The first of several on-going tests was conducted of the Behavior Descriptor Index (BDI) which is a new behaviorally oriented job performance appraisal and training evaluation instrument developed for five large Canadian chartered banks. The new instrument was shown to be valid across organizations. Twenty-five assistant bank managers in these five banks were evaluated by their superiors using the BDI as well as the Graphic Rating Scale and the Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS). Three conclusions were drawn from the results of this study. First, behaviorally oriented scales need not be organization specific. Second, it is possible to improve the psychometric characteristics of behavior oriented scales by switching from a Likert-type scale with specific anchor points to an anchorless format which allows the use of the total job behavior domain. And last, it is possible to use BDI information as a basis for a personnel management system because of its favorable rating characteristics, the increased utilization of job information, and the very specific feedback to raters, evaluators, and ratees. (EM)