DDI launches 'Manager Ready' in India

Adjudged as leading HR product in USA for frontline leaders

After a resounding success in the US, Development Dimensions International (DDI) launched its award winning product ‘Manager Ready’ in India today. A first of its kind “Manager Ready” is an online assessment tool for frontline leaders in India.

'Manager Ready’ was adjudged as one of the top HR products in 2011 by Human Resource Executive® (HRE) magazine. Each year, HRE selects the top new HR and training products based on criteria that include innovation, ease-of-use, and impact on the HR industry.

'Manger Ready’ is aimed at organizations that are assessing potential frontline leaders or are looking into their development needs. The tool provides an in-depth, simulation based assessment, at a fraction of the cost of traditional assessment centres. Through the use of a computer-based simulation that utilizes streaming audio and video, candidates experience a ‘day-in-the-life’ of a frontline leader and are given the opportunity to respond to problems and inquiries presented through open-ended emails, video voicemails, planning activities and problem-solving exercises. Their results are then evaluated using a combination of highly skilled DDI assessors and data analysis to produce a sophisticated report that captures a participant’s readiness for a leadership role, as well as in-depth evaluation of individual development areas.

In short, this real world simulation provides organizations with critical information used to make decisions about who is ready for frontline leader roles and how people can develop in those roles to be more effective. The USP of ‘Manager Ready’ compared to all other assessment tools is: it provides , more than 900 participant performance data points which contributes to a high-quality diagnosis of an individual’s leadership capabilities, giving companies more than 9 critical core leadership competencies that determine how a leader will perform on the job.

Speaking on the initiative Smita Affinwalla, Head of Consulting, DDI India said –“Frontline Leaders are constantly making decisions which are indispensible to the organization’s growth. The role they play is even more critical than ever. Our experience while working with these frontline leaders show that they are not ready for the job the organization needs them to do. ‘Manager Ready’ identifies the gaps between what skills these leaders posses and what they need to do to be successful.”

'Manager Ready’ incorporates the high-touch method of extracting real behaviours through simulations and trained assessors scoring those behaviours. In the past, this type of information would require a significant investment—'Manager Ready’ provides high-value diagnosis at a fraction of the cost.