New BPS-accredited ability course Level A now has a new name and our course is one of the first in the UK to meet new BPS (British Psychological Society) and European Federation of Psychologists' Associations guidelines. The revised course 'Test User: Occupational, Ability' qualifies participants in the accurate and ethical use of aptitude and ability tests. As well as bringing the training in line with BPS and EFPA requirements, we have made the workload more manageable by extending the self-directed learning content and creating clearer, more user-friendly materials. Similar changes to our Personality (Level B) course will follow in the summer. If you already hold the BPS Level A qualification, find out how the changes will affect you. [pdf]	April 2012
Changes to OPPassessment We’re constantly striving to improve our online administration platform, OPPassessment, to help our practitioners deliver seamless electronic campaigns. The latest developments, inspired by customer feedback, provide the following benefits: The ability to download reports You now have the ability to choose whether to download reports directly from the OPPassessment site or receive them by email. Greater flexibility to amend the questionnaire language You can now change the language of an online questionnaire at any point before the respondent starts to answer the questionnaire. Exclusion of locked and archived records from campaign totals The campaign summary page has been simplified and no longer displays locked or archived records. OPPassessment is under continuous development based on customer feedback, so watch this space for more features updates, and please let us know if you have ideas and suggestions for how we can improve this service. Still using paper and pencil? Find out how you can save huge amounts of time by administering multiple respondents simultaneously.	April 2012
European Leadership model is changing according to new ETPG report OPP has supported the European Test Publishers Group (ETPG) in a major study of 1,500 people involved in European leadership, leadership selection and development. The key findings from the ‘European Organisational Leadership – Taking the Temperature’ report show that leadership is in transition, with 78% of respondents saying that leadership behaviour is changing – and for good reasons. Leaders are increasingly becoming ‘co-employees’ rather than employers, with typical command and control models now being replaced by communicative and collaborative approaches. The new breed of leader focuses on delivering change, creating a vision and standing back and, thanks to advances in communication technology, has a closer relationship with the workforce. The report identifies seven key influences on leadership behaviour, ranging from a younger workforce to the amount of information streaming through networks. Public sector and private sector leadership are subtly different but as leaders move from one sector to the other, they grow together. Read the full report>>	March 2012
OPP sponsors the British Association for Psychological Type annual 2012 conference OPP will be joining members of the British Association for Psychological Type (BAPT) for their annual conference on Wednesday 7^th – Friday 9^th March 2012. We are really looking forward to meeting up with other members of the psychological type community for what promises to be a full and engaging programme of presentations and workshops. Find out more about the BAPT conference.	March 2012
16PF open access policy for psychologists As announced at the BPS Division of Occupational Psychology conference, the 16PF is now available to a wider audience. Read more > >	January 2012
OPP presents six papers at the BPS Division of Occupational Psychology Conference OPP have had six papers accepted for this week's BPS Division of Occupational Psychology Conference taking place in Chester. The topics will range from the impact of social media on recruitment to a look at personality profiles of senior executives. Read more > >	January 2012

2011
New 16PF research In 2011, as part of our commitment to ensuring the 16PF remains the instrument of choice for our clients, OPP conducted an extensive and wide-reaching research project to confirm the validity that the 16PF has in predicting important behaviours. Read more > >	December 2011
New case study: Cherwell School Cherwell School faced the challenge of appointing a new headteacher who would be able to build on their momentum, continuing the school's academic excellence and strong links with the community. Using 16PF and ABLE tests allowed the Governing Body to feel 100% confident that they recruited the right person. Read more > >	December 2011
New look for 16PF Competency Report In response to customer feedback we've given the 16PF Competency Report a new look. Read more...	December 2011
OPP opening hours for the coming holiday season OPP Customer Support Opening Hours for Christmas and New Year 2011/2012. Read more...	December 2011
OPP announces new executive structure OPP has announced that Penny Moyle will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer as current CEO Robert McHenry moves into the position of Executive Chairman. Read more...	October 2011
Stressed out Britain New research on stress shows that more than a fifth (21%) of UK workers regularly think about quitting their job and almost 30% find their work life stressful. Read more...	October 2011
