Which Career Assessment Tools Do SMBs Use?
In the quest to optimize talent management, we asked six top business leaders and HR professionals about their favorite career assessment tools. From Confirm’s power with networked workforces to the unconventional Coffee-O-Meter, these leaders share the tools that have proven effective in their respective businesses. Explore these six insightful responses to discover new ways to assess and enhance your team’s potential.
- Confirm: Harnessing Networked Workforces
- CliftonStrengths: Aligning Strengths with Roles
- Personal SWOT Analysis: Boosting Emotional Intelligence
- 16pf® Reports: Reflecting on Career Options
- MBTI: Enhancing Team Communication and Understanding
- Coffee-O-Meter: Unconventional Productivity Gauge
Confirm: Harnessing Networked Workforces
We’ve loved using Confirm at our company because it’s easy to gather feedback from across the organization, and we’ve found that the data and insights generated are more accurate and applicable than previous tools.
The brilliance of Confirm is that it understands that modern organizations are not as hierarchical and segmented as they used to be, and the system is built to tap into the ‘networked’ nature of modern workforces.
We’ve been able to more easily identify our top performers using this tool.
Brett Ungashick, CEO and CHRO, OutSail
CliftonStrengths: Aligning Strengths with Roles
As a CEO, one of my favorite career assessment tools that we use in our business is the CliftonStrengths assessment, formerly known as StrengthsFinder.
This tool is based on positive psychology research and identifies an individual’s unique strengths and talents. It provides valuable insights into employees’ natural abilities, enabling us to align their strengths with their roles and responsibilities within the organization.
The CliftonStrengths assessment allows individuals to discover their top strengths out of a list of 34 themes. These strengths encompass various aspects such as strategic thinking, relationship building, execution, and influencing. By understanding employees’ strengths, we can leverage their talents and create opportunities for them to excel in areas that come naturally to them.
The assessment not only helps employees gain self-awareness and appreciation for their strengths, but it also enhances team dynamics.
Sai Blackbyrn, CEO, Coach Foundation
Personal SWOT Analysis: Boosting Emotional Intelligence
My favorite tool as an HR Professional is the personal SWOT analysis. Many business students use the methodology, but it works in a personal manner as well. It challenges the person completing it to look inward and be fully honest.
We are not perfect. We are works in progress, and by completing this thought-provoking exercise, one can help increase their emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence allows an awakening of what you know you can do, what you know you can’t do, and ways to have continuous improvement.
Life can be happening for us if we learn to be true to ourselves. By conducting this type of important assessment, we can be who we’re called to be and not default on ourselves. I believe we shrink and do not stand out because we don’t do our shadow work.
We always point outward and share how great others are because we are peering in their windows when we simply need to take a damp cloth and wipe ours off to see differently. Once we nail this down, life changes and so do we.
Tanya Turner, MBA, SHRM-CP, PHR, HR Director, SALTO Systems, Inc
16pf® Reports: Reflecting on Career Options
We utilize the 16pf® Career Success Report & 16pf® Career Development Report as our preferred career assessment tools. These reports analyze an individual’s 16pf® scores and match them with potential professional areas and occupations.
This systematic approach enables them to reflect on their career options, aspirations, and strengths. The reports provide valuable feedback across five key themes: problem-solving, coping with stress, interpersonal interaction styles, organizational roles and preferences, and career-related interests. Along with the feedback, we also offer a dedicated opportunity to discuss and plan actionable steps based on the prompts provided.
One remarkable feature of these reports is it helps identify their unique personality characteristics and describe the behaviors they are likely to exhibit in various situations. This valuable insight allows one to focus on their desired career paths while also considering areas to explore for further education and personal growth.
Darsha Patel, Associate Consultant, Naman HR
MBTI: Enhancing Team Communication and Understanding
One of my favorite recognized and respected career assessment tools is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is often used in the workplace to enhance communication, teamwork, and overall understanding among team members.
The MBTI helps individuals understand their own communication preferences as well as those of their colleagues. This knowledge can foster effective communication by highlighting differences in communication styles and providing strategies to bridge those gaps. By understanding the MBTI types of team members, businesses can create diverse teams that balance different strengths and perspectives.
The MBTI can provide insights into how individuals approach problem-solving, decision-making, and work styles. This tool can provide insights into an individual’s natural inclinations, strengths, and areas of interest. By using the MBTI, businesses can tailor leadership development programs and support leaders in their personal and professional growth.
Georgi Todorov, Founder, ThriveMyWay
Coffee-O-Meter: Unconventional Productivity Gauge
My favorite career assessment tool in the business world is the “Coffee-O-Meter”! It’s not your typical psychometric test, but hear me out. It measures the coffee intake levels of employees to gauge their productivity and job satisfaction.
You see, the correlation between caffeine consumption and work performance is a well-documented phenomenon. Just ask those Starbucks baristas working at lightning speed! So, armed with this ingenious tool, I’ve discovered that a 3-cup-a-day employee is 78% more likely to excel at multitasking, while a 5-cup warrior is the MVP of tight deadlines.
It’s like a crystal ball for predicting success! Plus, the Coffee-O-Meter saves me from boring questionnaires and provides tangible, java-fueled evidence. Who needs personality tests when you’ve got caffeine levels, right?
Himanshu Sharma, CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing