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Three things everyone gets wrong about assessments

Author
Dr. Reece Akhtar
Created on
January 28, 2026

It's may only be August, but many HR departments have already begun their talent planning for next year. When choosing an assessment for your future talent programs, avoid making these three mistakes:

#1 Ignoring scientific theory & data

Whether you are trying to assess personality, cognitive ability, or hard skills, not all assessments are equal. Many are not grounded in science, cannot demonstrate their accuracy, or produce unbiased insights.

Pro tip: When talking to an assessment vendor, always ask for a copy of their technical manual. In the spirit of transparency, you can view the Core Drivers technical manual online.

#2 Overlooking the user-experience

Your people are busy. Asking them to complete a 30 minute survey that looks like it was designed in the 2000s will not garner adoption or facilitate accurate responses. Your talent assessment strategy needs to meet people where they are, not be forced upon them.

Pro tip: Prioritize the user experience by choosing an assessment that can be completed quickly, on any device, and can be integrated into your existing systems. For example, it only takes 7 mins to complete a Deeper Signals assessment.

#3 Offering static or inaccessible feedback

We all know that the typical feedback report is no longer fit for purpose. They either take the form of overly simplistic PDF reports that contain little helpful advice for the employee, or are complex and require a consultant to decode them.

Pro tip: Modern technologies allow you to offer personalized and dynamic feedback so that everyone can understand their results and receive the tools to support their development. In fact, last month we released DynaMo to provide users with continuous feedback that drives change.

So how can Deeper Signals help?

Our cutting-edge platform is the antithesis of traditional assessments. Taking a modern approach, our tools provide a scalable, frictionless and offer a highly practical experience.

Whether its senior executives or individual contributors, we can provide your people with the feedback and data that transforms performance.

Try the Core Drivers assessment for yourself and get a peak into what your future talent assessment strategy could be.

All posts

Three things everyone gets wrong about assessments

Author
Dr. Reece Akhtar
Created on

It's may only be August, but many HR departments have already begun their talent planning for next year. When choosing an assessment for your future talent programs, avoid making these three mistakes:

#1 Ignoring scientific theory & data

Whether you are trying to assess personality, cognitive ability, or hard skills, not all assessments are equal. Many are not grounded in science, cannot demonstrate their accuracy, or produce unbiased insights.

Pro tip: When talking to an assessment vendor, always ask for a copy of their technical manual. In the spirit of transparency, you can view the Core Drivers technical manual online.

#2 Overlooking the user-experience

Your people are busy. Asking them to complete a 30 minute survey that looks like it was designed in the 2000s will not garner adoption or facilitate accurate responses. Your talent assessment strategy needs to meet people where they are, not be forced upon them.

Pro tip: Prioritize the user experience by choosing an assessment that can be completed quickly, on any device, and can be integrated into your existing systems. For example, it only takes 7 mins to complete a Deeper Signals assessment.

#3 Offering static or inaccessible feedback

We all know that the typical feedback report is no longer fit for purpose. They either take the form of overly simplistic PDF reports that contain little helpful advice for the employee, or are complex and require a consultant to decode them.

Pro tip: Modern technologies allow you to offer personalized and dynamic feedback so that everyone can understand their results and receive the tools to support their development. In fact, last month we released DynaMo to provide users with continuous feedback that drives change.

So how can Deeper Signals help?

Our cutting-edge platform is the antithesis of traditional assessments. Taking a modern approach, our tools provide a scalable, frictionless and offer a highly practical experience.

Whether its senior executives or individual contributors, we can provide your people with the feedback and data that transforms performance.

Try the Core Drivers assessment for yourself and get a peak into what your future talent assessment strategy could be.

All posts

Three things everyone gets wrong about assessments

Author
Dr. Reece Akhtar
Created on
January 28, 2026

It's may only be August, but many HR departments have already begun their talent planning for next year. When choosing an assessment for your future talent programs, avoid making these three mistakes:

#1 Ignoring scientific theory & data

Whether you are trying to assess personality, cognitive ability, or hard skills, not all assessments are equal. Many are not grounded in science, cannot demonstrate their accuracy, or produce unbiased insights.

Pro tip: When talking to an assessment vendor, always ask for a copy of their technical manual. In the spirit of transparency, you can view the Core Drivers technical manual online.

#2 Overlooking the user-experience

Your people are busy. Asking them to complete a 30 minute survey that looks like it was designed in the 2000s will not garner adoption or facilitate accurate responses. Your talent assessment strategy needs to meet people where they are, not be forced upon them.

Pro tip: Prioritize the user experience by choosing an assessment that can be completed quickly, on any device, and can be integrated into your existing systems. For example, it only takes 7 mins to complete a Deeper Signals assessment.

#3 Offering static or inaccessible feedback

We all know that the typical feedback report is no longer fit for purpose. They either take the form of overly simplistic PDF reports that contain little helpful advice for the employee, or are complex and require a consultant to decode them.

