OPC Assessment is introducing a new reporting tool to enhance leadership decision-making and employee development.
In a comprehensive move to support leadership recruitment, the firm has unveiled the new LPI Manager Narrative Report, enhancing the effectiveness of its recently launched Leadership Potential Indicator (LPI) tool.
Emily Wong, Business Psychologist at OPC Assessment, commented: “In the realm of talent acquisition, promoting frontline employees into a leadership role can be a daunting task, especially from technically biased or lone-working roles prevalent in some industries. Leadership roles often demand oversight, planning, organisation, and positive people management skills, which may not have previously been demonstrated by entry-level employees.”
The LPI is an online situational judgment test that identifies five crucial managerial competencies:
Being interpersonally skilled.
Thinking skills such as effective decision making.
Strong customer focus prioritising external and internal customer needs.
Driving performance. Achieving excellence in oneself and others.
Leading others to deliver results.
The New LPI Manager Narrative Report
The new narrative report complements the LPI by providing a detailed ‘portrait’ of a candidate. Organised around the five LPI managerial competencies, it delves into specific competencies, highlighting areas of excellence, potential development needs, and behavioural responses in some typical work scenarios. The report assigns a candidate’s relative performance on a five-point scale and provides a written narrative in support.
Emily added: “As psychologists, we stress the importance of evidence-based decisions when recruiting for a leadership role, or any post. The new LPI Manager Narrative Report is a dynamic tool offering crucial insights into candidates’ strengths and areas for development, before a promotion. Evidence of an applicant’s capacity to excel as a supervisor is crucial for the individual, an existing team’s harmony, and for driving organisational success.
“For example, in the competency ‘Driving performance,’ a high score might suggest a confident manager capable of consistent decision-making under pressure. Conversely, the report may highlight a development need, such as ‘Interpersonal Skills,’ by maybe suggesting that a candidate could face challenges in providing appropriate direction to team members.”
Benefits for a recruiting manager
OPC Assessment added that the LPI Manager Narrative Report is invaluable for decision-making, especially with external or inexperienced candidates. It provides a nuanced understanding of a candidate’s leadership potential and supervisory abilities. Additionally, it can also be used as a developmental tool for existing managers, identifying their strengths and training needs, helping to provide a targeted Leadership Development Plan.
The LPI and its Manager Narrative Report were developed by experienced OPC Assessment Psychologists. The tools were developed through meticulous job analysis, industry research, with input from senior rail managers. As a result, the report reflects a sound understanding of managerial competencies making it a trusted resource for talent acquisition and leadership development.
The new LPI Manager Narrative Report is available alongside the Leadership Potential Indicator (LPI) tool on OPC Assessment’s user-friendly testing platform, Candela. Organisations can request a sample report from any member of the OPC team.
