Hogan Assessment Hogan Development Survey (HDS) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which HDS scale describes individuals who appear charming and confident but may act impulsively and test limits in stressful situations?
- Leisurely
- Mischievous (Correct answer)
- Colorful
- Bold
Correct answer: Mischievous
The Mischievous scale captures risk-taking, charm, and limit-testing behavior that can become problematic under stress.
Question 2: A manager scoring high on the HDS Diligent scale is most likely to derail by:
- Delegating too freely and losing oversight
- Micromanaging and setting unrealistically high standards (Correct answer)
- Avoiding conflict by deferring all decisions upward
- Taking excessive risks to prove competence
Correct answer: Micromanaging and setting unrealistically high standards
High Diligent individuals become perfectionistic and controlling, which slows teams and strains relationships.
Question 3: The HDS scale most associated with passive resistance, working at one's own pace, and ignoring feedback from others is:
- Reserved
- Cautious
- Leisurely (Correct answer)
- Skeptical
Correct answer: Leisurely
The Leisurely scale reflects stubborn independence and passive-aggressive tendencies masked by surface cooperativeness.
Question 4: In HDS terminology, 'derailers' are best defined as:
- Skills that are absent from a leader's repertoire
- Personality strengths that become overdone under pressure or stress (Correct answer)
- Dark triad personality disorders identified through clinical assessment
- Low scores on any of the 11 HDS scales
Correct answer: Personality strengths that become overdone under pressure or stress
HDS derailers are strengths that, when overused or triggered by stress, undermine relationships and career success.
Question 5: A leader who scores high on the HDS Colorful scale is most likely to struggle with:
- Building rapport with direct reports
- Following through on details and sharing credit (Correct answer)
- Adapting to ambiguous or rapidly changing environments
- Confronting underperforming team members directly
Correct answer: Following through on details and sharing credit
High Colorful individuals crave attention and may neglect execution and collaboration to stay in the spotlight.
Question 6: Which HDS scale predicts derailment through excessive pessimism and a tendency to focus on what can go wrong rather than take action?
- Excitable
- Skeptical
- Cautious (Correct answer)
- Reserved
Correct answer: Cautious
The Cautious scale describes risk-averse individuals who avoid decisions, fearing criticism or failure.
Question 7: Organizations use HDS results primarily to:
- Select candidates by screening out all high scorers
- Support development by helping leaders recognize and manage their risk factors (Correct answer)
- Diagnose clinical personality disorders in the workplace
- Determine compensation levels based on personality risk
Correct answer: Support development by helping leaders recognize and manage their risk factors
HDS is a developmental tool designed to increase self-awareness so leaders can proactively manage potential derailers.
Hogan Assessment Hogan Development Survey (HDS) 2
Which HDS scale describes individuals who appear charming and confident but may act impulsively and test limits in stressful situations?