A conversation with Nikola Roke, Managing Director at Danton HR Ltd.
Extended DISC: Today I spoke with Nicola Roke, Managing Director at Danton HR Ltd. Tell me a little about Danton HR.
Nicola: Danton HR offers solutions in all aspects of HR,employment, recruitment and development to small or midsize companies.
Extended DISC: What made Danton HR decide to use the assessment tools offered by FinxS® and Extended DISC®?
Nicola: FinxS® offers more than DISC assessments; which provides us with more options to offer clients. Tools range from 360 reports, Cognitive Reasoning reports, Sales Capacity reports, and DISC.
Extended DISC: Which assessments do you currently use?
Nicola: We currently use the Sales Capacity Assessment and various Extended DISC® reports:
- Individual
- Management
- Leadership
- Work Pair
- Team
The ability to customize the Extended DISC® reports has been monumental in the work we do with clients. It not only adds the personal touch, but really allows us to dig deeper with our clients to meet their specific needs.
We hope to leverage the Cognitive Reasoning reports in the near future. I think these reports can add huge value to many of the clients we work with.
Extended DISC: Wow! I love hearing how clients find value in the variety and customization of the assessment tools we offer. Tell me more about how your organization uses the Sales Capacity Assessment?
Nicola: Sure. Right now, we use the tool more on a hiring side versus a development tool. We use the hiring report within the Sales Capacity Assessment to align candidates to sales positions.
We help clients align the sales role they are hiring for to a sales profile that best fits the role. The Sales Capacity Assessment is leveraged to see how well a candidate aligns to the role. The Excuse Index® has provided invaluable insight into how likely the candidate is to find excuses when it comes to selling.
The questions within the Sales Capacity Assessment report are quite valuable as well. They provide the hiring manager with some key questions to ask the candidate based on their Sales Capacity Assessment results. It provides insight into how well aligned the candidate is for the role. Of course, it’s never used as a sole hiring or decision-making tool; but it can provide some observations.
Extended DISC: Thanks for sharing. It’s great hearing how dynamic the Sales Capacity Assessment tool is. It fits the current needs for your clients; yet it sounds like there is still room to grow in how your clients could use the tool. That would definitely add value for your clients. Let’s switch gears and talk about the Extended DISC® assessments offered on the FinxS® platform.
Nicola: When we talk with clients, we really focus on the employee life cycle and how the Extended DISC® assessments can grow with the employee through their whole life cycle within the organization.
Typically, we see leveraging the Extended DISC® assessments within the recruitment stage as the hook. As we continue to work with the clients, they see the value in the tool. They expect to see it and they ask for it.
Some of the ways we use the assessments: as a tool for having difficult conversations, managing performance for growth, selection teams, moving teams around, allocating work, roles and accounts.
Extended DISC: I’m curious, Nicola, since you use so many of our various assessment tools, do you have a favorite assessment?
Nicola: Yes, I do! My favorite is using the work pair and team assessments. It’s great to work with teams and see the “light bulb” moments when they realize their co-workers aren’t doing something deliberately or to “poke the bear;” but because their behavioral style is different. People react differently and communicate differently.
The Extended DISC® assessments provide a dialoging tool to help teams understand one another better. The reports help us understand what gives each person energy and how to get the best out of them. It helps teams align work, accounts, and roles and responsibilities better. The reports provide knowledge and build confidence within their own roles.
The Extended DISC® assessments also help identify gaps as individuals progress throughout their careers. They can help provide guidance to what coaching and development needs to happen. We use the job templates a lot. It can help with career coaching and development.
Extended DISC: Thanks so much for sharing, Nicola. I appreciate your time and insights.
