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Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Psychological Profiling for Afghan Troops
In recent years, the accuracy and depth of selection methods for recruiting staff has come on leaps and bounds. By adopting an in-depth psychological profiling approach it is possible to understand so much more about an individual’s capability, motivations, values and beliefs.
The latest incident in Nahr-e Saraj which resulted in the deaths British troops is a reminder of the damning report on the army and police that was issued last month by an American government agency, the office of the Special Inspector-General for Afghan Reconstruction. Of the 130,000 Afghan troops trained by British soldiers, the report revealed widespread absenteeism, corruption and drug abuse among the Afghan forces. It suggested that only 23% of Afghan soldiers and 12% of police were capable of working unsupervised. In March, it found that 17% of the police and 12% of the Army had been absent without leave.
In-depth psychological profiling can help to unearth and identify the skills, beliefs, values and behaviours that could be used to ‘select in’ suitable candidates and ‘select out’ individuals who carry a ‘risk’. “We need to understand both the environment in which we are asking soldiers to perform, as well the capability requirements and derailment factors that influence performance” says, Rob Dominic, Director at Viewpoint. “By adopting this rigorous approach to selecting Afghan soldiers we can more effectively identify and recruit individuals that would not only be more effective in role, but also less susceptible to corruption which many are tempted by.”
