GetSet - Testing for young people

I think that it [GetSet] is a great idea. My counselling report really seemed to be ‘me’ rather than any one else! I think that it gave some phrases that were very useful on UCAS forms, in interviews and will be on my CVs too, about leadership skills etc.

– Amy

GetSet provides the Team Role language to an audience with less work experience.

GetSet is our version of the standard Belbin reports that has been designed for those who have little or no experience of the workplace. GetSet can help schools meet Key Skills laid down by the Education and Skills white paper, and help university students prepare for the world of work. GetSet is also used to advise graduates and young people who are not employed to help choose the career path to which they are best suited.

What ages is it suitable for?

Get Set gives advice to anyone who has yet to enter the world of work. It is suitable for:

School leavers who are looking for employment
Those entering higher/further education (especially useful for UCAS forms!)
Those entering the world of work for the first time
Individuals who are embarking on an apprenticeship

How does it work?

In the first instance, individuals complete a questionnaire which asks them to investigate their responses to different situations they are likely to have encountered. If desired, they can then ask up to six family members, friends and teachers to add an observer assessment, which enhances their Team Role feedback.

Get Set is based on the original Belbin Team Roles, derived from over nine years of research at Henley Management College. They are now used in thousands of companies across the world. During his research, Meredith Belbin discovered that the most successful teams were not those with the highest intellect, but those balanced in Team Roles. Meredith identified nine Team Roles, each of which provided a unique contribution to a team situation.

1 - Assessment Results in Rank Order
The top line shows the Team Role rank order from the Self-Perception Inventory with 1 being the top role and 9 the bottom. The lines underneath are each Observer’s ranked order.The overall ranking on the bottom line is the weighted addition of the Self-Perception rank order and the total of the Observers’ rank order.
2 - Pie Charts of Self‐Perception and Observers
The left Pie Chart shows the roles which you like to play. The right Pie Chart shows the roles which others see you playing. There are bound to be differences, but take note of the top roles of both Self and Observers and see how they compare or contrast. The figures below the charts represent the percentage slice of the pie for each role.
3 - Self‐Perception Team Role Profile
The Self-Perception Team Role Profile is based on your scoring of the Self-Perception Inventory. It shows your "preferred roles", your "manageable roles", and your "least preferred roles". It is measured against the BELBIN norm database of over 5,600 SPIs. So for example, if you come out as 100% "Shaper", it means that you very much aspire to play the "Shaper" role and that less than 1% of the people tested scored such a high mark for that role.
4 - Character Profile
This is probably the most frequently used report and certainly the most popular in terms of feedback. It is generated from the top two Team Roles and bottom Team Role in the overall ranking. The report offers advice on adopting a style which fits in with your Team Role strengths and weaknesses.
5 - List of Observer Responses
This is a list of the words used by Observers in descending order of frequency. The words at the top of this list are seen as some of your main strengths and behavioural characteristics most appreciated by others. It is normal to have zero marks for some words. Try to work with people who will cover what you lack.

How is GetSet used?

The best way to understand how GetSet is used is to hear from some people who are already using it:

Ben Rayner, Corporate & FJF Project Manager, Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development

“I have been running a project at Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development (SOLD) to get 18 – 24 yr olds back into work. To qualify to get on the project, the candidates have to have been on Job Seekers for more than 6 months. Generally the candidates have been school leavers who can’t get jobs. I chose to use the ‘Get Set’ version of Belbin because this would relate more closely to the candidates.

I found that ‘GetSet’ was an amazing tool to make my candidate’s understand what their role was in a team and how this role could effect others in the team. I have seven days with each candidate and the SPI is conducted on day 2. This allowed discussion over the remaining days of Team Roles and developing a solid understanding of how Team Roles can effect team motivation and rapport within the team.

I especially like the section in the SPI report on ‘How I should present myself at interview’. Within 6 months of finishing the course, my candidates will be entering employment and going through the interview process. This section of the SPI will undoubtedly help them through the interview process and give them an advantage over other candidates who have not completed the SPI report.

Overall, ‘Get Set’ has been a fantastic tool for my project!”

Amanda Jalali, Lecturer, South Trafford College

Firstly Amanda identified two groups of students that were deemed to gain the most benefit from completing BELBIN GetSet:

“Our second year A-Level students (17 and 18 years of age) who are applying for University, and our Sports Foundation degree students (18 to 23 years of age).”

All were asked to complete their own inventory, to gain a view of how they perceive themselves in terms of the nine Belbin Team Roles. Then they were asked to collect the views of others who know them well, with the addition of a minimum of four Observer Assessments. The overall interpretation of both gave each student a six-page behavioural based report, offering advice on how they seemed to interact with others at the time, how to make the most of their strengths, and how to present themselves at interview:

“My students will find this invaluable in deciding where they are going in life. The reports are written in language they will understand, and the pie charts will really help them see at a glance how they are perceived. It really is a fantastic package.”

Having received their Belbin® GetSet profiles, based on both their own perception and the views of others…

“They are so much more aware of their strengths and weaknesses now and also how to ‘use’ others. I have no doubt that without the insights they have gained on the day and from the reports they would have found working together so much more difficult.”

Beyond this, Amanda reported further success due to the use and understanding gained…

“One of the teams from my A-level class has made the finals in the Nationwide Enterprise Challenge. We are going to London where they must further investigate their idea. Our Plants came up trumps here!”

The story continued…

“I told you we were in a final in London and the kids did really well. Now we are representing England in the global finals! Also, one of the students who found their report very useful has been offered a prestigious place on a graduate training programme and it is not a co-incidence that all this was in the year we used the team roles.”

For the future…

“I am determined to carry on pushing for the Belbin testing, I have got my team leaders interested, now I just need to get the rest on board as I think we would be doing such a service for the kids.”

Purchase GetSet Reports

Belbin Ireland will offer purchase of GetSet reports online in the near future. In the meantime, please contact John O’Boyle if you wish to purchase them.