Employee Promotion Using Behavioral Assessment
As soon as this Employee has necessary experience at the Entry Level, they will feel the need to take on greater responsibility and initiate new developments – behaviors which are counter-productive in this role. The Supervisor position will create such opportunities for this person and their "traits fit" will enable them to more than adequately meet the requirements. Though the organization may consider promoting this individual to the Manager Level, they would ultimately find them uncomfortable in making higher risk decisions, overwhelmed by the deadlines, and hesitant in delegating to others. In other words, they will have promoted this person to the level of their incompetence.
The best organizations ask the question, ‘In what sort of role (and for what level of pay) can this person be an A player?’ Such organizations systematically align individuals’ responsibilities to be consistent with their strengths and weaknesses. 
Proven knowledge and skills are often necessary conditions for people to be high performers and to be successful. But the will-do, the motivation, the engagement facets really play a role in whether or not you will deploy what you’re capable of doing. Several decades ago Dr. Peter Laurence wrote a book called "The Peter Principle". Its essence was "an individual rises to their level of incompetence in an organizational environment". In other words, the Peter Principle observes that promotions were given to employees primarily because of their capability and performance in executing their current position, as opposed to their competency and behavioral fit for the promotion position. Administering behavioral assessments prior to employee promotion helps to ensure that organizations avoid the Peter Principle and employees ‘fit’ with their position.
For the most part, moving up to the next level in most organizations means that there is a requirement for new behaviors and competencies in order to be successful. The JPP job analysis process enables organizations to take any job description and translate it into a "job behavioral model". The JPP Model clearly identifies the specific employee behaviors and especially the key behaviors necessary for high performance in the new position. Alternatively, if there are other individuals employed in doing the same job elsewhere in the organization, they can be invited to complete the OPP Self Assessment Survey in order to identify the specific common characteristics they share that are contributing to high performance. These characteristics can then be used as a model against which to compare candidates for the promotion position. By integrating behavioral assessments into your employee promotion program, you can ensure your organization does not fall into the Peter Principle ‘trap’, but instead promotes employees to positions in which they are most likely to succeed.
If an employee has the innate characteristics that are necessary for high performance in the promotion position, but is lacking some of the skills necessary for the role, a developmental program can identify the "gaps" and initiate a training/learning process to support the incumbent's success in the new position.
Avoid the Peter Principle and Contact Us today about using Pro.file Perfomance System for effective employee promotion.
