Imagine a company where results are soaring, recruitment seems promising, but suddenly, trust begins to erode. A brilliant executive discreetly falsifies expense reports, a respected manager is accused of discrimination, or a valued technician turns a blind eye to equipment theft. These behaviours, often subtle at first, can ultimately damage team cohesion, harm the company’s reputation, and even threaten its sustainability.
According to the Corporate Social Responsibility Observatory, 70% of executives report having faced at least one significant counterproductive behaviour in the past two years, directly impacting their work environment and brand image.
Faced with these challenges, solutions exist to identify and prevent these behaviours before they arise.
Central Test has developed ETIX, a psychometric tool designed to detect these risks early and assess what truly matters: the professional ethics of your employees and candidates.
Why is ETIX relevant in HR?
The key advantage of ETIX lies in its preventive approach and its ability to objectively and proactively assess behavioural risks. It evaluates six key dimensions:
- Discrimination
- Harassment
- Corruption
- Theft
- Lying
- Lack of reliability
Unlike other assessments, ETIX not only estimates the likelihood of an individual engaging in these behaviours but also assesses their tolerance for them in others. This helps prevent their normalisation within the organisation.
With ETIX, companies can act before crises emerge, mitigating risks and fostering a corporate culture rooted in integrity.
ETIX: A Powerful Tool in Three Key HR Areas
1. Recruitment: Selecting Candidates Aligned with Company Values
The average cost of a failed hire ranges from €20,000 to €200,000, depending on the position. ETIX helps filter out potential risks from the start.
Example: A highly recommended candidate applies for a financial controller position, presenting a flawless technical profile. However, ETIX results reveal an alarming score in the ‘corruption’ dimension. A deeper interview uncovers inconsistencies in their professional history. Without this early detection, the company might have entrusted its finances to a high-risk individual.
Integrating ETIX into your recruitment process allows you to:
- Precisely identify candidates likely to engage in harmful behaviours.
- Significantly reduce costs and risks associated with unsuitable hires.
- Strengthen a corporate culture based on strong ethical values.
During interviews, be sure to address critical areas detected by ETIX. Its social desirability scale even indicates whether a candidate is attempting to manipulate their responses.
2. Internal Mobility: Ensuring Inspiring Leaders
The Peter Principle is not inevitable. Before promoting your best technician to a management position, ensure they will not misuse their newfound authority.
Example: In an industrial company, a talented engineer was the ideal candidate for a team leader position. His technical expertise was undeniable, but ETIX identified a significant risk of discriminatory behaviour.
Rather than withdrawing his promotion, the company implemented a coaching programme focused on inclusion. This preventive approach transformed a potential risk into a development opportunity, and today, this engineer is recognised for his inclusive leadership.
ETIX allows you to anticipate risks and implement a tailored development plan before a promotion leads to problems.
- Detect signs of problematic behaviour.
- Develop tailored support plans (coaching, ethics training, inclusive leadership).
- Reduce the risk of organisational dysfunctions.
3. Annual Appraisals: Fostering a Healthy Work Environment
Toxic behaviours can develop over time, even in employees with impeccable records. Integrating ETIX into the annual evaluation process helps detect these changes in advance.
Example: In a service company, the annual evaluation with ETIX revealed a notable increase in tolerance for dishonesty among managers in a particular division. This early warning enabled HR to organise workshops on transparency and professional ethics before these behaviours became entrenched. Six months later, internal trust indicators had significantly improved, preventing a likely wave of resignations.
With ETIX, you can:
- Identify emerging problematic trends.
- Intervene before situations escalate.
- Track the evolution of your company’s ethical culture.
ETIX can also be combined with psychosocial risk and motivation assessments to provide a broader understanding of potential underlying issues.
Best Practices for Implementing ETIX
To ensure the successful implementation of ETIX, follow these key recommendations:
- Clearly communicate the purpose of the test to your teams: promoting a culture of integrity and mutual respect, not surveillance.
- Use ETIX systematically for recruitment and internal promotions to ensure alignment with corporate values.
- Complement ETIX with structured interviews to gain deeper insights into candidates’ motivations and behaviours.
- Implement tailored action plans when concerning results arise (coaching, specialised training).
- Conduct regular follow-ups to monitor behavioural improvements and ethical engagement.
In a business landscape where corporate responsibility and reputation are critical, preventing and managing counterproductive behaviours has become a top priority.
With ETIX, your organisation gains a concrete, objective, and effective tool to:
- Secure recruitment decisions aligned with corporate values.
- Optimise internal promotions.
- Maintain a positive and productive organisational climate.
Discover how ETIX can help you anticipate behavioural risks and build an exemplary corporate culture.
