Having dealt with and presented aptitude diagnostics for engineers in general in the PREVIOUS PART of this series of topics, this part is devoted specifically to engineer-specific characteristics, i.e. the question of whether there are characteristics that typically define an engineer. Likewise, the question naturally arises as to whether there are characteristics and, if so, which ones are responsible for career success.
In doing so, it is necessary to identify both the personality traits that remain stable over the course of an engineer's career and those personality traits that develop extremely in relation to age and hierarchy. Only then can reliable statements be made about so-called typical engineer characteristics and also about the development of characteristics that are responsible for a successful career, a climb up the career ladder.
The basis for this was the approach of looking for personality traits that do not change across all hierarchical levels. These would be characteristics in which the engineer still rates himself equally highly both as a career starter and as a manager.
If the hierarchy is used as a basis for comparing the different characteristics, it becomes clear that personality traits such as reliability and the ability to cooperate hardly change at all over the course of a career. However, issues such as perfectionism and planning for disruptions are also personality traits on which engineers adopt the same attitude throughout their career.
The characteristics in Table 7.1. and Figure 7.1. represent the development from the lowest to the highest hierarchy level, which show the least change. These characteristics are therefore least influenced by the climb up the career ladder. It can therefore be deduced that the characteristics shown are those that are characteristic of an engineer - from the perspective of climbing the career ladder, i.e. the development over time during their career - as they hardly change.
With regard to personality traits
Ability to cooperate,
Sense and commitment,
Planning for incidents,
Irrational assessments,
Perfectionism and
Reliability
the attitude of engineers does not change and the conclusion suggests itself that with regard to these personality traits the saying applies: engineer remains engineer.
In the search for personality traits that are responsible for development and advancement on the career ladder, the researchers looked for the traits that undergo the greatest changes over the course of an engineer's career. To this end, the results of engineers as specialists, project managers, department heads and division heads were compared with each other. It was found that there was a continuous development in the personality traits concerned across all hierarchical levels, so that it is sufficient to look only at the lowest and highest hierarchical levels.
A look at the personality traits with the greatest changes from the lowest to the highest hierarchy level is shown in the table and diagram below. Examples of this are leadership tasks or willingness to take responsibility.
These characteristics (Table 7.4. and Figure 7.3.) show the greatest changes in the development from the lowest to the highest hierarchy level.
For example, the major change in interest in management tasks appears to be eminently important for successful development on the career ladder.
It can therefore be deduced that the characteristics shown are those that hold the greatest development potential for an engineer - from the perspective of climbing the career ladder, i.e. the development over time during their professional career - as they change the most.
By comparing the development fields / potentials that emerge from the perspective of a temporal development ("hierarchy" cluster) and the other, time-independent clusters, i.e. static differences in the individual norm profiles, the following results emerge:
Table 7.9. shows a breakdown into the 1st order dimension "Professional interests" and the 1st order dimensions "Commitment " and "Communication" . The former, as the name suggests, symbolizes interests. It is well known that interests are something that cannot be directly influenced, but are formed and shaped intrinsically.
In the course of their career, engineers develop interests that are awakened as they climb the career ladder and continue to unfold until there is a clear difference in the characteristics in the comparison of the standard profiles "specialist" and "business manager".
The situation is different with the characteristics of the other two first-order dimensions "Commitment" and "Communication": they represent areas that can be changed through training and further education. They can therefore contribute to further advancement.
As part of personnel development, personality traits and areas of interest should therefore be
Management tasks,
Marketing,
Consulting,
Sale,
Personal initiative,
Willingness to take responsibility,
Enthusiasm and
Persuasiveness
are particularly emphasized, treated and further developed.
In summary, it can be said that for a successful career, it is not only the constant personality traits that are important, but also the traits that develop further during the career. Only if both are taken into account will the chance of a successful career as an engineer be maximized.
The next article on the subject of aptitude diagnostics deals with standard and best practice profiles. These are needed to mirror every aptitude assessment. Do you know how norm profiles and best practice profiles are compared?
Image source:
Betz, Armin: Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz - "Ingenieur bleibt Ingenieur", German National Library, 2015, pp. 165, 169, 174, ISBN 978-3-00-052093-8
After studying automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development and marketing and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.
He then moved to a globally renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing in Japan and South America and for marketing strategy in North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consultancy in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As Managing Director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.
His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally rounds off his areas of expertise, particularly with regard to personnel and management consulting. The dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers as well as the definition of development areas for a successful professional career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz".
At the same time, his focus is on the development of networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous further development of systems and processes in personnel consulting.
