IPA JobMatch

– The job from the inside

Rule management

Individual Goal Orientation

Co-operation orientation

Change orientation

IPA JobMatch is a job analysis that looks at the job from the inside.

JobMatch is built so intelligently that it matches the IPA core and they can be mirrored in each other.

IPA JobMatch ensures a clear internal alignment of expectations of the job before it is advertised.

Researcher Flemming Olsen talks about IPA Nordic’s JobMatch analysis

The founder of IPA Nordic, Flemming Olsen, has been given the highest rating among Nordic personality assessment providers by the Swedish Psychological Association.

IPA Core Personality is available in the following languages: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, English, Dutch, Polish and Ukrainian with more languages on the way.

Together with the IPA Core comes the IPA 360° Cockpit, where the analyses can be processed and analysed. See IPA 360° Cockpit

JobMatch trait # 1

The extent to which the job is characterised by clear guidelines, order and stability. The degree of opportunity and need for detailed planning based on a structural overview. The degree of need to systematise, create routines and visible and tangible rules.

The tasks are carried out in a changing and volatile universe characterised by a high degree of freedom in terms of both content and method. It is possible to improvise, try out several options and make mistakes along the way. You learn from this. You have to be able to adapt quickly to new conditions, new ideas and new ideas, and thus be both flexible and open to whatever changing tasks, conditions and challenges may arise. In short, you have to be able to navigate in a universe where almost nothing is a given.

The job is characterised by order, regularity and stability, and there are good opportunities to get an overview of where you are in the tasks and what you need. The ability to plan and organise your work is essential for success, and the best way to achieve your goals is to be systematic in your approach and thorough and meticulous at the same time. Some caution is required as solutions need to work the first time they are put in place. It is a job characterised by clear guidelines and fairly unambiguous rules for the way you go about your tasks.

JobMatch trait # 2

The degree to which tasks must be solved towards an accurate and correct result. To follow certain routines to reduce the risk of making mistakes. To be able to control and check that you are on the right track and make sure that what you are doing is 100% correct. The extent to which the success criteria are based on deep professional and specialist knowledge in a well-defined area.

The tasks are characterised by the fact that the exact result is not known in advance. There is no exact answer. For the same reason, the job requires a sense of the big picture and an ability to assess the big picture and find patterns in fairly complex contexts. The criteria for success are rather vague at the outset, measurability is low and you often have to start tasks yourself on an uncertain basis. In general, the achievement of results is some time in the future.

Job Match trait # 3

The extent to which you perform your tasks in a predictable world, where you know the consequences of your choices and actions. Patience and thoughtfulness are rewarded, and there is plenty of time to research and test things before making a final decision. The level of risk is low and situations involving surprise and uncertainty are rare.

The job is characterised by the need to act quickly and on an uncertain basis. You don’t know in advance the full consequences of your decisions and you you have to be ready to set things in motion without being sure where you will end up. So the job is characterised by a fair amount of uncertainty when making a decision, and there are usually several choices and paths you can take. The job requires you to be able to navigate in a universe that is sometimes characterised by uncertainty and unpredictability.

The job is characterised by a high degree of predictability, and it is possible to assess and calculate the outcome of one’s task before setting things in motion. The risk content is therefore established and the universe in which you work is known and well defined. It’s a job and an environment where you appreciate thoughtfulness and a certain amount of caution, and where it doesn’t really matter if you’re a slow decision-maker. You know most of the outcomes and consequences before you set things in motion.

JobMatch trait # 5

The degree to which the job presents situations where stressful resistance and adversity must be faced and overcome. The degree to which you are challenged and thrown into uncharted waters where you basically have to fend for yourself. New tasks, unfamiliar situations and critical boundary testing.

Here, you’re mostly on familiar terrain with tasks most people have tried before. It’s legitimate to say no to tasks you don’t feel comfortable doing, and you work with familiar material and tried and tested methods. The environment is such that there is plenty of opportunity to get help and support in critical situations, and there is also room for uncertainty and doubt as to whether your abilities are really coming into their own. People protect and support each other to ensure a safe environment for everyone in the company, and this pressure and being put in unfamiliar situations is rare.

