Before you take a company's predictive index behavioral assessment, make sure you know how to get the results you want

Depending on your career goals and chosen field of employment, you may eventually apply for a position with a company that wants you to take a test to determine your fitness for a particular job. One of the most common tests used is the predictive index behavioral assessment, which is designed to help employers assess personality and cognition. Fortunately, there are ways that you can prepare for these tests to help you get the kind of results the company wants to see.

In this post, we'll examine why companies use these personality assessments in their hiring processes. We'll also explore some of the ways that you can prepare for a PI behavioral assessment, to increase your chances of being hired by the companies that use them.

What is the predictive index behavioral assessment?

There are two primary types of predictive index tests used by companies in their hiring process. These tests include the Predictive Index Cognitive Assessment (PICA) and the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment (PIBA). Each is designed to test a particular area of intelligence or personality in candidates who are applying for open positions.

Companies that use these tests for hiring new employees do so because the assessments are believed to be free from bias and proven by scientific study. According to some estimates, more than 25 million people have taken the assessments since they were first introduced. Most of the companies that employ these tests use them early in the candidate selection process, as a way to shrink the overall pool of candidates by focusing on those whose test results offer the most promise.

To better understand why companies use them, it can be helpful to consider the traits that these tests attempt to assess.

Predictive Index Cognitive Assessment

Many companies are looking for employees who possess more than just a strong set of skills. They also want candidates who have strong cognitive abilities. They understand that employees who can think in an abstract way are more likely to be capable of adapting to change as the company expands and grows. The PICA test measures cognitive ability in an unbiased way, assessing each candidate's language and numerical reasoning skills by asking them to answer a series of questions in a set period of time.

Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment

The PIBA focuses on a job candidate's personality traits to assess how well they will fit within their desired role at the company. In addition, this test gives employers a better idea of how that potential employee's personality might align with the company's existing culture. Companies that use this test tend to be focused on ensuring that they build high-performing teams composed of people whose personalities are well-suited for the firms' unique work environment.

How does the predictive index behavioral assessment work?

The PIBA test is designed to assess four specific traits, which are scored to provide employers with insight that can help them to predict how well your personality will align with the job you're seeking. The test itself requires you to select from a list of adjectives that describe 1) how you think others expect you to act; and 2) how you perceive yourself. You can choose as many adjectives as you want as you answer each of the two questions.

Those answers are then compiled into a snapshot personality profile that should provide employers with some kind of idea about how you might behave in a given job role. These profiles are divided into several different categories, including analyzer, social, stabilizing, and persistent profiles. They offer insight into four key factors:

  • Dominance, which attempts to predict your need to exercise control over your external environment and other people

  • Patience, which refers to your desire for stability and tendency to remain calm and measured during times of stress

  • Extraversion, or your comfort with social interaction

  • Formality, and reliance on structure, standards, and rules

What type of results will the assessment produce?

Your test answers are used to create a personality profile that employers can use to assess your potential fit for a job role. There are 17 possible profiles, and each describes different candidate personalities, motivations, and tendencies. Those profile types are described below.

Analytical profiles

  • Analyzer: People with this profile tend to be focused on details and thoughtful analysis of evidence and facts that they use to make informed, reason-based decisions.

  • Controller: This profile is associated with people who have tremendous self-management skills. They are rules-based, fast-paced, and driven to get things done as accurately and efficiently as possible.

  • Specialist: This personality profile describes people who are focused on understanding details and ideas to ensure that everything is done properly. They tend to be loyal, somewhat cautious, and excellent in collaborative settings.

  • Strategist: The strategist profile includes anyone who is always considering the big picture when making decisions. These people focus on facts over personalities, maintain tight control of their area of responsibility, and exercise decisiveness when they're rendering decisions.

  • Venturer: This profile includes self-motivated individuals who are driven to innovate and explore new ideas. They tend to resist established boundaries as they seek to impact their environment and overcome challenges.

Social profiles

  • Altruist: As the name suggests, this profile best describes people who focus on helping others. As employees, they are at their best when supporting management and colleagues, thanks to their attention to detail and commitment to getting things right.

  • Captain: The captain profile describes people with strong leadership abilities who are able to inspire those around them to achieve loftier heights of success. They tend to have strong wills and a well-developed sense of independence, but are also adept at forging connections with those around them.

  • Collaborator: This profile suggests that a candidate has the type of patience, empathy, and other interpersonal skills needed to be an effective team player.

  • Maverick: If your score suggests that you fit this profile, chances are that you have all the traits associated with a visionary personality. Mavericks tend to buck the status quo and take risks to effect the change they seek.

  • Persuader: This profile indicates a personality that focuses on leading through motivation and persuasion. These leaders are also risk-takers, effective decision-makers, and comfortable with all manner of social interactions.

  • Promoter: People with this profile are often among the most charismatic individuals in any setting. They are usually well-liked, skilled in conflict resolution, and supportive of those around them.

Stabilizing profiles

  • Adapter: If you're an adapter, chances are that you're even-tempered and moderate in your motivations. Adapters tend to be moderating forces, whose drives are sometimes difficult to determine.

  • Craftsman: This personality profile suggests a person who is detail-oriented, focused on precision, and deliberate in all that they do. They are comfortable in group efforts or solo endeavors, and always on-task.

  • Guardian: These people are champions of structure and focused on details. They can be among the most reliable employees, due to their relentless selflessness and commitment to results.

  • Operator: A person with this profile can be a great addition to any team. They are a stable presence, always willing to cooperate with others, and patient in all that they do.

