How NISC bolstered its teams through the power of self-awareness

National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) is a supplier of software and hardware solutions. COVID-19 has thrown many industries off-course, but NISC was able to pivot quickly and transition 1,300 employees to remote work.

According to Matt Moorman, Senior Organization Development Specialist at NISC, remote work created challenges. The company had to re-emphasize the importance of how it hired and trained employees. “It’s tough to build relationships up front when they’re cold, and through a computer,” he said.

Surrounded by uncertainty, NISC used The Predictive Index’s talent optimization platform to bolster its hiring practices, build cohesive teams, and promote a culture of emotional intelligence.

Building cohesive teams

At NISC, cohesive teams are a fundamental part of the culture. “Relationships and teamwork are both shared values,” Moorman explained. In a new remote world, NISC relied on PI to attract the right talent: people who’d add to the culture and make it even stronger.

One critical team at NISC is support. Using the PI Behavioral Assessment, NISC found that team members who showed strong job fit all shared similar behavioral patterns. Recruitment tailored its job listings and interview questions accordingly, which increased the odds of landing the right talent.

But hiring confidently was only the first step; it was also important that new hires fit with their teams. NISC took a unique approach, pairing each hire with a mentor. Using PI, mentors and mentees were able to be open with one another on the best ways they could work together to foster growth and success on the job.

PI wasn’t new to NISC prior to COVID-19. But the tools took on an even greater role in those months—to the excitement of NISC’s employees and peers.

Developing greater self-awareness

PI’s Relationship Guide has also been helpful in ensuring team fit at NISC. “It’s a great way to objectify what are sometimes subjective conversations.” Moorman continued, “It helps externalize differences in how people see the world, and puts everything on the table.”

Moorman cited his rapport with a colleague as an example. Despite working closely, the two differed greatly in terms of temperament. “We were pretty polarized when it came to working styles,” Moorman shared.

Moorman is a highly extraverted, big-picture thinker. His colleague had more introverted tendencies, with a high attention to detail. In the past, these behavioral differences might have been overlooked, but with PI Inspire, Moorman and his colleague were able to discuss them openly and constructively.

Empowering teams through vulnerability

Vulnerability often carries a connotation of weakness or failure. But for NISC, it’s a measure of emotional strength—and a crucial driver of performance. 

According to Moorman, PI provided the tools to embrace this vulnerability. “The more that people are open, honest, and vulnerable about who they are in the workplace, the more collaborative, innovative, and ultimately successful your business will be.”

Through PI’s talent optimization insights, NISC streamlined its hiring and training. It also ensured strong relationships among employees, whether between a manager and employee, or a mentor and mentee.

“PI is perhaps most transformational with culture,” Moorman said. “Changing the minds and hearts of a workforce is no easy task, but a great first step is The Predictive Index.”