Top 5 Workstyle Assessments to Boost Hiring Success

In recent weeks, clients have asked us about using workstyle assessments (aka personality and psychometric assessments) to aid in their hiring decisions. While many companies already use tools like Myers-Briggs, CliftonStrengths, and DiSC for talent development, team dynamics, and succession planning, we want to focus on which assessments best support hiring decisions and how to integrate them effectively into the interview process. Here are the top five options and why and when to use them.

The Benefits of Using Assessments

Reducing Mishires

The cost of a mishire can be significant, estimated at 30-50% of an employee’s annual salary. Expenses include recruitment, onboarding, lost productivity, team disruptions, and the time needed to hire a replacement. Additionally, there’s the burden of wasted time, retraining, and the overall malaise when someone just isn’t the right fit. Yet, 50% of newly hired employees report experiencing some form of job mismatch, which can impair productivity, job satisfaction, and ultimately lead to higher turnover. Assessments can uncover potential mismatches that interviews or work exercises fail to surface.

Analyzing Job Fit

Assessments can clarify whether a candidate has the soft skills to succeed, align with team dynamics, and would genuinely enjoy and excel in the role. They’re also effective in identifying potential friction points early, helping both candidates and hiring teams make better, mutually beneficial decisions.

The Top 5 Assessments for Talent Acquisition

Here’s a breakdown of five prominent assessments frequently used in recruitment:

1. Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment (PI)

• Primary Focus: Measures behavioral traits like dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality to predict how candidates may handle various work scenarios.
• Optimal Usage: Particularly useful for aligning candidates to roles, understanding team dynamics, and assessing factors that support job satisfaction and long-term success.
• Insights Provided: Offers a look into a candidate’s core drives and behaviors, showing how they may approach tasks, manage stress, and interact with others.
• Potential Drawbacks: Limited in offering deeper personality insights, as it primarily focuses on behavior rather than motivations.
• Typical Users: Nissan, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Cost: Subscription-based; details available upon request.
• Format & Duration: Online, typically takes 5-15 minutes.

2. Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI)

• Primary Focus: Evaluates personality characteristics predictive of job performance, including reliability, leadership potential, and interpersonal skills.
• Optimal Usage: Works well for recruitment, succession planning, and identifying high-potential candidates who align with company values and needs.
• Insights Provided: Highlights traits linked to workplace success, with a focus on integrity, ambition, and sociability.
• Potential Drawbacks: Interpretation can be complex, often requiring trained assessors to ensure accuracy.
• Typical Users: Cisco, Coca-Cola, Deloitte.
• Cost: Roughly $100-$200 per assessment.
• Format & Duration: Online; takes about 15-20 minutes.

3. Gallup CliftonStrengths

• Primary Focus: Identifies an individual’s top talents across 34 themes (e.g., Analytical, Achiever, Communication) to support strengths-based development.
• Optimal Usage: Ideal for aligning individuals with roles, enhancing engagement, and maximizing talent potential by focusing on strengths.
• Insights Provided: Offers a strengths profile that aligns employees with roles suited to their abilities, fostering productivity and satisfaction.
• Potential Drawbacks: Does not assess weaknesses, which may be necessary for roles needing specific developmental insights.
• Typical Users: Facebook, Google, Best Buy.
• Cost: $19.99 for the top 5 strengths; $49.99 for the full 34 report.
• Format & Duration: Online, taking 30-45 minutes.

4. Harrison Assessments

• Primary Focus: Measures individual traits and work preferences, helping organizations predict job success and satisfaction.
• Optimal Usage: Effective for recruitment, talent development, and aligning employees with roles that match their motivations and preferences.
• Insights Provided: Assesses 175 traits, including motivations, interests, and work environment preferences, resulting in a detailed profile.
• Potential Drawbacks: Time-intensive for respondents, which may impact response quality if engagement wanes.
• Typical Users: Caterpillar, FedEx, various government agencies.
• Cost: Pricing varies; available upon request.
• Format & Duration: Online, approximately 25-30 minutes.

5. SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ)

• Primary Focus: Analyzes personality characteristics and work styles to assess role fit and team dynamics.
• Optimal Usage: Commonly used for recruitment and talent development, offering insight into a candidate’s interaction style, task approach, and cultural fit.
• Insights Provided: Provides a personality profile covering traits like resilience, adaptability, and teamwork potential.
• Potential Drawbacks: Comprehensive interpretation often requires trained professionals, adding complexity.
• Typical Users: Accenture, Bank of America, Pfizer.
• Cost: Available upon request with options based on specific needs.
• Format & Duration: Online, typically 25-40 minutes.

When to Use Assessments in the Hiring Process

Timing is critical for making the most of these assessments. Typically, workstyle assessments are most valuable after initial screenings and interviews, yet before making the final decision. At this point, the test acts as a helpful tool for gaining extra insights into each candidate's fit and spotting areas that might need a closer look. Using assessments too early may eliminate candidates with strong qualifications prematurely, while using them too late leaves little room for thoughtful interpretation.

Legality, Bias & Other Considerations

Here are several best practices around using personality and psychometric assessments in hiring:

1. Legal & ADA Compliance: Ensure the test complies with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) guidelines and does not introduce biases or disadvantages for any group. Employers are also required to provide reasonable accommodations if a candidate has a disability that affects their ability to take a test fairly.
2. Relevance to Job Performance: Select assessments that measure traits directly linked to job performance for the specific role. Look for tests that cover key areas like adaptability, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving if they are relevant to the role.
3. Cultural Fit vs. Role Fit: Decide if you need an assessment that evaluates cultural fit (alignment with company values) or role fit (specific competencies needed for the job). While both are important, they may require different assessments.
4. Ease of Administration and Interpretation: The assessment should be straightforward for candidates to take and for hiring managers or trained administrators to interpret. Complex scoring and interpretation may require additional time and could increase the risk of misinterpretation.
5. Length and Candidate Experience: Lengthy or challenging assessments can deter candidates. Aim for assessments that are concise yet effective to create a positive candidate experience and prevent drop-offs.
6. Benchmarking and Comparison: Tests that include benchmarking capabilities allow you to compare candidates against top performers or industry standards rather than just the general population.
7. Feedback and Development: Consider tests that not only assess candidates but also provide feedback for future development. This is especially useful if the test will also be used for ongoing employee development.

Conclusion

Incorporating workstyle assessments into your recruitment process can lead to more informed hiring decisions and stronger team dynamics. When used thoughtfully, these tools provide valuable insights into each candidate’s strengths, behavioral tendencies, and potential areas of friction.?

Have you used assessments in your interview process? We’d like to hear from you! Get in touch or leave us a comment below.?