Over the last 20 years in personnel consulting, he has developed several brands that are still operating successfully on the market today.
Erfolgreiche Unternehmen zeigen es: Wer Fehlzeiten seiner Belegschaft zu reduzieren weiß, hat Wettbewerbsvorteile am Markt, angefangen von Kosteneinsparungen über geringeren Organisationsaufwand bis hin zu einem besseren Employer Branding. Dabei wird oft ein wichtiger Faktor eines erfolgreichen Fehlzeitenmanagements noch zu wenig gewürdigt.
Psychogene (psychisch bedingte) Fehlzeiten: ein gravierendes Problem
Zunehmende Flexibilitäts- und Mobilitätsanforderungen an die Beschäftigten, Arbeitsintensivierung und -verdichtung, stärkere Vernetzung und Kooperation von Mensch und Maschine, Erhöhung kognitiver und emotionaler Beanspruchung – all dies führt zu psychischen Belastungen, denen viele Mitarbeiter nicht so ohne weiteres gewachsen sind. Das Ergebnis zeigt sich in den 2017 veröffentlichten Fehlzeiten- und Gesundheitsreports der Bundesregierung sowie diverser Krankenversicherungen (z. B. AOK, DAK, TK): Arbeitsunfähigkeitstage, Erwerbsminderungsrenten und Frühverrentung aufgrund psychischer Beeinträchtigungen steigen stetig. Nicht umsonst ist seit 2014 die psychische Gefährdungsbeurteilung gesetzlich vorgeschrieben.
Fehlzeiten sind teuer: entgangene Wertschöpfung, Überstunden, Einarbeitungszeit und teilweise Überbelastung der Ausfall-kompensierenden Kollegen, Entgeltfortzahlung, zusätzlicher Organisationsaufwand, Konventionalstrafen bei Lieferschwierigkeit und weitere Opportunitätskosten. Besonders zu Buche schlagen die psychogenen Arbeitsunfähigkeitstage (AU-Tage) mit ca. 17 % aller AU-Tage und ca. 38 AU-Tagen pro Krankheitsfall (der Durchschnitt aller Erkrankungsfälle liegt bei 13 AU-Tagen). Bedenkt man, dass AU-Tage wegen Beeinträchtigungen des Muskel-Skelett-Systems (ca. 22 % aller AU-Tage, 20 AU-Tage pro Fall) und v. a. in deren Hauptgruppe „Rückenerkrankungen“ stark psychisch (mit-)bedingt sind, so bekommt die psychische Komponente bei Fehlzeiten ein noch größeres Gewicht. In diesem Zusammenhang sind auch Schlafstörungen relevant. Seit Jahren nehmen sie in den westlichen Industrienationen zu. Aktuell leiden daran ca. 35 Mio. Personen in Deutschland, das entspricht 42 % der Bevölkerung. Davon sind 15 % – 20 % behandlungswürdig. Ca. 3/4 aller Schlafprobleme sind psychogene Insomnien (Einschlaf- , Durchschlaf- und Aufwachstörungen). Zwar sind damit begründete Fehlzeiten eher gering, doch eine Mitarbeiterbefragung 2017 der DAK zeigt, dass 3,7 % aller Erwerbstätigen wegen Schlafstörungen nicht zur Arbeit erschienen. Auch bei Präsenz am Arbeitsplatz erzeugen Schlafstörungen große Probleme: Nicht nur die Leistung wird gemindert, sondern auch das Unfall- und Verletzungsrisiko erhöht sich mit der Folge zusätzlicher Fehlzeiten, die jedoch nicht psychischen Faktoren statistisch zugeschrieben werden.
Wie können im Unternehmen psychogene Fehlzeiten effektiv reduziert werden?
Natürlich am besten, indem die dafür festgestellten Bedingungen verändert werden. In der baua-Studie 2017 zur psychischen Gesundheit in der Arbeitswelt werden mittels eines Scoping Reviews und Mitarbeiterbefragungen die für psychische Gesundheit relevantesten Arbeitsbedingungsfaktoren herausgearbeitet und in 4 Themenbereiche gegliedert:
Arbeitsaufgabe
Arbeitszeiten
Führung und Organisation
Physikalische Umgebung und Mensch-Technik-Interaktion
Der Fokus liegt hier auf den betrieblichen Verhältnissen. Diese so zu ändern, dass pathogene (krankmachende) Einflüsse reduziert und salutogenetische (gesundheitsfördernde) Faktoren ausgebaut werden, ist ein Muss ohne Wenn und Aber, das leider in der betrieblichen Praxis oft nicht in Angriff genommen wird. Ein Grund ist, dass systemrelevante Komponenten zu verändern sind, wie z. B.: Unternehmenskultur, Struktur- und Ablauforganisation, Personalstruktur, Entgeltsysteme, Arbeitsplatzgestaltung und -ergonomie, Aufgaben- und Ressourcenzuteilung, Führung und Arbeitsklima, wirtschaftliche Umstände und Arbeitsplatzsicherheit usw. Dieser Aufwand wird gerne vermieden.
