Revealing Professional Interests with Tailored Assessments

Back at work and already counting down to your next holiday, dreaming of immersing yourself in your favourite hobby? But what is it about this hobby that captivates you so much? What if this passion could become your career—something you could enjoy every day? That feeling of energy, of being completely absorbed, is more than just enthusiasm. It’s the pull of an interest, a natural drive to engage in something that brings you joy and fulfilment, something you want to experience as often as possible.

But how do we translate this sense of happiness into work, creating that feeling of being in the right place and doing something that feels like our calling? Because, no, we don’t choose our interests; we reveal them!And to do so, an interest test allows us to identify them.

Two Ways to Assess Interests – Classic and Gamified Approaches

The VOCATION Test: Bringing Meaning to Career Paths

As a leading tool for evaluating professional interests, the VOCATION test stands out with its user-friendly questionnaire, guiding you through various scenarios and sparking inspiration with its mini-stories. No technical knowledge or complex problem-solving is required to complete VOCATION, as its questions are designed to tap into personal interests and motivations, helping to reveal what truly drives us.

The IMMERSION Test: A Gamified Experience to Reveal Passions Differently

IMMERSION is a next-generation test that reveals professional interests in a playful way. Highly appreciated by younger audiences and those interested in new trends, it modernises the classic test by offering an interactive version of the evaluation. Through its immersive mini-stories, it transports participants into different worlds that ignite the imagination, allowing them to project themselves into real-life professional situations.

Based on Holland’s RIASEC model, the most widely used framework for identifying interests globally, these tests analyse and combine 12 interest areas to provide a unique profile for each individual. The detailed reports offer a comprehensive analysis of a person’s interests, values, potential skills, learning style, and preferred work environments to guide career decisions.

In Career Assessments: Giving Meaning to Professional Paths

Do you enjoy your job? It’s a big question—and one that resonates deeply with those undergoing a career assessment. Often, it’s the very reason people seek a career review, driven by a need for change, self-discovery, and the desire to find meaning in their career path. With VOCATION, individuals get the clarity they need, helping them understand their current situation and define a future that better aligns with their aspirations.

How to Use VOCATION in Career Assessments

A staple in career assessments, VOCATION is used from the outset, with its results guiding reflections throughout the process. The individual’s complete interest profile is established and compared with past employment experiences. This allows the person to review their career in light of what they enjoyed and gained from their experiences, as well as what may have caused dissatisfaction or a sense of being out of place. From there, the person can envision their future, having retraced their career path and understood their current position.

Throughout this process, the individual draws on various insights from their profile, such as: the activities that appeal to them most, the sectors that suit them best, the environments that enable them to thrive, the values that should guide their choices, and the learning style that may enhance their success in training, among other factors.

For instance, a person with a “realistic-artist-social” profile may realise that their previous job, held for many years, rarely engaged their “artist” interest, leading to a strong sense of dissatisfaction and feeling out of place. While their role as a transport driver highlighted their “realistic” and “social” interests, it neglected their “artist” side. They may also recognize that they worked in an environment that did not align with their personality—highly regulated and routine—when they sought more freedom to express their imagination and creativity. The elements revealed by their profile could confirm their desire to transition into interior design to fully express themselves.

In Annual Reviews: The Ideal Tool to Boost Motivation

Are your employees “in their element”? This expression, meaning to be in the right place where one can fully express their potential, prompts us to ask if each employee is truly where they thrive, at the intersection of their passions, skills, and personal goals. When this alignment occurs, it results in motivated, efficient, and committed employees.

The annual review is an opportunity to assess their level of satisfaction and (re)define stimulating missions that align with both the employees’ aspirations and the company’s needs. The IMMERSION test, with its playful and engaging format, adds an element of fun to this often-dreaded exercise.

How to Use IMMERSION in Annual Reviews

It takes just 10 to 12 minutes to complete the test, and the report serves as a framework for the review discussion. Clear and well-documented, the report reveals what the employee enjoys doing, how they prefer to work, in what type of environment, with whom, at what pace, under what supervision—or without it—as well as their discomfort zones and what might demotivate them. With this information, both employer and employee can work together to identify the best approach for enhancing the employee’s engagement through clear, exciting, and personalised objectives.

For example, an employee with a strong interest in “investigation” might be drawn to tasks involving research, analysis, or problem-solving. Allowing them to work on projects that involve conducting research, tackling complex issues, and learning through their work could significantly stimulate this employee. The review could also explore advanced training opportunities to further develop their skills and expand their knowledge.

Another employee, with well-developed “social” and “entrepreneurial” interests, might flourish in roles that prioritise human interaction, such as training or support. In this case, mentoring roles within the team, onboarding new employees, or providing expertise training could be considered.

In Recruitment: Retaining New Employees

What are you doing to keep your employees happy, motivated, and productive? This starts right at the recruitment stage, and personality and aptitude tests alone won’t answer this question. VOCATION and IMMERSION step in by adding an emotional dimension to the evaluation process, shedding light on what drives a candidate’s engagement in tasks and their commitment to the company. By identifying what excites the candidate and contributes to their well-being from the outset, the employer can create a role that meets the needs and aspirations of the future employee.

How to Use Interest Tests in Recruitment

Unlike career assessments, where the insights guide the candidate’s reflection, in recruitment, the recruiter seeks to better understand the candidate to help them thrive. The recruiter ensures that the company culture aligns with the candidate’s values, explores the types of tasks or projects that interest them, the materials they prefer working with, and even what they might find demotivating, so tasks and the work environment can be adjusted to match the candidate’s interests. While VOCATION may suit more traditional company cultures, IMMERSION is ideal for dynamic or innovative cultures and is particularly appealing to younger generations.

For instance, a library assistant is recruited to join the team. The tasks involve both public interaction and research duties. However, after reviewing the VOCATION or IMMERSION test results, the recruiter notices that the candidate has a “conventional-investigative-artist” profile and lacks the “social” interest typically associated with this profession, indicating a lack of enthusiasm for customer interaction. This insight allows the recruiter to discuss with the candidate the possibility of focusing more on book research, archiving, inventory, and organising exhibitions, rather than front-desk duties and customer support. In doing so, the recruiter ensures a happy and engaged employee who feels understood in their needs.

Unlike personality traits, the elements measured by VOCATION and IMMERSION gradually evolve over time. It is therefore possible to retake these tests at different career stages. Individuals can then adjust their paths based on newly discovered interests and what truly drives them, ensuring they remain aligned with their goals and progress on a meaningful career trajectory.

Try VOCATION and IMMERSION here!