Pro tip: Modern technologies allow you to offer personalized and dynamic feedback so that everyone can understand their results and receive the tools to support their development. In fact, last month we released DynaMo to provide users with continuous feedback that drives change.

So how can Deeper Signals help?

Our cutting-edge platform is the antithesis of traditional assessments. Taking a modern approach, our tools provide a scalable, frictionless and offer a highly practical experience.

Whether its senior executives or individual contributors, we can provide your people with the feedback and data that transforms performance.

Try the Core Drivers assessment for yourself and get a peak into what your future talent assessment strategy could be.

All posts

Three things everyone gets wrong about assessments

Author
Dr. Reece Akhtar
Created on
January 28, 2026

It's may only be August, but many HR departments have already begun their talent planning for next year. When choosing an assessment for your future talent programs, avoid making these three mistakes:

#1 Ignoring scientific theory & data

Whether you are trying to assess personality, cognitive ability, or hard skills, not all assessments are equal. Many are not grounded in science, cannot demonstrate their accuracy, or produce unbiased insights.

Pro tip: When talking to an assessment vendor, always ask for a copy of their technical manual. In the spirit of transparency, you can view the Core Drivers technical manual online.

#2 Overlooking the user-experience

Your people are busy. Asking them to complete a 30 minute survey that looks like it was designed in the 2000s will not garner adoption or facilitate accurate responses. Your talent assessment strategy needs to meet people where they are, not be forced upon them.

Pro tip: Prioritize the user experience by choosing an assessment that can be completed quickly, on any device, and can be integrated into your existing systems. For example, it only takes 7 mins to complete a Deeper Signals assessment.

#3 Offering static or inaccessible feedback

We all know that the typical feedback report is no longer fit for purpose. They either take the form of overly simplistic PDF reports that contain little helpful advice for the employee, or are complex and require a consultant to decode them.

Pro tip: Modern technologies allow you to offer personalized and dynamic feedback so that everyone can understand their results and receive the tools to support their development. In fact, last month we released DynaMo to provide users with continuous feedback that drives change.

So how can Deeper Signals help?

Our cutting-edge platform is the antithesis of traditional assessments. Taking a modern approach, our tools provide a scalable, frictionless and offer a highly practical experience.

Whether its senior executives or individual contributors, we can provide your people with the feedback and data that transforms performance.

Try the Core Drivers assessment for yourself and get a peak into what your future talent assessment strategy could be.

All posts

Three things everyone gets wrong about assessments

Customer
Job Title

It's may only be August, but many HR departments have already begun their talent planning for next year. When choosing an assessment for your future talent programs, avoid making these three mistakes:

#1 Ignoring scientific theory & data

Whether you are trying to assess personality, cognitive ability, or hard skills, not all assessments are equal. Many are not grounded in science, cannot demonstrate their accuracy, or produce unbiased insights.

Pro tip: When talking to an assessment vendor, always ask for a copy of their technical manual. In the spirit of transparency, you can view the Core Drivers technical manual online.

#2 Overlooking the user-experience

Your people are busy. Asking them to complete a 30 minute survey that looks like it was designed in the 2000s will not garner adoption or facilitate accurate responses. Your talent assessment strategy needs to meet people where they are, not be forced upon them.

Pro tip: Prioritize the user experience by choosing an assessment that can be completed quickly, on any device, and can be integrated into your existing systems. For example, it only takes 7 mins to complete a Deeper Signals assessment.

#3 Offering static or inaccessible feedback

We all know that the typical feedback report is no longer fit for purpose. They either take the form of overly simplistic PDF reports that contain little helpful advice for the employee, or are complex and require a consultant to decode them.

Pro tip: Modern technologies allow you to offer personalized and dynamic feedback so that everyone can understand their results and receive the tools to support their development. In fact, last month we released DynaMo to provide users with continuous feedback that drives change.

So how can Deeper Signals help?

Our cutting-edge platform is the antithesis of traditional assessments. Taking a modern approach, our tools provide a scalable, frictionless and offer a highly practical experience.

Whether its senior executives or individual contributors, we can provide your people with the feedback and data that transforms performance.

Try the Core Drivers assessment for yourself and get a peak into what your future talent assessment strategy could be.

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Recent posts
Articles
Why Most Emotional Intelligence Training Targets the Wrong Traits
The trait your EI program is building may be the one that matters least. Here's what the facet-level research says to develop instead.New research maps 26 EI facets to the Big Five. Find implications for L&D in this blog.
Read more
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What the EU AI Act means for hiring and assessment tools: which rules apply, what they require, and how to prepare.
Read more
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A guide on how to run a bias audit on your AI assessment process: map tools, run the 4/5ths rule, document what regulators need.
Read more
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A guide to performative equity, the proxy swap hiding in plain sight, and the measurement infrastructure that makes skills-first hiring real.
Read more
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A guide to separating performance from potential, understanding why your strongest individual contributors often make weak first-line managers, and changing what your succession process actually measures.
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