What the Predictive Index Taught Me
By Jessica Strayer
As a recent graduate who was always looking for ways to convey my strengths in interviews, learn more about myself, and improve both professionally and personally, taking The Predictive Index was a no brainer. A personality test that will tell me how I work, communicate, and what environments I would thrive in? Sign me up! Little did I know it would teach me so much more. I knew my DiSC, my strengths from Strengths Finder, and my Myers Briggs but never did I think an assessment (that took me less than five minutes) would know me so well and teach me so much about myself. Once I was hired here at W Talent Solutions I sat down with Ginny the Talent Advisor, at the time. Ginny walked me through my behavioral pattern, as seen below.
My Behavioral Pattern:
If this is your first time seeing a predictive index behavioral pattern like it was mine, you may feel like you just walked into the twilight zone. Bur rest assured, among many helpful tools the Predictive Index offers a way to break down patterns like this. In fact, 17 Reference Profiles offer translations for a behavioral pattern like this one. My patter most closely alines with that of an Altruist type.
What Does It Mean to Be an Altruist?
Diving deeper into my reference profile I learned what it meant to be an Altruist, I learned that my type is people-oriented, extraverted, (like I needed to be told this). I always knew I favored collaborative work over independent work, working on group projects in college was fun and exciting, and as I got in the workforce I found working independently lonely and looked for opportunities to talk with others throughout my day. I find myself thriving in environments where I get to interact and work closely with others. I enjoy anytime the team and I can work on a project together, and when I can bounce ideas off of other team members and gain their insight. This also explains why I loved any sales position I worked in, getting to work with customers in a service-oriented role has always energized me. Even in positions where a balk of my day was making cold calls or networking as a part of my duties. As a recruiter, I get to flex this muscle working with not only my team but also with the candidates in my pipeline and our clients.
In addition to my desire for collaboration or social interaction, I learned as an Altruist, I tend to work at an extremely fast-paced and favor process and procedures over free reins of a project. I learned this combination is the reason I tend to avoid risk in the workplace and like to be prepared, knowing what is expected of me before I take action. Knowing this about myself I can ask questions, create guidelines and templates for myself to streamline my work and continue working at a fast pace. Being able to communicate this with others has been life-changing, I can communicate my need for process, information, and expectations which gives me the confidence to head up any project and take what I like to call, “educated risks”. The Altruist tends to work well under pressure for this exact reason, we tend to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, so while others are scrambling trying to solve an issue, oftentimes us Altruists have already created a solution before the issue has even arrived.
Lastly, I learned that as an Altruist I need a position that will provide me variety in my day. I always gravitated towards positions where I had the ability to juggle many tasks and projects. I have learned that working on one repetitive task leaves me exhausted, annoyed, and drained at the end of the day. The Predictive Index has given me the language to ask for more responsibilities and projects and taught me that my strengths are not only unique but also valuable to a team that needs my collaborative, fast-paced, and variety-oriented Altruist self.
What the Predictive Index has done for me:
I am fortunate to work in an organization where we all speak the same “language” and can understand the work style of each person on our team with our reference profiles, at W Talent Solutions we consist of an Altruist, Maverick, Promoter, and a Specialist. Learning and understanding each Reference Profile in our company has helped me understand my work style in relation to others, I have been able to see my strengths and my shortcomings and how they might affect others in our organization. Since learning more about my profile type I can delve deeper into personal and professional growth and vocalize my needs when it comes to my work. On average we spend one-third of our life at work, I believe we should enjoy the time we are there and feel free to communicate what we need to be most productive. After all, it is for the good of the business if I am feeling fulfilled, confident, and empowered in my work.
Want to know your Behavioral Profile or use the Predictive Index in your organization?
Visit our website to learn more or take the test here.
Sincerely,
Jessica Strayer
W Talent Solutions’s Altruist.
