Star Performers
Read Star Performers and check the IELTS Reading answers. One widely held assumption about talent is that it is a reasonably fixed characteristic and it is therefore the job of organisations to identify, recruit and retain star performers. This belief affects the way people are managed in the workp…
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One widely held assumption about talent is that it is a reasonably fixed characteristic and it is therefore the job of organisations to identify, recruit and retain star performers. This belief affects the way people are managed in the workplace. Most recruitment decisions are influenced by the skills and abilities of an individual rather than their aptitude and attitude. In terms of career development, organisations invest in staff who have been selected to reach higher-level positions, while ignoring front-line employees and people with less perceived potential. This idea, that talent is a fixed, identifiable characteristic - and that those firms with the best people do the best - is both flawed and harmful to people and organisations. There is a lot of evidence on this point, and it is useful to highlight some of the most pertinent arguments.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- aptitude noun
A natural ability or talent to do something; a person's natural tendency or suitability for a task.
Recruiters often prioritize specific skills over an individual's long-term aptitude and positive attitude.
- deliberate practice noun
Purposeful and systematic exercise that requires focused attention and is conducted with the goal of improving performance.
Exceptional performance requires years of deliberate practice under the guidance of expert coaches.
- endeavour noun
An attempt to achieve a goal; a project or enterprise requiring significant effort and commitment.
In any high-level endeavour, a small percentage of individuals often produce the majority of the results.
- imprecision noun
The quality of not being exact, accurate, or definite; lacking in detail or correctness.
Assessments of talent taken at a single point in time are often prone to error and imprecision.
- inherent adjective
Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute; innate rather than acquired.
Recent evidence suggests that professional talent is at least as much created as it is inherent.
- malleable adjective
Capable of being shaped, influenced, or altered; adaptable to new conditions or training.
Viewing ability as malleable encourages both employers and individuals to invest in skill enhancement.
- pertinent adjective
Relevant or applicable to a particular matter; apposite to the subject being discussed.
The author highlights several pertinent arguments to challenge the belief that talent is a fixed characteristic.
- predictor noun
A factor or variable that can be used to estimate or forecast a future outcome.
Measures of intelligence are considered some of the best predictors of job performance in corporate research.
- prevailing adjective
Existing at a particular time; current or most frequent in a specific context or society.
Judgements about genius often depend on the prevailing standards used to evaluate an artist's output.
- relentless adjective
Unceasingly intense; constant and persistent in effort or speed without weakening.
Once a high level of performance is achieved, it cannot be maintained without relentless daily effort.
- self-fulfilling prophecy noun
A prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true due to the resulting positive feedback.
Labeling intelligence as fixed can create a self-fulfilling prophecy where employees stop striving to improve.
- untapped potential noun
Skills or abilities that exist but have not yet been recognized, used, or developed.
Traditional methods of identifying talent may inadvertently work to destroy a significant amount of untapped potential.
Answers with explanations
- 27. A
Paragraph A introduces a common belief that firms achieving the highest performance do so because they recruit top talent. However, the author explicitly states this idea is **flawed and harmful**, representing a direct **disagreement** with the view.
- 28. E
Paragraph E outlines the rigorous routine needed to achieve exceptional performance. It explicitly notes that individuals must engage in **nearly daily, deliberate practice for about four hours a day**, detailing what they must do on a **regular basis** to improve.
- 29. B
Paragraph B begins by confirming that exceptional talent is universal across disciplines. By listing diverse examples like **sports**, **computer programming**, and **music**, it highlights the evidence that exceptional talent exists in **all areas of life**.
- 30. F
Paragraph F focuses on Carol Dweck's research regarding performance goals versus learning goals. It illustrates how different goal-settings and **evaluating achievements** trigger different psychological **reactions in employees**, leading either to helplessness or striving for higher performance.
- 31. C
Paragraph C challenges the accuracy of performance assessments by arguing that because performance varies, taking a measurement at a **single point in time** introduces **error and imprecision**.
- 32. B
Paragraph B illustrates the skewed output of talented individuals using the example of music, where just **16 individuals** produced 50 percent of all performed classical music. This mathematically demonstrates the **extent** to which top individuals contribute to their field.
- 33. 16
The question asks for a number indicating how many Western classical composers were identified as exceptionally talented in the study. The text explicitly mentions that **16** individuals produced 50% of the recorded music in this category.
- 34. Bach
The question asks which composer initially received little recognition. The text uses **Bach** as an example, stating that standards of music actually needed to change before he was considered a great musician, implying his work was initially unappreciated.
- 35. coaches
The question asks who assists individuals engaging in daily practice. Paragraph E notes that deliberate practice is performed by people who, with the assistance of their **coaches**, have access to the best techniques.
- 36. FALSE
The statement claims that companies hire based on character (aptitude and attitude). The text explicitly contradicts this by stating most decisions are influenced by **skills and abilities**, *rather than* their **aptitude and attitude**. Answer: FALSE.
- 37. NOT GIVEN
The text mentions sports when explaining that talented people exist in every field. However, it never compares different **areas of sport** to claim that some have a **greater proportion** of talent than others. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 38. FALSE
The statement claims measures of intelligence **accurately predict** performance. The text explicitly contradicts this, noting that these measures correlate **only loosely**, leaving more than 80% of performance variations **unexplained**. Answer: FALSE.
- 39. TRUE
The text provides explicit examples of talented athletes (Michael Jordan and top quarterbacks) who were initially dropped or **not considered good enough**. This directly confirms that there are cases where talented sportspeople were **overlooked**. Answer: TRUE.
- 40. NOT GIVEN
The text discusses how organizational assessment approaches impact staff motivation. However, there is no mention of **newly formed organisations** or whether they possess the most **highly motivated staff**. Answer: NOT GIVEN.