Zielführend für eine Lösung dieses Problems ist die Tatsache, dass sich ein Großteil dieser „betrieblichen Verhältnisse“ und das „Verhalten der Mitarbeiter“ wechselseitig beeinflussen. Deshalb können psychogene Fehlzeiten auch über Maßnahmen reduziert werden, die dort ansetzen, wo sie direkt anfallen: bei den ausfallgefährdeten Mitarbeitern. Diese Maßnahmen fördern salutogenetische Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen, wirken präventiv gegen psychogene Arbeitsunfähigkeit und beeinflussen gesundheitsrelevante betriebliche Verhältnisse positiv. Diese wirken wiederum gesundheitsfördernd auf die Mitarbeiter zurück.
Ein modular aufgebauter Ansatz beinhaltet z. B.:
Fehlzeitenanaylse, ökonomisch auf das jeweilige Unternehmen abgestimmt.
Psychische Gefährdungsbeurteilung.
Festlegung von S M A R T – Zielen.
Schätzung der Kosteneinsparung durch Fehlzeitenreduktion und des zu erwartenden ROI’s.
Implementierung und Moderation von Gesundheitszirkeln.
Salutogenetische Einstellungs- und Verhaltenstrainings für Mitarbeiter (betrifft Prävention gegen psychische Gesundheitsrisiken und Resilienz für psychische Anforderungen) mit Methoden, die schnell greifen, leicht vermittelbar und gut in den Alltag integrierbar sind.
Evaluation der Maßnahmen.
Konzeption einer salutogenetischen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie.
Praxisbeispiel:
Situation: In einem mittelständischen Dienstleistungsunternehmen lagen 2016 die Fehlzeiten bei knapp 8,5 % der Sollarbeitszeit, in den Bereichen D und F sogar über 12 % mit einer Betroffenenquote über 60 %. Eine in diesen beiden Bereichen durchgeführte freiwillige Mitarbeiterbefragung ergab, dass mehr als 3/4 aller Fehlzeiten psychisch, psychosomatisch oder mit Rückenproblemen (trotz sehr guter Arbeitsplatzergonomie) begründet wurden.
Planung und Ziele: Alle Mitarbeiter der Bereiche D und F sollten im 1. Halbjahr 2017 für ein salutogenetisches Training gewonnen werden mit dem Ziel, dass sich die gesamten Fehlzeiten im 2. Halbjahr um mindestens 1/3 reduzieren. Die Trainingsteilnehmer sollten lernen, psychische Fehlbelastungen zu verstehen und wahrzunehmen sowie präventive und salutogenetische Selbsthilfetechniken zu beherrschen.
Es wurden bereichsübergreifend Gruppen mit durchschnittlich 15 Personen gebildet, abgestimmt auf die Arbeitsorganisation. Für jede Gruppe wurden 4 halbtätige Trainings im Abstand von 4 Wochen angesetzt, Einzelcoachings in Absprache und nach bestimmten Kriterien und ein Follow-up-Check nach 8 Wochen. Insgesamt sollten 60 Personen teilnehmen. Die direkten Lug-Kosten für Fehlzeiten in diesen Bereichen lagen bei 235 T € p. a. (Bei Hinzurechnung indirekter Kosten ist lt. Musterrechnungen ein Faktor von 1,2 – 2 anzusetzen.) Gemäß o. g. 1/3 – Vorgabe sollten von diesen 235 T € im 2. Halbjahr 2017 knapp 40 T € und in 2018 knapp 80 T € eingespart werden – ein Mehrfaches des Trainingsinvestments.
Durchführung, Inhalte und Methoden: Bei einer Kick-off-Veranstaltung, die über psychische Bedingungen von Fehltagen, ihre persönlichen und betrieblichen negativen Konsequenzen sowie über nützliche persönliche Maßnahmen informierte, wurden die Mitarbeiter zur Teilnahme am Training erfolgreich motiviert. Persönliche Zielklärung, theoretischer Input, Übungspraxis und Evaluation waren die Elemente jeder Trainingseinheit mit den Inhalten: praxisnahe Vermittlung der Funktionsweise psychischer Fehlbelastungen, Verständnis salutogenetischer und präventiver Konzepte, Sensibilisierung für individuelle Faktoren psychischer Fehlbelastung, Beherrschung individueller präventiver und salutogenetischer Selbsthilfetechniken. Methoden kamen zum Einsatz aus: Embodimentorientierten Konzepten, Hypno-imaginativen Verfahren, Impact-Ansätzen, lösungsorientierter Beratung, systemischer Aufstellungsarbeit.
