the hartman value profile

Some 56 percent of employees are not engaged at work, and 45 percent of executives say they are underutilized, according to data from Gallup and Accenture. This equals some $287 billion annually in lost productivity.

These statistics have staggering implications for talent managers' ability to leverage the dormant capabilities of the current workforce, grow more thriving businesses and sustain competitive advantage.

Since the days of the first assembly line, employers have been trying to force employees to become fully engaged. But engagement cannot be coerced. To help organizations maximize success through talent management, first we have to find what makes each individual tick - how they think and what they value. In doing so, we can better understand what will motivate and inspire employees to make sound decisions and go above and beyond to help themselves and the organization succeed.

While there are numerous survey tools and assessments used to measure employee engagement and leadership effectiveness, a relatively unknown assessment, the Hartman Value Profile, reveals how people make decisions on how and when to fully engage in their work.

Developed by Dr. Robert S. Hartman, a research professor of philosophy, the Hartman Value Profile (HVP) is based on the premise that everyone has a unique pattern of thinking that leads him or her to think one thing or choice is better than another. This pattern of thinking and assigning value and priorities is called our "value structure," the method a person uses to reach conclusions and make decisions. In business, understanding each person's value structure provides a way to harness an employee's talents and strengths.

Using a series of questions, the HVP measures a person's thought and valuation process from three perspectives: intrinsic, which focuses on empathy and self-awareness; extrinsic, which gauges practical thinking and role awareness; and systemic, which identifies structured thinking and self-direction. Learning how we think in each dimension allows us to recognize how problems arise when the mind habitually focuses on a limited set of factors, missing other factors that may be critical to the decision-making process and, hence, business outcomes.

The results of the HVP are derived from mathematical norms and are not based on the values of any specific population or normative group: It is not a test to be passed or failed. Understanding employees' thinking using the Hartman Value Profile can affect everything from how they work with others who think differently, to whether creative or innovative problem solving occurs, to whether customers receive exceptional service. It can help talent leaders recognize how they can inspire employees to fulfill a vision or the possibility of change, improve employee engagement or strengthen leadership capabilities by:

a) Discovering employee strengths and weaknesses.
b) Identifying areas where additional development may be needed.
c) Building cohesive work teams.
d) Measuring group morale and spirit.
e) Retaining employees and hiring candidates most likely to stay in their jobs.

The HVP can help organizations build leadership capacity at all levels and harness the untapped and underutilized power of their existing workforces.