3 Things That Only the Best Personality Assessments Can Offer

The McQuaig headquarters are located in downtown Toronto, and like many big cities, Toronto’s streets feature a lot of hot dog stands. But with one on every corner, how could you possibly figure out which one offers the most delicious sausage? Through a significant amount of research, I have concluded that the best hot dog stands in Toronto are ones with a wide selection of toppings. I’m talking about the elaborate stuff, like sauerkraut and corn. If the stand you’re approaching only has a few condiments and some pickles or onions, keep on walking. It’s just not worth it.

Interestingly, the same mindset can be applied to personality assessments – if they don’t have the right benefits, you’re better off to just keep walking. So how can you tell which personality assessments are the best? Check for these three toppings:

Ease of Use

In a time when user experience is everything, you simply can’t be bothered with an assessment that’s difficult to work with. The best personality assessments come with a simple platform that can be accessed from anywhere. The assessments should also be quick to complete and provide easily digestible reports. You and your colleagues shouldn’t have to waste a whole day completing a survey and trying to decipher what it means. That would be like spending your entire lunch break waiting for a hot dog – no good for anyone.

Flexibility

If you like mayo and mustard but your colleague is a “strictly ketchup” kind of guy, what good is a vendor that gives you both relish? Flexibility with personality assessments is key in a number of ways:

1. One size rarely fits all. You need to be able to create profiles for positions that are right for you. Your assessment should have multiple ways to define a role, plus the ability to tweak it over time if necessary.
2. Different people require different reports at different stages of the process – hiring or otherwise. You need to be able to pick and choose your reporting to match these needs.
3. With profiles in your database, you should be able to compare and contrast them in a variety of ways. A personality assessment that offers you different views will help you to do more with the information.

Ongoing Support

The best personality assessments aren’t just about assessing. They’re about truly helping the people who administer them, as well as the people who take them. Support through training and implementation is great, but it’s better to have ongoing consulting as you come across interesting scenarios or want to expand the application. The best assessments include a responsive support team who genuinely cares about making things work for you. Support is what separates mediocre personality assessments from top options. It may just be the most important piece.

Although selecting the wrong personality assessment will likely have longer-term implications than choosing the wrong hot dog vendor, both can leave you feeling pretty disappointed. I might not be able to help you on the lunch side of things, but keep this post in mind as you consider your personality assessment options, and you should be good on the assessment side of things.