'Social butterfly', 'cautious user', 'rebel', 'open book' or 'chameleon' New research conducted by OPP, has revealed that 93% of respondents are now using the Internet, email and online forums to communicate in their personal lives. In particular, 86% of respondents reported spending up to two hours per day communicating via email, with 54% logging on to Social Networking sites on a daily basis. Read more...	August 2011
OPP launches conflict management workshop OPP has launched a one-day conflict management course using the world's best-selling research-backed conflict resolution tool, the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI). Read more...	March 2011
OPP releases MBTI Team Report OPP have released the new MBTI Team Report on OPPassessment, the online psychometrics platform, in a variety of languages. Read more...	March 2011

2010
OPP psychologist to reveal difference between GPs and neurosurgeons Psychologist will reveal small but significant personality differences between the two professions. Read more...	December 2010
A good leader is much more than 'just a manager' - The Guardian How can public sector leaders foster teams that are motivated, engaged, confident and efficient even in the face of tough challenges? OPP consultant Jennie Harrison explains Read more...	August 2010
Transition from BPS Level A and B qualifications to a new system The British Psychological Society (BPS) Level A and Level B qualifications are to be replaced by a new system which will tie in more closely with the standards of the European Federation of Psychology Associations (EFPA). Read more...	August 2010
Strong and MBTI® Career Report A complete picture of career development - the power of personality and interest. Read more...	August 2010
Employees want counselling at work - HR Zone In the current difficult economic climate, businesses needed to manage morale effectively or risk seeing workers’ productivity drop, says OPP. Read more...	August 2010
Companies Must Do More To Manage Staff Morale, Say Workplace Psychologists - Fresh Business Thinking.com Businesses must do more to manage morale in the workplace or risk a loss of productivity and falling retention levels, warns workplace psychologist OPP. Read more...	August 2010
Taking care with recruitment - The Independent OPP reveals to The Independent how employers should be digging deeper into job applicants’ psyches to make sure they are right for the role Read more...	June 2010
World Cup: what can employers learn from the England team? - Personnel Today Across the globe, millions of people will for the next month be transfixed by the World Cup – the most spectacular team competition in the world. And according to research by OPP, personality impacts performance across teams. Eight out of 10 workers believe the most important factor in the success of a team is the personalities involved. Read more...	June 2010
Exciting new MBTI® reports on OPPassessment Career, communication style, and decision-making style MBTI reports now on OPPassessment, as well as Strong Interest Inventory Profile and Interpretive reports. Read more...	June 2010
Team performance is hampered by lack of clarity of purpose and poor communication - HR Magazine Lack of internal communication and the absence of a clear purpose are stopping team success in Britain's workplaces according to a survey of 2,002 employees by workplace psychologists OPP. Read more...	May 2010
Many employees would like to take part in team-building activities but don't get the chance - HR Magazine Almost a third of workers have never experienced any kind of team-building, despite the average UK worker being part of four separate teams, according to a study by OPP. Read more...	April 2010
How Myers-Briggs® Conquered the Office - BBC Radio 4 Join Mariella Frostrup as she and OPP explore how the MBTI® became the pre-eminent psychometric instrument in the world of business. Read more...	March 2010
A multi-team culture has become the norm in UK workplaces - Human Resources Teamwork is replacing the contribution of individuals working in silos, with one in 10 employees working as part of 10 different teams. A study by OPP shows a multi-team culture has become ingrained in the UK, with professionals asked to play many roles in different teams. Read more...	March 2010
The buyer's guide to... Skills testing - Recruiter Pre-employment skills testing is available for general and specialist competencies and is considered to be one of the most effective and clear-cut ways of ensuring a candidate is being truthful about their aptitude(s). Read more...	March 2010
Managers make decisions about people based on gut instinct rather than objective data - Human Resources According to the results of a study by OPP, 71% of all line managers would change the people decisions they've made if given a second chance. It's an indictment on the ‘gut instinct' culture that costs UK businesses millions of pounds in performance issues each year. Read more...	February 2010


2009
Leadership Report Using the FIRO-B® and MBTI® Instruments Based on responses to both the FIRO-B and MBTI Step I questionnaires, this new report helps clients explore and expand understanding of their leadership style, and how others might perceive and react to it. Read more...	November 2009
New FIRO-B® European data supplement OPP is pleased to announce the launch of this indispensible resource for FIRO-B® users, available to download free of charge. Read more...	October 2009
Cult of personality - People Management Coaches are more frequently using personality assessments as an extra development tool says Jenny Kidby, managing consultant at workplace psychologist OPP. Read more...	October 2009
Cut from different cloth - People Management Assessment in Asia has a quite separate look from that in Europe. Betsy Kendall, executive director and head of consultancy and learning at OPP argues that one way of making sure people from different cultures are treated fairly is to give training in how to tackle assessment tasks. Read more...	October 2009
Time is of the essence - People Management Shorter, sharper, cheaper: assessment hasn’t disappeared during the recession but organisations are certainly being cost conscious about it. Professionals working in assessment report both lower overall numbers and tighter profit margins, says Ameet Thakkar, a principal consultant at business psychologists OPP. Read more...	October 2009
Education sector puts more emphasis on qualifications than personality when hiring - Human Resources Formal qualifications are dominating HR procedures in the education sector so that personality is ignored when making hiring decisions, according to workplace psychologists OPP. Read more...	September 2009
Health sector managers are disconnected from their people - Online Recruitment According to the results of a study by workplace psychologists OPP, more than a quarter (28%) of healthcare workers feel their managers don’t understand their skills, preferences and motivations. The findings come at a time when the healthcare sector is under increasing pressure to unlock the potential of its workforce. Read more...	August 2009
My manager doesn't understand me - www.publicservice.co.uk Do senior managers really not know their staff well and can this lead to them making poor decisions? More than a third of workers in the public sector feel their managers don't understand them, according to a survey undertaken by OPP Business Psychology Consultancy. Read more...	August 2009
Redundancy: It's a psychological thing - HR Zone Decisions in redundancy situations have a massive impact on those who stay as well as those who go. Used as part of a mix of tools, psychometric instruments such as the 16PF add greater validity to, and an evidence base for, such decisions. Read more...	July 2009
Women more analytical than men in building their own careers, but not when it comes to others - Human Resources A day after The Apprentice's all-female final, workplace psychologist OPP has revealed it is women who make better career decisions than men - but only when it comes to themselves. Read more...	June 2009
Sugar relies on gut instinct to pick new Apprentice - Management Today Sir Alan Sugar relied on his instincts in plumping for underdog Yasmina. So why the 12-week interview? Read more... \| "The OPPrentice" - OPP's wry Apprentice blog	June 2009
How do I motivate my ostrich workers? - People Management OPP's Ameet Thakar explains how to motivate workers who have become demotivated by stagnant business growth and lack of resources. Read more...	May 2009
Real work: Tried and tested - guardian.co.uk Below is an example of a verbal reasoning test. Read the passage, then answer the questions that follow. Read more...	April 2009
Real work: Tried and tested - guardian.co.uk Verbal reasoning tests form a major part of the selection procedures used by many employers - a measure of how well someone can understand, evaluate and manipulate information that has been presented in words. Read more...	April 2009
10 tips for managing difficult people - The Times Ten top tips for how to manage difficult people in the workplace. Read more...	April 2009
Real work: Tried and tested - guardian.co.uk Employers often view a candidate's sense of responsibility when recruiting. Research shows this links to good job performance, especially when the worker is unsupervised, and may be an indicator of the candidate's potential to become a manager or leader. Read more...	March 2009
Psychometric testing in L&D - Training & Coaching Today Psychometrics can be a key implement in the learning & development toolkit - what's more they're ever more easily available. Read more...	March 2009
New MBTI® European data supplements OPP is pleased to announce the launch of two new valuable resources for MBTI® users, available to download free of charge. Read more...	February 2009
Featured report: MBTI Step I Team Report - now at a substantially reduced price The MBTI Step I Team Report is an excellent supporting resource for practitioners running teambuilding events. Administered via OPP's Scoring Bureau service, reports can be generated for each of the people in the team, and provide detailed information about how each person's individual MBTI type interacts with the overall type of the team. It's great for accelerating the progress of new teams from 'forming' to 'performing' as well as for resolving issues within teams. This powerful report is now almost half its previous price at £24. Read more...	February 2009
Real work: Tried and tested - guardian.co.uk The following questions are designed to measure your behaviour towards other people and the behaviours you want back from them. By highlighting the difference between the two, the FIRO-B questionnaire can explain difficult workplace relationship issues. Read more...	February 2009
