A Guide to Behavioral Assessment Tests

Behavioral Assessment Tests

 

We all have innate strengths, weaknesses, motivations and behaviors that influence how we think, work and interact. While these patterns often operate subconsciously, truly understanding yourself provides immense opportunities for personal growth and development.

That’s why taking a Behavioral Assessment Test can be so enlightening. These tests analyze your personality across various dimensions, giving you deeper insight into what makes you tick.

A Behavioral Assessment looks at different aspects of your character and mentality using carefully designed questions and psychological models. Once complete, you receive a detailed report highlighting your natural motivations, work-style preferences, values, and other behavioral traits.

The goal is self-discovery. By mapping your personality tendencies, you gain awareness of your abilities. This allows you to play to your strengths while also improving self-discipline around weaknesses.

Ultimately, the awareness gained from a Behavioral Assessment empowers you to unlock your potential. Understanding your hard-wiring provides a foundation to make better life and career decisions.

 

 

What Is A Behavioral Assessment Test?

A behavioral assessment test is a tool used to evaluate and measure different aspects of an individual’s personality, motivations, and behavioral traits. These tests are designed to provide insight into a person’s unique strengths, weaknesses, working styles, stress responses, decision-making approaches, and other psychological qualities.

 

What can Behavioral Assessment tests measure?

Behavioral assessments can measure many different factors, including:

  • Personality traits like introversion/extroversion, risk-taking, curiosity, optimism, etc.
  • Workplace qualities like leadership, independence, analytical thinking, attention to detail, etc.
  • Motivations that drive behavior like achievement, power, affiliation, security, etc.
  • Attitudes towards things like change, authority, collaboration, etc.
  • Decision-making styles
  • Communication preferences
  • Conflict resolution approaches

By answering a series of questions or self-assessments, these tests aim to quantify behavioral tendencies. This helps create a comprehensive personality profile that provides self-awareness into what makes each person tick.

Understanding personal behavioral traits allows individuals to better recognize their natural strengths and growth areas. It also enables them to adjust their communication styles, leadership approaches, and team interactions accordingly.

Overall, behavioral assessment tests offer scientifically-validated insights to optimize relationships, performance, happiness, and personal development. The depth of self-knowledge and understanding empower individuals to play to their strengths while improving their weaknesses.

 

Benefits of Taking a Behavioral Assessment Test 

Taking a behavioral assessment can provide numerous benefits that can enhance your personal and professional life. Understanding your own natural motivations, strengths and weaknesses through behavioral testing can lead to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

 

Personal Growth

One of the greatest benefits of taking a behavioral assessment test is achieving greater self-awareness. By discovering what underlying motivations drive you, you gain powerful insights into what really matters to you. You can set goals and make decisions aligned with your core values. Knowing your natural strengths allows you to operate in areas where you excel, while awareness of weaknesses helps you improve or get support in those areas. Overall, a behavioral assessment test helps you better understand yourself.

 

Career Development

Insight from a behavioral test can aid career development and improve job satisfaction. Understanding your motivations can help guide you toward roles and companies that align with your values. Knowing your strengths allows you to pick jobs that utilize them, while managing weaknesses helps overcome career obstacles. The self-knowledge provides focus for career goals, improved job performance, and advancement opportunities.

 

Relationship Building

A behavioral assessment also provides self-knowledge to build better relationships. By understanding your own style, motivations, strengths and weaknesses, you can better appreciate differences in others. This allows more understanding, empathy and compatibility with partners, family, friends and colleagues. You can communicate and collaborate in ways tailored to individuals’ styles. Overall, the insight from behavioral testing helps foster healthier, happier relationships at home and work.

 

How The Test Works

Behavioral assessment tests use a multidimensional approach to measure different aspects of your personality and behavior. You’ll answer a series of questions that are specifically designed to reveal your motivations, natural strengths, emotional intelligence, work ethic, leadership style, and more.

The quiz takes most people 15-20 minutes to complete. We chose this length to balance depth of assessment with convenience for you.

Once you complete the quiz, the algorithm will analyze your answers. You’ll immediately receive a detailed report breaking down your personality traits, values, and tendencies.

The personalized results help you truly understand what makes you tick. You’ll gain insight into your natural behavioral patterns in areas like:

  • Key motivators that drive you
  • Communication style
  • Approaches to problem solving
  • Workplace habits
  • Leadership qualities
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Areas of talent or weakness

 

Our free test distills decades of behavioral research into an accessible and insightful experience for you. The multidimensional quiz and personalized results are designed to help you optimize your potential in life, relationships, and career.

