Predictive Index

Predictive Index (PI) or "PI Behavioral Assessment"^[1] is a widely adopted skill and behavior assessment test used by many organizations to aid in the understanding of how employees, or candidates, will likely deal with employment situations and managerial styles.^[2][3][4][5] The PI methodology is developed and owned by The Predictive Index, which has over 60 Certified Partners and Associates distributing the assessment worldwide.^[6] The goal of this behavioral assessment is to match the correct people to the correct situations to avoid future conflict. Some companies such as TripAdvisor, Subway, and ExamSoft have fully integrated the PI methodology into their hiring and coaching strategies to assist in talent acquisition, despite earlier reservations on the effectiveness of behavioral assessments.

History

Arnold S. Daniels sold the first Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment from his home office in Boston in 1955. Many years earlier, Daniels first learned about psychological tests and their power to predict behavior when he worked with the United States Army Air Corps to find explanations for failed bombing missions. He became intensely interested in the power of predictive analytics and went on to take a course at Harvard and take jobs working for organizational development and personnel management business consultants. From this experience, he decided that a simpler format was required if behavioral tests were going to be adopted by enough companies to have a significant impact on business operations. Therefore, he set off on his own to build a simpler test. Starting in 1952 and for the next three years, Daniels worked on prototypes of the Predictive Index. When he was satisfied with his product, he opened the assessment up for purchase. His first year of business was a boom, and by the early 1960s his client list had grown to over 120. ^[7]

Today

The company was acquired in late 2014 and has seen rapid growth since that time, including its name change from PI Worldwide to The Predictive Index, the relocation of its headquarters to Westwood, MA, and its introduction of the PI Learning Indicator (a cognitive assessment that gages learning ability in the workplace). Today, over 60 Certified Partners distribute their assessments and workshops around the world.

References