The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) is a unique business-related inventory which seeks to measure an individual’s dysfunctional behavioural patterns.

HDS measures eleven personality-based performance hazards that have the ability to hinder work relationships and hinder productivity. These performance risks also have the capability to limit the overall career potential of the individual. These career ‘derailers’, as they are named, are in effect ingrained character traits which impact upon the person’s behaviour and how they act.

Because of this it is a useful evaluation amongst senior managers whose behaviour are key to the organisation. It also provides in-depth information about interpersonal problems that are not always easily identifiable in interviews. The Hogan Development Survey can assist an individual identify the important causes that distinguish personalities and determine career success.

Many people refer to the Hogan Development Survey as revealing the ‘Dark Side’ of a personality. By this they refer to the test showing what we see when a person is in a situation whereby they are under stress.

When experiencing stress or pressure, people can display counterproductive tendencies. In normal conditions these tendencies or characteristics can be viewed as strengths.

However, when a person experiences stress or pressure, which may include feeling irate, annoyed or distracted, these performance risk factors may impede a person’s capabilities, leading to a deterioration in relationships with customers, peers and bosses. Virtually all employees will at some point display extreme behaviours, usually due to these circumstances. It is the few occasions where we exhibit dysfunctional behaviour that can have a significant negative impact on our career.

The primary scales that the survey evaluates are:

• Excitable - moody, easily irritable, and hard to please, and handling stress by quitting or ending relationships.

• Skeptical – mistrusting others' intentions, being aware of signs of mistreatment, and then challenging or blaming on others when it appears to occur.

• Cautious - being especially worried about making errors or being embarrassed, and becoming guarded and conservative when stressed.

• Reserved – seeming independent, uncaring, aloof, uncomfortable with new acquaintances, and dealing with stress by withdrawing and being unforthcoming.

• Leisurely - wanting to work at one's own pace and quality levels, and feeling put upon when required to work more quickly or in a different way.

• Bold - the tendency to over evaluate one's talents, not admit mistakes or take guidance, and blustering and bluffing when under pressure.

• Mischievous - taking chances, testing limits, making hasty decisions, not learning from experience, and demanding to brush issues aside when confronted with errors.

• Colourful - expecting to be viewed as talented and interesting, ignoring other's requests, and becoming hectic when under pressure.

• Imaginative - being eccentric, acting and thinking in creative and sometimes unexpected ways and becoming unpredictable when stressed.

• Diligent - having high standards of performance for self and others, being thorough, exact, picky, belitting, and stubborn when under stress.

• Dutiful - being sociable, amiable, and keen to please, reluctant to take independent action, and conforming when under stress.

The HDS assessment therefore gives valuable knowledge that can improve an individual’s self-awareness. This will lead them to be better placed to sidestep the negative consequences that are associated with these behaviours and characteristics. By uncovering these behaviour patterns it is therefore possible for the person to compensate for them through personal improvement.

Completion time of the Hogan Development Survey is between 15 – 20 minutes.

The results of the Hogan Development Survey are delivered in a report that details a summary of the results on each scale. It is considered best practice to conduct person-to-person follow-up verification with the participant by a qualified practitioner.