 

Science Behind the Test

The test helps identify your natural motivations, strengths, weaknesses, emotional patterns, and other aspects of your personality. It does this by having you rate a series of descriptive statements on how true they are to your own behaviors.

The underlying models used in the test have been proven and validated through statistical analysis and repeated testing on diverse populations over the years. The test has high re-test reliability, meaning if you take it again in the future you are highly likely to get a very similar set of results.

Our test is carefully designed and updated by a dedicated team of psychologists, statisticians, and assessment experts. They ensure the test reflects the latest scientific knowledge and provides meaningful, accurate results you can trust. The test has been taken by over 2 million people to date and is used by individuals and organizations worldwide.

The science and research behind our behavioral assessment test allows us to provide you with an objective snapshot of your personality and skills. The insights gained can be a powerful tool for self-awareness, personal development, and achieving your goals more effectively.

 

The assessment takes around 15-20 minutes to complete, with 75 questions covering key aspects like communication style, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, work style, and leadership abilities.

By measuring different dimensions of your personality across various situations, we’re able to build an accurate behavioral profile that uncovers your natural strengths, weaknesses, stress responses, and overall tendencies. This provides powerful self-knowledge to boost your personal and professional growth.

The test questions are insightful but not difficult, and you can take it easily in one sitting. Your personalized results will be available immediately after completing the assessment.

Take the free behavioral assessment test now to start unlocking your potential!

 

Understanding Your Results

After completing our free behavioral assessment test, you will receive a detailed report outlining your results. This comprehensive report provides insight into your motivations, natural strengths, potential weaknesses, and work preferences.

 

The results are categorized into 4 main groups:

  • Dominance: This refers to how assertive, decisive, and direct you are. High scorers tend to be competitive and desire control. Low scorers are more reserved and cooperative.
  • Influence: This measures your tendency to be outgoing, persuasive, and interactive with others. High scorers are very social while low scorers prefer work with less group collaboration.
  • Steadiness: This indicates your level of patience, consistency, and thoughtfulness. High steadiness means you are very caring and loyal. Low scorers tend to be more urgent and fast-paced.
  • Compliance: This describes how detail-oriented, analytical, and organized you are. High compliance means you like structure and guidelines. Low compliance means you are more flexible.

Scores range from 0-100, with most people scoring in the 40-70 range on each trait. The higher the score, the more that trait dominates your behavior. Balanced scores mean flexibility in exhibiting different traits as needed.

It’s important not to judge high or low scores as necessarily good or bad. Each result provides unique strengths and potential weaknesses. The key is self-awareness and learning how to best leverage your attributes.

 

For growth, low scores represent opportunities to develop skills outside your comfort zone. With high scores, be careful not to overuse those behaviors at the exclusion of others. Refer to your report for tips on applying your results at work, in relationships, when problem solving, and more.

This personalized behavioral map empowers you with knowledge to optimize your potential. Refer back to your results frequently as a tool for improvement and reaching your goals.

 

Leveraging Your Strengths 

The behavioral assessment reveals your natural motivations and strengths. With this invaluable insight, you can align your professional and personal goals around your inherent talents and energizers.

Focus your efforts on tasks, projects, and roles that allow you to leverage your top strengths. For example, if you score high in sociability, pursue work that involves collaborating, networking, and interacting with people. If you excel in organization, seek structured jobs that let you plan and coordinate.

Play to your strengths and you’ll find yourself motivated, productive, and engaged. Identify responsibilities that align with your behavioral profile so your natural abilities fuel your performance. Avoid overextending yourself in areas outside your comfort zone.

Build upon what comes naturally to you. Your strengths form the foundation for your growth and success. Keep developing these aptitudes through practical experience, training, higher education, or certification programs. Become an expert in applying your strengths across diverse situations.

Maximize your potential by operating within your behavioral sweet spot. When your work utilizes your inherent talents, you’ll gain energy from achieving results. Leverage your motivations and soon your performance will speak for itself.

 

Overcoming Weaknesses

When taking any assessment, most people hope to discover untapped talents or impressive strengths. However, equally important are the areas where you didn’t score as high. These represent opportunities for growth.

Rather than ignoring your weaknesses, you can take active steps to improve. With targeted strategies, you can overcome weak spots and become a more well-rounded individual.

