to round out your people analytics, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.

PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies.

Categories
People

Changing behavior with the help of a digital personality change intervention

It’s February, which means most people’s New Year’s resolutions are already out the window. The daily yoga challenge is a goner. The diet ended on January 8th. And that savings account — well, at least it didn’t shrink, right?

The point is: Change is hard. It’s a monumental task to shift our behaviors, especially when those behaviors have been with us for so long. Now imagine you’re not just trying to break a bad habit but transform elements of your very personality. Ouch.

But there’s hope. A recent study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined the effect of digital intervention tools on people’s efforts to change their behaviors. Here’s the exciting part: The tools worked.

And that’s a good sign for everyone who wants to do a little better in 2022.

What does the data say?

The PNAS study considered a group of 1,500 people who signed up for a personality coaching app. Participants were split up into two groups: One group got the greenlight to use the app, and the other was notified it had to wait one month before starting the program.

The first group showed greater self-reported changes compared to those in the second group. In fact, changes were significant for those who wanted to increase a certain behavioral trait and for those who wanted to decrease one.

What’s more, friends, family members, or partners of the participants observed personality changes in the desired direction, too — particularly for those who wanted to increase a trait.

Behavior is malleable

The study authors came to a striking conclusion: “Self- and observer-reported changes persisted until 3 months after the end of the intervention. This work provides the strongest evidence to date that normal personality traits can be changed through intervention in nonclinical samples.”

This news is positive. The study indicated that we can change our behaviors — personality doesn’t dictate our every move. It may sway us one way or the other, but behaviors put us in the driver’s seat.

For instance, say a digital tool reveals you score high for self responsibility — a trait typically defined as an individual’s ability to own a particular issue. Your high score translates to a likelihood that you take on too much too often. You might even gravitate toward the tasks that feel more valuable or important.

When you understand this inclination, you can set boundaries more easily and delegate more effectively. You’ll help others grow instead of doing the work for them.

Outcomes are possible

So what does all this mean for those of us with a resolution that’s been put on the back burner?
It means we need to focus on our choices, big and small.

To achieve change, we need one key ingredient: awareness. Without it, we can’t know which behaviors are holding us back and which are propelling us forward. But once we’re in the know, action becomes possible.

To find out how PeopleBest can serve your team, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.

PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies.