Summary of Report – Using Psychometric Assessment to Promote Effective Management and Inform Professional Development

The SMART Women Project, funded by the European Union Objective One Programme and delivered through Cornwall College Business, was designed to address the under-representation of women working in management roles in Cornwall.

Over the 18 months duration of the project, 219 women took up the opportunity to achieve a business qualification and to develop key professional and personal skills in order to become more effective in their management roles. TIFF (Temple Index of Functional Fluency) and 15FQ+ psychometric assessments were incorporated into the project’s induction process to heighted self-awareness, provide a framework for change and to empower development.

Analysis of the TIFF results for sub-groups based on business context, role, and level of experience, informed training needs for the industry sectors. For example, it is important for those working in the personal service sector to learn to care without getting worn out so that both carer and cared for continue to benefit.

The opportunity to repeat the TIFF assessment enabled beneficiaries to acknowledge how, through changing their behaviour, energy could be used more effectively. One young woman found that her profiles explained why she may have had some conflicts with people in the past. TIFF helped her awareness of strengths and weaknesses, and to then feel more confident about her abilities in handling situations to enable positive outcomes.

Evidence from TIFF data, feedbacks and evaluations showed that the majority of women gained self-esteem, objectivity, empathy and courage in both their personal and professional lives.

E-mail jane@latenttalent.co.uk for the full report by Jane Hicks and Susannah Temple.