 

Tips on Overcoming your Behavioral Weaknesses

Some tips for overcoming your behavioral weaknesses include:

  • Getting support. Don’t go it alone. Ask others to help in areas that don’t come naturally to you. At work, delegate tasks related to your weaknesses to colleagues who have complementary strengths. In your personal life, have friends or family provide perspective. Their input can be invaluable.
  • Practicing consistently. Just like going to the gym builds your muscles, exercising your weaker talents strengthens them over time. Set small, achievable goals each day or week to step outside your comfort zone. With regular practice, you’ll see steady improvement.
  • Learning new skills. Take classes, read books, or seek a mentor to teach you skills in your weaker areas. With new competencies under your belt, you’ll handle challenges in these areas with greater confidence. Online courses make skill-building easy and convenient.
  • Reframing your mindset. Often, we avoid our weaknesses by telling ourselves there’s no point in trying to improve. Flip this narrative. Look for small wins to stay motivated and believe you can get better with effort.
  • Asking for feedback. Connect with mentors, coaches, teachers, or others who can objectively assess your abilities and provide constructive input. Their insights will point you toward high-impact areas for development.

With concerted effort over time, you can target your behavioral weaknesses and make them strengths. The personal growth will empower you to realize your full potential. Don’t let less-developed areas hold you back. Make a plan today to overcome your weaknesses.

 

Take the Test Again

One of the major benefits of taking a behavioral assessment test is being able to retake it over time and compare your results. People naturally change and grow throughout their lifetimes, and a behavioral assessment can track that personal development.

Retaking the free behavioral assessment test every few months or years provides an excellent progress check. You may find that certain motivations have strengthened while others have diminished. Your behaviors and preferences can evolve as you gain life experiences.

Comparing results over time provides fantastic insight into your own growth. You can clearly see which areas you have developed and which still need improvement. Leveraging this knowledge allows you to continue optimizing your potential.

We encourage retaking our free behavioral assessment regularly. See how you have progressed and use the results to keep growing. The test never stays the same!

Ready to reassess yourself? Start the free behavioral test again now and track your personal development.

Talent Management Assessment Tools

Talent Management Assessment Tools

Talent management assessment tools have become an indispensable part of the recruitment process for companies looking to make the right hires. These tools enable organizations to accurately evaluate candidates beyond just their resumes, and provide predictive insights into how well they are likely to perform in a given role. With recruitment being a costly and time-consuming affair, talent assessments enable companies to streamline their hiring and get it right the first time. 

According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), over 80% of organizations now rely on various pre-employment tests and assessment tools to screen and evaluate potential candidates. This shift towards talent assessments stems from their proven ability to filter candidates more efficiently, reduce employee turnover, and hire the best fit talent. Studies indicate that scientific talent selection methods using validated assessment tools result in 50% higher sales productivity and 38% increased profitability. With such compelling statistics, it’s no surprise that talent assessments have become indispensable for recruitment success.

 

 

Importance of Talent Assessment Tools

Some of the key reasons why talent assessment tools have gained immense importance in hiring decisions are:

  • They provide an objective, data-driven way to assess candidates beyond just resumes and interviews. This minimizes personal bias in hiring decisions.
  • They accurately predict job performance by testing both hard and soft skills. This allows companies to identify the right cultural fit.
  • They help companies address skill gaps proactively. Assessment data aids in planning training needs.
  • They significantly reduce employee turnover rates and improve retention.
  • They enable faster, more efficient screening and identification of best-fit candidates.

 

With the numerous benefits talent assessments provide, organizations are now investing heavily in incorporating them into their talent acquisition strategy. The right assessments coupled with competent analytics allow companies to build high-performing teams and gain a competitive edge.

 

Benefits of Talent Assessment Tools

Talent assessment tools provide several key benefits for recruiters and hiring managers:

 

Efficiency in the Screening Process

One of the biggest advantages of talent assessment tools is how they streamline the screening and shortlisting process. Rather than manually reviewing hundreds of applications and resumes, recruiters can use validated and predictive assessments to filter candidates. This saves a tremendous amount of time and effort.

Assessments immediately identify both high and low performers based on their test results. Recruiters don’t need to waste time interviewing unqualified applicants. They can focus on the top-scoring candidates with the best potential.

 

Accurate Skills and Potential Measurement 

Going beyond resumes, talent assessments provide a detailed evaluation of both hard and soft skills. They objectively measure capabilities rather than relying on self-reported credentials.

Cognitive ability tests assess problem-solving skills, learning potential, and ability to process new information. Personality tests evaluate soft skills like communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence. Custom role-fit assessments benchmark candidates against the specific needs of the job.

This skills mapping allows recruiters to determine not just what candidates have done, but what they can do. It predicts on-the-job performance and success much more accurately than interviews alone.

