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Hiring for Intangibles
Hiring Appeal
Why are Intangible Characteristics Difficult to Measure?
Top Ten Intangible Characteristics

How to Measure an Employee’s Intangible Traits
Performance-Review checklist: Evaluating employees’ intangible characteristics

As part of the performance-review process, supervisors can use the following questions to help quantify the
intangible qualities in their employees.

PLANNING
1. Does the employee set verifiable short- and long-term goals?
2. Are the employee’s goals in tune with company needs?
3. Does the employee’s planning show sound assumptions reflecting the company’s goals and resources?
4. Does the employee typically achieve expected results?

ORGANIZATION
5. Is the employee aware of what is going on in his or her department, including who is doing what?
6. Does the employee know what the department can do in an emergency?
7. Does the employee do a good job of delegating work according to subordinates’ abilities?

INTELLIGENCE
8. Does the employee see relationships between facts and draw appropriate conclusions quickly?
9. Does the employee learn from experience?

JUDGMENT
10. When confronted with an emergency, does the employee quickly recognize the most important priorities?
11. Does the employee appreciate the financial implications of his or her decisions?
12. Does he or she make decisions quickly, but not hastily?

INITIATIVE
13. Does the employee anticipate what has to be done?
14. Does the employee perform well in the absence of superiors?
15. Has the employee made original suggestions to improve operations?

LEADERSHIP
16. Does the employee explain rather than command?
17. Do people listen closely when he or she speaks?
18. Does the employee spell out the benefits of doing things his or her way?
19. Does he or she deal smoothly with unexpected developments?