The study of competencies has progressively become a source of interest for behavioral researchers and organizations alike, and even raising interest from the general public as a way to assess their potential better.
This skills test was developed by our lead researcher, Dr. Rosa Isabel Rodrigues, as part of her Ph.D. thesis in Management, with a specialization in Human Resources and Organizational Behavior.1
It is based on the Great Eight competencies model, as designed by Bartram.2 This model was created as a predictor of performance and organizational efficiency through the combination of factors that include personality traits, aptitudes, interests, and motivation.
The Great Eight model identifies eight competency factors that can then be broken down into particular components of the same competencies.3 The eight factors are: (i) Leading and Deciding, (ii) Supporting and Cooperating, (iii) Interacting and Presenting, (iv) Analyzing and Interpreting, (v) Creating and Conceptualizing, (vi) Organizing and Executing, (vii) Adapting and Coping, and (viii) Enterprising and performing.4
This skills test contains 24 multiple-choice questions. For each question, please indicate how often you exhibit the described behavior by choosing one of the following options: Never, Very rarely, Rarely, 50% of the time, Occasionally, Very frequently, Always.
You must answer all questions. Try to be as honest as possible. The accuracy of the results depends on the truthfulness of your answers. Time is not a constraint. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers.
This test is designed with the intent of being an insightful and educational tool. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the results as they depend on the precision and fidelity of the test-takers’ self-evaluation and the honesty of their answers. As such, they should not be used as an indicator of the capacities of the individual for a specific purpose nor do they constitute a psychological or psychiatric evaluation of any kind.
We do not collect personally identifiable information of the test-takers but responses may be recorded and used for research purposes or to be otherwise distributed. All responses are recorded anonymously.
The Great Eight competencies model was first suggested by Dave Bartram and later developed by this researcher with the support of SHL, a company that publishes and offers psychometric tests designed to predict workforce performance.
Together they created the Universal Competency Framework (UCF), a model with a triarchic structure that assesses 112 components of competences, distributed over 20 competences that later aggregate into eight higher-level factors: (i) Leading and Deciding, (ii) Supporting and Cooperating, (iii) Interacting and Presenting, (iv) Analyzing and Interpreting, (v) Creating and Conceptualizing, (vi) Organizing and Executing, (vii) Adapting and Coping, and (viii) Enterprising and performing.
The components and the dimensions, however, were already part of the Professor’s initial work when describing the 8 factors.
Competency dimensions: deciding and initiating action, and leading and supervising.
It refers to the ability of the individual or teams to perceive and use the potential of their peers and collaborators through motivation and by including them in the definition of tangible objectives in line with those of the organization, intending to obtain efficient results. 5
It is related to Extraversion, a personality dimension of the Big Five personality model.
Competency dimensions: Adhering to Principal and Values, and Working with People.
It defines someone who is people-oriented. They are good listeners, empathic, tolerant, and very good communicators. These individuals work to develop a team spirit and understand and support others. They also tend to be upright and follow their principles and values.
It can be related to the Agreeableness dimension of the Big Five personality model.
Competency Dimensions: Relating and Networking, Persuading and Influencing, and Presenting and Communicating.
It describes someone good at negotiating, debating, presenting valid arguments, and managing conflicts. They can communicate and relay information with ease and clarity and are perceived as someone reliable.
These individuals tend to score high on the Extraversion dimension of the Big Five personality model.
Competency dimensions: Writing and Reporting, Applying Expertise and Technology, and Analyzing.
It defines someone with a clear analytical thinking and understanding process that they use to identify solutions for complex problems and to express and communicate information easily and fluently.
It is normally associated with a high level of Openness to Experience, a personality dimension of the Big Five model.
Competency dimensions: Learning and Researching, Creating and Innovating, and Formulating Concepts and Strategies.
It describes someone who can learn and think fast and strategically, knows how to collect and manage information, and deals with any situation and problems with creativity. Tends to think of the whole as opposed to the parts and, in this sense, drives organizational change.
These individuals often score high in the Openness to Experience dimension of the Big Five personality model.
Competency dimensions: Delivering and Meeting Expectations, Following Instructions and Procedures, and Planning and Organizing.
These individuals are good planners. They present great skills at organizing objectives and managing time and resources, supervising processes, and fulfilling the clients’ expectations. They are committed to the organization and work systematically to ensure high-quality standards.
They tend to have a high degree of Consciousness, a personality dimension of the Big Five theory.
Competency dimensions: Coping with Pressure and Adapting and Responding to Change.
The individuals with a high score at this factor are good at adapting and adjusting to changes and new ideas and managing setbacks and misfortunes. They can keep their emotions under control and find it easy to balance work and personal life.
These individuals are more likely to have a low degree of Neuroticism, a personality dimension of the Big Five.
Competency dimensions: Achieving Goals and Objectives and Entrepreneurial and Commercial Thinking.
It describes people who work hard and energetically to fulfill their personal and professional goals and objectives. They are often ambitious and have a business and commercial mindset that makes them constantly aware and interested in new business opportunities and the performance of their main competitors.
These competencies relate to Low Agreeableness, a personality dimension of the Big Five personality model.
References:
1 Rodrigues, Rosa Isabel da Costa Vicente (2017), Talent searcher: construção e validação de uma bateria integrada para a seleção de pessoas. Lisbon: ISCTE-IUL. Ph.D. final thesis. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/15349
2 Bartram, D. (2002). The SHL Corporate Leadership Model: SHL White Paper. Thames
Ditton: SHL Group.
3 García, P., Olea, J., & De la Torre, J. (2014), Application of cognitive diagnosis models to competency-based situational judgment tests. Psicothema, 26(3), 372-377. doi: 10.7334/psicothema2013.322
4 Bartram, D., 2002
5 Ruiz, M., Sánchez, M., & Pedro, M. (2014). Las competencias de Bartram como predictoras del desempeño en el sector del juego. Universitas Psychologica 13(1), 1-15. doi:
10.11144/Javeriana.UPSY13-1.cbpd