Evaluation: Bei über 90 % der Mitarbeiter lag die subjektive Erfolgsbewertung 8 Wochen nach Trainingsende zwischen 7 und 9 Erfolgspunkten auf einer Skala von 0 bis 9. Die gemessenen Fehlzeiten reduzierten sich von Juli bis Oktober 2017 um 42 %. Das sind gute Aussichten für 2018.
In addition to the professional qualifications, the so-called "hard facts", the "soft skills" also play an important role for sustainable staffing in the company. These are secured by scientifically based aptitude diagnostics, which is a focal point at HR Consult Group AG. But when and where did aptitude diagnostics actually begin? How has it developed?
There are many references in world history to earlier pioneers of aptitude testing. One example is ancient China. There, high-ranking public officials were selected with the help of a standardized selection procedure. Applicants had to perform five arts and also demonstrate knowledge of rites and public ceremonies. The examinations were of a very high standard, so that the proportion of applicants who were ultimately accepted was extremely low.
Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) from England goes down in the history of aptitude testing as one of the most important pioneers. He made a name for himself due to his versatility in various disciplines. This included differential psychology, of which Galton was a co-founder. This deals with the differences between individuals with regard to psychological characteristics and states. To this end, he developed test procedures that could record psychological characteristics. He endeavored to quantify the characteristics as accurately as possible and dealt with both intellectual abilities and personality traits. He always had his goal, the improvement of the human race, in mind.
He also developed the principle still used today of describing people by the deviation of their "measured value" from the mean value of a comparison group.
From 1884, interested parties were able to have their psychological characteristics tested by him in London. Aptitude diagnostics were characterized by basic characteristics such as observing behaviour when solving difficult tasks and recording self-image and the image of others.
The first methods of standardized personality diagnostics were developed at the beginning of the 20th century using empirical psychological approaches. This was followed by an increase in standardization and systematization. These early personality tests were mainly used to distinguish adaptable and functional people from those with deviant behavior.
The first personality tests of American origin were intended for use in military psychological examinations or for questions in clinical psychology. To a large extent, they covered constructs of psychology.
The first occupational procedures were developed from 1920 onwards. These were already concerned with mental characteristics. They were used to determine suitability for a particular profession or to predict professional success. The first significant procedure of this kind was developed at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. This test was based on around 1,000 questions on various professional interests, which are still used today as a source for new procedures.
The use of clinically oriented personality tests for military issues has already been successful, with tests also being developed for psychopathological disorders (pathologically altered consciousness, memory and emotional or mental life). The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) was specially constructed for this purpose. With the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), a procedure was finally presented that is closely based on the MMPI, but was primarily used to select managers.
Our next article in this series deals with the further course of history up to the present day.
If you have any further suggestions or questions on this topic, please feel free to contact us at the following e-mail address: k.rasthofer@senator-partners.de
After studying automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development and marketing and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.
He then moved to a globally renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing in Japan and South America and for marketing strategy in North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consultancy in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As Managing Director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.
His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally rounds off his areas of expertise, particularly with regard to personnel and management consulting. The dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers as well as the definition of development areas for a successful professional career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz".
At the same time, his focus is on the development of networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous further development of systems and processes in personnel consulting.
Over the last 20 years in personnel consulting, he has developed several brands that are still operating successfully on the market today.
The first part of this series covered the early pioneers of aptitude testing. This section explores the further course of its history up to the present day.
Following the development of the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and the CPI (California Psychological Inventory), the frequency of use of personality tests increased continuously until the early 1960s, then reached its peak and gradually declined. More than 80% of all large companies used personality tests to select sales personnel. By 1984, this figure had fallen to barely more than a quarter of companies. The reasons for this were the interactionism advocated by Walter Mischel (the interaction of personal and situational characteristics) and growing public resistance to tests. This led to an intense political debate about these procedures, with particular emphasis on aspects of test fairness.
It wasn't until 1980, starting in the United States, that the topic was revived and gained increasing importance. Scientific and practical interest arose anew. From the initially merely translated tests to self-developed procedures, a transformation can be observed that confirms a continued increase in interest to this day.