The job simply requires you to have a high and solid self-confidence. In some situations you are in deep water and uncharted waters, with only yourself to rely on. Often you have to set up completely new tasks yourself, without any experience to draw on. On the contrary. You have to feel challenged by new tasks. Perhaps because you find them exciting, or maybe because you think you can learn something new and test new boundaries. You need to have the courage and energy to overcome adversity and resistance.

JobMatch trait # 6

The extent to which you are able to set the agenda and decide how you will carry out your tasks. The emphasis on personal responsibility and the way in which the working environment supports the individual’s desire for freedom and space to do things for themselves. It is a working environment characterised by few constraints, restrictions and external management.

The job is characterised by the fact that you generally have to adapt to the common rules of the game that exist. You rely heavily on each other to solve tasks, and the working environment is characterised by mutual use, consultation and interference in the way tasks are carried out. People are happy to share responsibility and do not need to put their personal stamp on everything they do. The vast majority of tasks are therefore carried out jointly, and the ability to bend and adapt to others is therefore also important if things are to work.

The job is characterised by great freedom to solve your tasks yourself without anyone interfering unless you ask for it. It is a job where you set the agenda and decide how tasks are to be solved. You are a self-driven and free individual who cooperates primarily where this increases efficiency and contributes to the solution of tasks. There is therefore plenty of room for individual development and a great deal of freedom to solve tasks yourself. And there are few rules, restrictions, and an organisation and working environment free from rigid lines of command.

JobMatch trait # 7

The degree to which the working environment is oriented towards relationships and processes, where social skills are one of several prerequisites for success. Quality and results are often a product of collaborative processes characterised by dialogue and knowledge sharing. People help each other to create meaning and coherence, and the environment is characterised by inclusiveness and room for diversity.

The job is carried out in a working environment where less emphasis is placed on personal relationships, but more on managing according to some fixed rules and clear principles. The environment is more case-oriented than people-oriented, and there is little understanding for people who go off the rails or behave differently from the norm. People talk mostly about factual and professional issues, and rarely about anything not related to work. Discipline is valued, a deal is a deal and explanations are just a poor excuse. There is little room for emotion here and you have to talk about your problems elsewhere than at work. In general, there is little openness or tolerance, and great demands are made on the individual’s ability to adapt to the rules and
norms already established.

The job is performed in a work environment where personal relationships and social skills are one of the key factors for success. You simply need to have a positive interest in other people as a prerequisite for participating in social processes and working together at a high level. Several crucial processes and developments in the company are created jointly on the basis of a deep capacity for dialogue and knowledge sharing. People must be able to see and listen to each other and want to make their contribution to the whole, without looking at things from the point of view of their own interests. This requires inclusiveness and room for diversity in an environment where people help each other to create meaning and coherence.

JobMatch trait # 8

To what extent do people cooperate on the basis of openness and trust in each other? The warmth and positivity of the working environment, and the basic friendliness and helpfulness of the company. The degree to which there is a general feeling of togetherness, which is a lever for the actual performance of tasks.

The job is performed in a work environment where people are more reserved about all things personal and emotional. In general, you have a sober – and you think yourself – realistic view of other people’s intentions and motives. An attitude of scepticism towards outsiders in particular is perceived as reasonable and relevant to the situation in which one finds oneself. For the same reason, one behaves a little formally and does not open the bag to strangers. It is fully accepted that in the initial situation one has a critical attitude and awaits the other’s response, and one is quite aware of the mistakes made by those around one.

The job is carried out in a working environment characterised by great openness and trust in each other. You talk spontaneously to colleagues with the expectation of being greeted in a positive way. Part of the task is based on this immediate trust in each other and there is a basic feeling of working together to achieve common goals. The environment is welcoming, positive and friendly, and people always offer themselves to help with tasks. In general, there is a strong collective cohesiveness, which is perceived as a lever for the best possible performance of tasks.

JobMatch trait # 9

The extent to which the working environment is characterised by an open and free exchange of experiences and views, and a desire to seek each other’s company. The belief that this sharing of tasks and maintaining a high level of communication is conducive to efficiency in the performance of tasks. People need to be able to talk freely to everyone in order to achieve the best results.

It is the person who often keeps his thoughts and views to himself until they are processed in his own inner universe. The person can be seen as reserved and cautious, spending a lot of time thinking things through before speaking up.