 

Employee Development Strategy

While often used for hiring, talent assessments also provide value for employee training and development. Leadership skills assessments can identify managers with room for growth. Employees can take targeted tests to improve existing capabilities. 

Assessment data aids succession planning by matching high potentials with development opportunities. Rather than subjective opinion, organizations have objective benchmarks to base promotion and career advancement decisions.

Ongoing use of talent assessments transforms recruitment into a data-driven process. Organizations gain quantifiable insights into their people that support strategic workforce planning.

 

Top Talent Assessment Tools

 

Cognitive Ability Tests

Cognitive ability tests measure thinking skills and aptitude. They assess how well candidates can solve problems, digest and apply information, learn new skills, and deal with abstract concepts. 

Key Features

  • Evaluate general mental ability, such as verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning skills. 
  • Often have strict time limits.
  • Use multiple-choice, true/false, and written response formats.

Advantages

  • Strong predictor of job performance across various roles.
  • Helps identify high-potential candidates.
  • Results are standardized and quantitative for easy analysis.

Disadvantages

  • May exhibit cultural or socioeconomic bias.
  • Expensive to design and administer properly. 
  • Must be proctored to prevent cheating.

 

Personality Tests

Personality tests assess behavioral traits, motivations, attitude, interests, and other personal characteristics. They help determine culture fit and uncover innate strengths or weaknesses.

Key Features 

  • Wide range available based on different models of personality traits.
  • Candidates self-report based on questionnaire items.
  • Provide qualitative insight into work styles.

Advantages

  • Highlights suitability for roles requiring strong interpersonal skills.  
  • Useful for assessing leadership, teamwork, sales, customer service roles.
  • Helps predict employee satisfaction and retention.

Disadvantages

  • Prone to applicant faking or responding desirably. 
  • Not effective as a standalone assessment.
  • May exhibit gender or cultural bias.

 

Emotional Intelligence Tests 

Emotional intelligence (EQ) tests measure the ability to understand, perceive, and manage emotions and relationships. High EQ is invaluable for roles requiring strong situational judgment, empathy, influence, and collaboration.

Key Features

  • Assess self-awareness, social skills, empathy, motivation, and self-regulation.
  • Involve hypothetical scenarios and self-reporting inventories.
  • Provide qualitative insight into emotional competencies.  

Advantages

  • Predicts performance in high-touch roles better than IQ alone.
  • Identifies resilience, leadership potential, and culture fit. 
  • Development opportunities can be identified.

Disadvantages

  • Subjective and susceptible to faking.
  • Not suitable as the only assessment. 
  • Usually more time-consuming to complete.

 

 

How to Choose the Right Talent Assessment Tool

Choosing the right talent assessment tool for your organization requires careful consideration of several factors. Here is a checklist of criteria to evaluate when selecting an assessment:

 

Criteria Checklist

  • Validated and reliable: The assessment should have statistically validated questions that reliably measure skills and traits predictive of job success. Look for tests developed by industrial-organizational psychologists.
  • Legally compliant: Assessments must comply with EEOC hiring guidelines and ADA accommodations. Avoid tests that could introduce adverse impact or discrimination. 
  • Job-relevant: Ensure the skills and competencies measured by the test directly relate to your open position(s). Customizable assessments tailored to your needs are ideal.
  • User-friendly interface: Candidates and hiring managers should find the assessment simple and straightforward to complete. Minimal training requirements are preferable.
  • Custom reporting: Look for talent assessments that provide customized reports summarizing candidate strengths, development areas, interview questions, and more.
  • Cost-effective: Evaluate the price structure carefully relative to your hiring volume. Some vendors charge per applicant tested while others allow unlimited use.

 

Other Factors to Consider

  • Cultural fit: Assessments measuring company values and work styles can forecast candidate alignment with your corporate culture. 
  • Security: Data encryption, access controls, and compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO) are essential for any talent assessment platform you choose.
  • Implementation process: The vendor should provide support during implementation including test integration, training, and result interpretation.
  • Customer service: Look for providers with responsive technical support and expert guidance on how to optimize their assessment tool.

By carefully weighing these criteria against your specific business needs, you can select a talent assessment that will enhance your recruiting process and support better hiring decisions.