It is interesting to note that the occurrence of the terms "personality test" and "aptitude diagnostics" in German-language literature between 1900 and 2008 from the "German" corpus reveals some differences, despite the similar meaning of the two terms. This is illustrated by the following figure from the book "Aptitude Diagnostics in Practice – Engineer Remains Engineer":
While the term "personality test" gained popularity relatively early, as early as 1930, the term "aptitude diagnostics" only became truly popular after the Second World War in 1945. After a sharp decline in use in 1957, "aptitude diagnostics" has experienced a steady increase, with several minor fluctuations. In contrast, the "personality test" has repeatedly experienced significant declines in its use. However, there is one thing they do have in common: Both terms have experienced a significant increase since 1996, and this will continue to grow steadily. This means that both terms have entered the 21st century and continue to gain popularity.
Today, aptitude testing is a collective term for career-related procedures for measuring competencies and behavioral tendencies. The fundamental aim of aptitude testing is to provide the most accurate prediction possible of a person's likelihood of success or professional suitability.
It should be noted that aptitude testing can look back on an impressive history, and its development will continue.
Outlook: Our next article in this topic refers to the book "Aptitude Assessment in Practice – Engineer Remains Engineer" by Armin Betz. Do you know what important and typical characteristics define an engineer? You'll learn about these and many other aspects, such as the importance of development areas, in the following article.
After studying automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development and marketing and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.
He then moved to a globally renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing in Japan and South America and for marketing strategy in North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consultancy in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As Managing Director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.
His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally rounds off his areas of expertise, particularly with regard to personnel and management consulting. The dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers as well as the definition of development areas for a successful professional career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz".
At the same time, his focus is on the development of networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous further development of systems and processes in personnel consulting.
Over the last 20 years in personnel consulting, he has developed several brands that are still operating successfully on the market today.
What distinguishes a successful company from a less successful one? Of course, it requires market-oriented products or services at reasonable prices. But it also involves leadership, organization, and team motivation, as well as effective communication with that team.
It takes a good leader, a captain, and the right culture. The leader, together with a small management team, creates incentives and a motivating atmosphere for open discussion processes in which everyone's resources are brought to bear. The supervisor demonstrates through their behavior that they serve the overall goal of the entire company and maintain an overview at all times. They defuse power struggles and reduce politics within the company. They also establish a clear distribution of roles and decide when strategic changes, also known as paradigm shifts, are necessary. Everyone agrees to break down the overall strategy into several sub-strategies.
This scenario is more complex in multinational teams because of the cultural sensitivities that exist there, which present an additional challenge. For example, many Asians are often less direct in formulating and demanding goals and, at first glance, often act less proactively than, say, their German-speaking colleagues. This can lead to misunderstandings due to false expectations. It is better to cultivate a respectful approach that takes intercultural differences into account and uses conflicts to effectively achieve goals.
“Differentness is a gain” is the motto: This method ultimately contributes decisively to the success of sub-strategies and to the achievement of the big goal.
Team spirit – easier said than done:
Team building is not a simple tool. A significant risk lies in the different rules and motivations. These must be uncovered in detail and subordinated to the overall goal. It is important that the results are attributed to the team, not to individuals. Existing conflicts and their resolution are understood as necessary, respectful, and at the same time goal-oriented communication on the path to success. Informal and direct, yet always understandable, dialogues are helpful here. In addition, it is important to value diverse personalities, such as lateral thinkers, specialists, and generalists.
But how can such team spirit actually be achieved?
Perhaps the following tips will help:
Structure: All international employees need to be properly and consistently connected to headquarters, coupled with good education and appropriate training.
Leadership: This should be adapted to the situation, have "leadership as a role model" as its guiding principle, and be based on reciprocity. For example, the dialogue would begin something like this: "Please put yourself in my shoes. How would you act in my place to achieve our goals?"
Training: In addition, all employees should be involved in international projects and participate in as many best-practice processes as possible.
Authenticity: A good example of high identification potential is concrete examples of employees who were simultaneously promoted and challenged and who have pursued successful careers within the company, both domestically and internationally. These create a strong sense of identity and also provide an incentive to follow in the footsteps of their promoted colleagues.
Career opportunities: Concrete prospects for the individual's career are important, but they are not designed for the short term, but rather for the medium and long term.
Especially today, in an age of global, fast, and sometimes redundant communication, these aspects play a particularly important role. Motivation and leadership make all the difference! Especially in the increasingly common matrix and project structures, the specific motivation of the individual and the correct leadership of the team are essential keys to success, thus achieving a lasting "we feeling."
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