In the pursuit of career progression and personal growth, it is helpful to have an accurate understanding of your abilities, personality traits, strengths, and leadership capabilities. Accurate meaning – objective. Understanding is not clouded by emotion or bias.
Professional assessments offer objective insights that can help you make strategic decisions regarding your career choices, how to lead or communicate with teams, or identify areas for improvement.
Importantly, there are no pass or fail implications with these assessments, although depending on the assessment, you will be offered suggestions on how to strengthen a skill or be provided different ways to think about the application of a topic.
Here are my choices for the top 10 assessments for professionals and executives:
1. Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment
- What it measures: Individual strengths.
- Why it’s helpful: It aids in leveraging your top strengths for maximum productivity and satisfaction at work.
- Company and link: Gallup. Take the test.
2. DISC Profile
- What it measures: Personality traits and behavioral style.
- Why it’s helpful: DISC provides insights into your work style and interactions with others.
- Company and link: Disc Profile. Take the test.
3. Hogan Assessments
- What it measures: Personality characteristics, risk of career derailment, core values, and cognitive reasoning ability.
- Why it’s helpful: These assessments help identify your work-related behaviors, potential challenges, and motivational drivers.
- Company and link: Hogan Assessments. Take the test.
4. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
- What it measures: Personality types.
- Why it’s helpful: MBTI helps you understand how you perceive the world and make decisions.
- Company and link: The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Take the test.
5. Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)
- What it measures: Leadership behaviors.
- Why it’s helpful: This tool helps leaders understand how their actions are perceived and how they can improve their leadership skills.
- Company and link: Wiley. Take the test.
6. Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal
- What it measures: Critical thinking skills.
- Why it’s helpful: Understanding your critical thinking abilities can help improve your decision-making and problem-solving.
- Company and link: Pearson TalentLens. Take the test.
7. EQ-i 2.0
- What it measures: Emotional intelligence.
- Why it’s helpful: By identifying your emotional strengths and weaknesses, this tool can help you enhance your leadership abilities and manage stress more effectively.
- Company and link: Multi-Health Systems Inc. Take the test.
8. Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment
- What it measures: Dominant behavioral drives and needs.
- Why it’s helpful: It offers insights into your workplace behavior, which can boost your job satisfaction.
- Company and link: The Predictive Index. Take the test.
9. Strong Interest Inventory
- What it measures: Career and interest preferences.
- Why it’s helpful: It helps individuals identify their career interests, helping guide educational choices and career paths.
- Company and link: The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Take the test.
10. Enneagram
- What it measures: Personality typology based on nine interconnected types.
- Why it’s helpful: The Enneagram provides insights into your basic motivations, fears, and desires, helping you to understand your behavior and improve personal and professional relationships.
- Company and link: The Enneagram Institute. Take the test.
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