 

Cost

When looking into talent assessment tools, pricing and budget considerations are extremely important. The pricing model can vary greatly depending on the provider and features of the assessment platform. Generally, costs are determined by a few key factors:

  • Per-assessment pricing: Many platforms charge on a per-assessment basis, ranging anywhere from $5-50 per test depending on length, design complexity, analytics provided, and customization. Volume discounts may apply.
  • Subscription packages: Some platforms offer monthly, annual or multi-year subscriptions for unlimited use of their assessment library and tools. Packages are typically tiered based on number of users. They can range from $1,000 per year for up to 50 users, up to $5,000+ per year for unlimited users.
  • Custom assessment design fees: If you require custom-designed assessments, most platforms charge additional fees, which can be upwards of $5,000+ per assessment. Some vendors provide a certain number of custom tests as part of subscriptions.
  • Analytics and reporting features: Many platforms provide basic reporting, with advanced analytics and custom reporting available for an added fee. These range from $250 – $2,000 annually depending on extent of analytics.
  • Integration costs: Integrating assessments with your HRIS, ATS or other internal systems may require custom work and licenses for API access. Integrations can cost $1,000+ in initial setup fees.

It’s recommended to clearly define your assessment needs and ideal budget range prior to requesting quotes and negotiating contracts. Leverage free trials to test capabilities and cost-effectiveness. Consider starting small with the core essentials, then expanding capabilities over time if value is proven.

 

Implementing Talent Assessment Tools

Implementing talent assessment tools requires careful planning and preparation to ensure a smooth rollout and adoption. Here are some best practices:

  • Get executive buy-in first: Make a business case for talent assessments showing how they will save recruitment costs, improve quality of hire, and align with company values. Present to key leaders and get their active sponsorship.
  • Select assessment types wisely: Work with HR to determine which skills, cognitive abilities, personality traits and other factors are most critical. Choose validated, reliable assessments that test for those qualities. 
  • Integrate with your systems: The assessments should integrate smoothly with your applicant tracking system, HRIS, and any screening software. It’s crucial to have seamless data flows.
  • Train managers on using results: Educate hiring managers on how to interpret assessment reports and incorporate the data into decision making. Make sure they know how to ask effective interview questions based on the results.
  • Communicate to candidates: Let applicants know they will be taking online assessments as part of the process and why. Share sample questions so they know what to expect. Address any concerns transparently.
  • Start with high-value roles: Pilot talent assessments for key positions where quality of hire really impacts the business, then expand to other roles. Don’t try to assess every open req right away.
  • Review implementation regularly: Track usage, candidate reactions, hiring manager feedback, and quality of hire. Tweak your talent assessment process as needed to maximize value.

With the right preparation and change management, talent assessments can transform recruiting. Follow these tips for effective implementation.

 

Challenges

Implementing talent assessment tools can present some challenges that organizations should be aware of:

  • Perception of unfairness: If not implemented properly, talent assessments can be perceived as unfair or biased. It’s important to ensure the assessments are validated, reliable, and avoid any discrimination. Clear communication about the process is key.
  • Cost: Talent assessments, especially if customized, can have significant upfront and ongoing costs. Organizations need to weigh the costs versus the benefits and potential ROI.
  • Time investment: Implementing assessments takes time for selection, customization, validation, and training. This is an investment that can pay off through better hires and efficiencies, but requires effort.
  • Integration with existing systems: Getting talent data into HR systems, integrating with existing applicant tracking systems, and analyzing data requires IT effort. Appropriate technical resources are needed.
  • Adoption challenges: Gaining support from hiring managers and ensuring assessments are used appropriately requires change management and training. Without buy-in, the tools won’t be used effectively.
  • Legal compliance: Talent assessments must comply with employment laws and avoid any unintentional discrimination. Organizations should involve legal/compliance teams and follow best practices.
  • Data security: Using talent assessments means collecting and storing sensitive candidate data. Ensuring data security and privacy is paramount.

With sufficient planning and resources, organizations can mitigate these potential challenges of implementing talent assessment tools. The long-term benefits often outweigh the upfront effort required.

 

 

Conclusion

Talent assessment tools have become a critical component of the recruitment process for modern organizations. As we have explored in this guide, these tools provide immense value through their ability to screen candidates, accurately measure skills and potential, and inform employee development strategies efficiently

The top talent assessment tools we analyzed all have unique strengths and limitations depending on the needs of your organization. Factors like cost, implementation, and feasibility of customization should be carefully evaluated before choosing the right tool for your needs. 

To recap, talent assessment tools lead to informed hiring decisions, data-driven workforce planning, and more engaged and productive employees. The benefits they offer make the investment worthwhile for most organizations.

If you are looking to leverage talent assessments, now is the time to act. Try out some of the tools mentioned in a free trial to experience the capabilities firsthand. For a customized recommendation or to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact our team of experts. We are ready to partner with you to transform your hiring and talent management process.