Real work: Tried and tested - guardian.co.uk The following are taken from a questionnaire designed to help people identify how their personality makes them similar to some people, and different from others. The conclusions should enhance your understanding of others and of yourself ... your motivations, your natural strengths and your potential areas for growth. Read more...	January 2009
A week in HR: Brown in cash boost to stem rising unemployment - HRZONE.co.uk The key story this week is the 'golden hello' that Gordon Brown is offering to employers willing to take on the long-term unemployed. In other news, a new survey has found that HR managers see employee retention as the greatest challenge this year. By Annie Hayes. Read more...	January 2009
Working over Christmas 'receives co-worker criticism' - Witan Jardine More than three quarters (77 per cent) of workers feel that their colleagues who worked over the Christmas period were being 'martyrs' or a 'Scrooge', new research has suggested. Read more...	January 2009
'Scrooge' epithet for those who worked at Christmas - HumanResources Nearly half (46%) of UK employees went to work over Christmas but more than three quarters of their colleagues reacted negatively, labelling them as 'martyrs to their employer' or a 'Scrooge'. Read more...	January 2009

2008
'Tis the Season - to WORK!' -Processingtalk This Christmas, the economic downturn and a nation of pressured bosses will translate into nearly half of the UK working population staying at work throughout the period. Read more...	December 2008
Staff to stay at work over Christmas period claims report - Macworld This Christmas, the economic downturn will translate into nearly half, 47 per cent, of the UK working population staying at work throughout the period suggests a new report. Read more...	December 2008
Real work: Do you have high anxiety levels? - guardian.co.uk The following questions are taken from a questionnaire designed to measure adult personality - beneficial to both assessors and recruits because it helps to predict working style and behaviour. Read more...	December 2008
Under the skin of good IT management - Infomatics Understanding personality traits can make CIOs more effective technology leaders, writes Rob Bailey. Read more...	November 2008
More conflict in the Public Sector workplace - PublicNET There is more conflict in the public sector workplace than there is in the private sector where conflict is better managed. Read more...	October 2008
The challenge of straight talking - FT.com [free registration required] Lawyers, bankers, accountants and consultants are all after the same thing. No, not cash. That goes without saying. What they dream about is achieving a special status with their clients: that of the Trusted Adviser. Read more...	October 2008
Causing a public nuisance - MT managementtoday.com Public sector workers are much more likely to get caught up in workplace conflict than their private sector counterparts, according to a new study by business psychologists OPP. Read more...	October 2008
16PF® in German transfers to global owner Hogrefe AG and OPP® Ltd are pleased to announce that the 16PF® psychometric instrument will now be published electronically by OPP, the global owner of the trait-based measure of personality. Read more...	October 2008
Fight, flight or face it? New report According to OPP's latest research, poorly managed conflicts in the workplace are crippling British business. Read more...	October 2008
Poor conflict management skills cost UK plc billions - Peoplemanagement.co.uk UK business is losing billions of pounds in lost working days every year because workers aren’t trained in conflict management. Read more...	October 2008
There's a pressing need for conflict resolution training - HR Human Resources More than half of the UK workforce haven't had training in the effective management of conflict - despite the fact conflict costs British business £24 billion each year. Read more...	October 2008
Colleagues' irritating habits put people off their work - HR Human Resources According to a report from psychology experts OPP, two thirds of employees rate disrespect from work colleagues as the most annoying characteristic. Read more...	August 2008
Mind games at Work - Oxford Times ONLINE They may not know it themselves, but many of the people in USA who enforce the law of the land undergo psychological screening for their jobs - using tests controlled by an Oxford firm. Read more...	August 2008
Handle a senior resignation: how to - Personneltoday.com There are some leaders who are so iconic that life without them would be unimaginable - and this is as true of the business world as of the political or cultural world. Read more...	July 2008
Devil's advocate: Breaking the rules - Personneltoday.com Should HR professionals practise what they preach, or is it OK for them to lapse once in a while? Read more...	June 2008
How to spot a future chief executive - Personneltoday.com You probably give considerable thought to the recruitment process, producing carefully worded advertisements, setting inventive tests and sitting through rigorous interviews, but how well do you know your existing staff? Read more...	May 2008
Are You Up To The Job? - sundaymail.co.uk Take our lie detector test. Read more...	April 2008
What not to do in your first management job - TIMESONLINE Many ambitious professionals spend the first part of their career getting very good at their jobs so that they are first in line when a management position opens up. Read more...	April 2008
Be yourself - but know who you are meant to be - FT.com [free registration required] When in doubt, turn to La Rochefoucauld: "We get so used to disguising ourselves to others that we end up becoming disguised to ourselves." Read more...	March 2008
HR and line managers: Speaking line managers' language - Personneltoday.com Line managers have inherited many of the tactical aspects of HR. How can HR learn to work with line managers and make this relationship prosper? Read more...	March 2008
Psychometric profiling: Mind your profile - Personneltoday.com Developing leaders is something that needs care. Psychometrics can help - if you know what you're measuring. Read more...	March 2008
How can you tell your workmates are losing the plot? - The Guardian When they start to whoop about how much they love the job. Read more...	January 2008
Who's fooling whom? New OPP research reveals that European workers show a different face at interview and in the workplace, leading to stress - and the UK leads Europe for workplace chameleons. Read more...	January 2008
Fun missing from the workplace in Britain - NEWS.scotsman.com The UK is at the bottom of a European "fun" league table because more than one-in-three people suppressed that side of their personality when they were at work, according to a new report today. Read more...	January 2008
Job candidates tell interviewers what they want to hear - Human Resources Nearly half of workers (46%) admit to adapting their personality in job interviews, new research has shown. Read more...	January 2008
Who's fooling who? - Personneltoday.com We’re probably all guilty of putting on our interview persona along with our interview suit, but are we taking it too far? Read more...	January 2008
A third of interviewees try to act their way into a job - Milkround.com A third of employees have admitted they acted a part in their interview to fit in with the company culture. Read more...	January 2008
'So are you married?' And other questions you CAN'T ask job applicants any more - Daily Mail There was a time when managers would get to know prospective staff before taking them on. These days, they probe their lifestyles at their peril. Employers are being warned they could fall foul of discrimination laws if they even ask a job applicant their age or marital status. Read more...	January 2008

2007
Use of psychometric profiling in coaching on the rise - Personneltoday.com The business of coaching is under pressure to conform. And, as it becomes more widespread, buyers are asking for a more uniform offering. Read more...	November 2007
Estranged by change? - hrzone.co.uk Change is one of the only certainties on today's fast moving business highway. But mismanage it, and you could be speeding towards a multi-lane pileup. Matt Henkes looks at how HR can mitigate the risks. Read more...	November 2007
Product update: TKI Self-Scorable Question and Answer Booklet The Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) Self-Scorable Question and Answer Booklet in English has been updated. Read more...	November 2007
New FIRO-B® report now available The new FIRO-B Interpretive Report for Organisations narrative report provides insightful information about FIRO-B® results applied to a business setting. Read more...	November 2007
Type Dynamics in Action: A new workshop This two-day workshop has been a huge success since it was introduced in September 2007. With just six weeks of promotion, 2007 workshops are already sold out. Read more...	November 2007
Relax? Don't do it -The Guardian Controlled bursts of stress at work might actually boost your performance and your health. Catherine Quinn takes a deep breath and lets it all out. Read more...	October 2007
Younger workers strike more over working conditions - Director of Finance Online Older workers strike over pay while youngsters take industrial action because of conditions, claims a new survey. Read more...	October 2007
OPPassessment update: changes to the TKI Profile and Interpretive Report The TKI Profile and Interpretive Report on OPPassessment [?] has been replaced with an updated version that incorporates all-new norm samples and scoring, and is more personalised and easier to read. Read more...	September 2007
Career Changes - Recruiter More than half the UK workforce (52%) has changed career at least once, with one in five of us having done so three times, according to research released today. Read more...	July 2007
Half of UK workforce has 1 foot out of the door - Southport Reporter BRITISH business is in the grip of a trend which is set to cost £4.6 billion. Nearly half of all employees in the UK are committed to changing career in the near future, meaning rocketing recruitment and training costs for British business as it struggles to plug the gaps. Read more...	July 2007
Workers Settle for Second Best - trainingzone.co.uk Just 2% of the UK workforce are living the dream and doing the job they always wanted to, exposing a nation of workers that are unsatisfied and unfulfilled, according to research by business psychology experts OPP. Read more...	July 2007
OPP gains IIP accreditation OPP is delighted to have achieved 'Investors in People' accreditation for the first time, gaining official recognition for the investment the organisation makes in its staff. Read more...	June 2007
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: Fit for what purpose? - Personneltoday.com The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is widely used in training and L & D. But how appropriately? Read more...	April 2007

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