Persistent profiles

  • Individualist: These people can help to drive innovation, thanks to their big picture approach to life and freewheeling style. Individualists never shy away from a challenge, and rarely miss an opportunity to try to bring ideas to life.

  • Scholar: This is the profile of someone who operates well in an independent setting as they focus on a disciplined approach to mastering their field of expertise. They are often particularly well-suited to roles that require research, analysis, and similar skills.

How to choose the right predictive index behavioral assessment answers

Obviously, you want to get the right score for any predictive index behavioral assessment, but to do that you need to know how to choose the right answers. Naturally, that might seem like a truly daunting task, since you have no way of knowing which personality type any given employer prefers. Fortunately, however, there are some steps that you can take to maximize your odds of acing the PIBA. We've outlined some of the best tips below.

1.      Take time to research the company and position

One of the most important things that you can do to prepare for a predictive index behavioral assessment is to do your homework on the company and job role. Each company will have different goals in mind when they use these tests, so you need to know as much as you can about a firm's culture and vision if you want to tailor your responses to achieve the right results.

As you explore the company's website and marketing efforts, try to identify some core values that you may share with the organization. What is its business strategy and its relationship with its customers and employees? What does the company claim to care about? If their webpage contains employee information, try to get a better understanding of the type of people they currently employ.

With that information in hand, start thinking about your own strengths and values. Which of your talents, abilities, and personality traits would likely be most in alignment with the company's needs? Is the job you are applying for one that requires self-management or is it closely monitored by supervisors? Will most of your duties be performed in isolation or will you be working collaboratively as part of a team? Is the position customer-facing or will you have little interaction with clients?

2.      Examine the job description closely

You'll also need to spend time examining the job description and posting, to identify the types of adjectives that you will want to choose when you take the PIBA. While the job post probably won't provide you with the exact adjectives you'll encounter in the test, you can usually use that job description to narrow down your options. For example:

Begin by identifying any descriptive words that refer to work habits or personality traits. These can include words like self-motivated, proactive, team-oriented, strategic, logical, and adaptable. These adjectives may not be exact matches for those you will encounter in a PIBA test, but you should be able to identify synonyms that are close enough in meaning to align with the company's needs.

If you see references to customer satisfaction, retention, or service, you can expect that you'll have some interaction with customers if you're hired. When you take the test, be sure to select adjectives that describe you as someone who is comfortable interacting with other people. These can include words like persuasive, talkative, communicative, and other terms that reflect an extroverted personality.

By analyzing the job description, you should be able to isolate the best traits for that position and then choose adjectives that match the company's needs. The idea is to answer the predictive index behavioral assessment questions in a way that helps to create the personality profile best suited for a given position.

3.      Take PIBA practice tests to familiarize yourself with the format

Once you've identified the right adjectives for the role you're seeking, you might want to take a few practice predictive index behavioral assessment tests. There are a variety of sample tests that you can take for free online, so feel free to try as many of them as you like. By practicing with these sample tests, you can get a better understanding of how different combinations of answers can impact the resulting personality description.

If your results seem at odds with what you expect the company to want from its candidates, try to adjust your answers to emphasize strengths that align with the employer's needs. While you want to be honest as you take the test, that doesn't mean that you can't emphasize your strengths and downplay your weaknesses. If selecting certain adjectives seems to have a negative impact on your profile results, then omit them to see how that affects the resulting score.

4.      Don't overemphasize any traits

As you practice with the sample test, make sure that you don't exaggerate any traits. Often, these tests will contain multiple synonyms describing similar personality traits. You should try to choose just one or two of those and resist the temptation to select them all. Selecting each of those adjectives could lead to skewed results.

5.      Try to be consistent

As you take each part of the predictive index behavioral assessment test, focus on consistency. When you choose adjectives for the first part, you will be selecting words that describe what you think others expect from you at work. Keep those adjectives in mind when you get to the second part of the test so that you choose similar adjectives when describing yourself. If there's too much incongruity between those two answers, it could be a red flag for employers.

After all, if you think that others want you to be talkative at work, but you choose to describe yourself as withdrawn or non-communicative, that inconsistency is likely to be reflected in the test results. If your answers to the two questions seem to be at odds with one another, the employer will notice and may be less inclined to consider you for the position.

6.      Be honest

Yes, we referred to honesty in an earlier tip, but it deserves to be mentioned again. You will obviously want to score positively on your predictive index behavioral assessment, and that might tempt you to provide misleading answers. After all, if you think you understand the type of personality traits the employer is looking for, why not just say whatever you need to say to land the job? Moreover, why are we offering tips to help you ace the test if we expect you to be totally honest?

The answer is simple: the goal of these tips is to help you learn how to take the test in a way that emphasizes the right strengths. That doesn't mean that you should pretend to have those traits. Remember, this type of personality test is designed to match your personality to a given job – but it shouldn't be viewed as something that only benefits employers. An honest assessment just might help you to realize that the role is not suited for your career path.

Prepare for your PIBA test to get the results you need

If you're seeking a role that requires a certain type of personality, you should always be prepared for the possibility that you will be asked to participate in a predictive index behavioral assessment. By taking the time to familiarize yourself with these tests and using the preparation tips we've outlined in this post, you should be able to achieve the results you want and increase your chances of landing the job.

Once you pass that personality test, don't forget to make sure that you're prepared for your interview too. Get in touch with our career coaches today and let them help you to take the next step on your journey to career success!

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