Are You Fit For Your Job?

What does it mean to be fit for your job? Is there anything you can do to improve your job fitness?

In an ideal world, each individual would be tested and assessed using an accurate and reliable psychometric assessment, producing a detailed report that describes the kind of work that would be both enjoyable and highly aligned with their aptitudes and emotional hardwiring.

In this ideal world, each job would also be assessed and measured using the same system. The needs of each role would be classified and identified, and the aptitudes and psychometric needs would be clearly determined.

Like a sophisticated dating app, matches would be made. Everyone would find meaningful work that plays to their talents and desires. Companies would have a productive workforce that is enthused about what they do.

Some of this process exists today through the use of the Core Values Index psychometric assessment™ and Top Performer Profiles™ provided by eRep.

What if you are already in a job that is paying the bills and is reasonably satisfying, but there is room for improvement on the fulfillment side of things? What can you do as an individual to find greater meaning and enjoyment in your vocation?

Depending on the kind of job you have, there is likely a finite amount of room to change the nature of your work to better suit you. In some cases you can make a lateral move within the company to another position.

Consider the fact that most people find themselves in their current job, or even their entire career, through a series of seemingly random events. Even those who are in their profession 100% by choice may not necessarily be as happy as they'd hoped. Either they chose unwisely to one degree or another, or the industry changed after they'd already made the commitment to the necessary education and experience.

→ It is estimated that over 70% of workers are disengaged in their current role.

If fitness is defined as the alignment of aptitude, emotional hardwiring and psychometric profile to the needs and duties of the role, what can you do to measure how much fitness you have, and improve it if you find it lacking?

The first step is measurement. Your primary task is to get some real data about how you are hardwired. It's one thing to say, "I like sales" or "I really enjoy engineering." That's what most people do and it has value, but it is highly subjective and limited in scope. Many of us can be drawn to different aspects of a career path, yet base that desire on incomplete or even inaccurate information.

Most of us don't fully understand ourselves or know what makes us happy (or why). That's where a solid psychometric assessment like the CVI comes in.

When you complete your CVI assessment, your report outlines the way you see the world and prefer to operate within it. It describes your ideal learning style and even how you respond to stress.

The CVI is also incredibly accurate, and that's the whole point. You need accuracy about your own personality's DNA. How are you hardwired, really? Find the answer within your CVI report.

Armed with that information, your next step is to evaluate your current job or career. How much does it align with the way you are hardwired? Does it require lots of detailed data gathering and analysis? Are you a highly creative 'people person'? There might be a disconnect there.

The psychometric needs of your role can be determined by working with your supervisor to conduct an informal review of the job requirements and duties.

→ A highly accurate analysis of your role's psychometric needs can be conducted through a Top Performer Profile at eRep.com.

Either way, take an honest look at what your job requires of you and an even more honest review of how your CVI profile matches it. Can your duties change to bring your psychometric hardwiring closer together?

If you take the approach of trying to change yourself to match the needs of the job, you'll likely get farther away from your desired state of alignment and 'match.' You'll probably be even unhappier because of it.

Sometimes people can learn new things about themselves when reviewing their CVI profile, things they might have suspected were true but due to life experiences they never had a chance to explore. Most of the time, however, the CVI affirms what they already know and it unlocks new insights about why.

The ideal approach is to understand yourself and how you are hardwired, review your job and see where you and your role don't overlap, then work to shift your job duties to more closely match your own hardwiring, not the other way around.

In the event that the job cannot be adjusted to an adequate level, discuss this situation with your supervisor and see if a lateral shift into another, more aligned position is feasible.

It is through this analysis and adjustment based on the Core Values Index that you can hopefully improve your level of fitness for your role or even your entire career.

Core Values Index™ and CVI™ are trademarks of Taylor Protocols, Inc.