This is the person who likes to share their views and experiences with others, and is therefore always visible and vocal in social settings.  They are outgoing and sociable, easily engaging in conversation with others. He is also the person who, by sharing his thoughts with others, often feels that something positive actually comes out of the social contact.

JobMatch trait # 10

The working environment is characterised by a creative flow of ideas and a focus on innovation and change in existing ways of thinking and doing things. People often start from an uncertain base and have to navigate their way forward on the basis of intuition, courage and resourcefulness. There is generally an optimistic belief that almost anything is possible.

The work environment is characterised by a pragmatic and down-to-earth approach to tasks. There is generally a sober, realistic and often rational approach to reality, with most reliance on the tangible and the demonstrable. Most are practitioners who judge things by what is actually possible and what works in practice in the real world. It is appreciated that you have a handle on the exact facts and you are very good at finding the most practical solution to tasks. This means that relying more on your experience and what has been tried before, rather than on airy and wild ideas.

The environment is characterised by people who think in new, creative and development-oriented ways. The tasks are primarily oriented towards change and the development of ideas, products, markets, technologies and methods. This can range from the invention of a new product in a narrow field to a strategic change of the organisation and its products in response to changes in the environment. There are many ways in which individuals can express their creativity.
They are typically people who believe that almost anything is possible and that you can shape and influence the world around you.

JobMatch trait # 10

The working environment is characterised by a direct and straightforward approach, which requires a certain personal resilience and the ability to set limits. Positions are often taken and people are quick to pull the trigger without necessarily giving it much thought. Disagreements and conflicts are not a matter of hanging on, but rather are seen as conducive to the development of ideas, to cooperation and to the achievement of results.

The environment is characterised by the avoidance of conflict, and people are therefore cautious about making personal remarks about each other. This can be misunderstood. The general attitude is that nothing good rarely comes out of conflict, and the individual has to pay too high a price for what can be achieved. People therefore prefer to stick to objective discussions and avoid major disagreements, preferring to deflect rather than get involved in things they cannot control. The working environment is therefore characterised by a calm and stable daily rhythm, without the big waves, and where people avoid getting tough with each other at all costs.

The environment and the tasks require a robust person who can cope with resistance and adversity on a personal level. You stand your ground when the wind blows against you, you can handle and respond to criticism, and you can draw a line and mark your place. You must have a high stress threshold in the face of external pressures and be able to bear the discomfort that conflict can create for yourself and others. Criticism is not something you take home, but shake off on the spot. The environment is not necessarily harsh and brutal, but based more on mutual respect for each other’s personal integrity.

JobMatch trait # 12

The job includes leadership responsibilities, and thus responsibility for the joint achievement of results. It can be a professionally based leadership, it can be a concrete organising and goal-oriented leadership, it can be a motivating leadership with a focus on personnel management, and it can be a more strategic change leadership. Common to them all is a personal desire and urge to command others and take responsibility for the actions of others.

The job does not involve managerial responsibility, so the person must basically accept that others set the framework and objectives and take decisions that have consequences for them. Many people who opt out of leadership do not have the motivation, or they consciously want to use their working life for something other than being responsible for the efforts of others. Perhaps because they would rather immerse themselves in the task at hand on the basis of a professional interest. Or perhaps because they feel that the cost of leadership is too high in terms of pressure, dissatisfaction and conflict.

The job includes leadership responsibilities and this basically means that the person must have both the desire and the will to take responsibility for the efforts of others. And therefore also be prepared to pay the price that often comes with leadership, namely the pressure that arises when unpopular decisions have to be made. The person must therefore
be able to choose the path for others and to steer and direct people towards specific goals. It is a job where, in some situations, you are left to face the responsibility alone. Leadership comes from being comfortable at the head of the table and being in charge of others, but it also comes largely from being able to convince others and get them on board.

This is how the flow works:

– From the IPA 360° Cockpit a unique link is sent to the candidate/employee
– Candidate chooses language
– It takes about 25 minutes to complete
– Information on completed answer is sent automatically
– In the IPA 360 Cockpit the answer can be analysed and the built-in feedback questions and logical manual ensure optimal feedback.
– There is a dynamic report generator where the report can be freely composed
– There is a best practice – 24 page report for the client, as well as a 12 page candidate/employee handout.

Answers from the IPA Core presented in the IPA 360° Cockpit