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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
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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
What Does Your Hiring Process Signal to Candidates?
A hiring process is a two-way evaluation. While you read candidates, they're reading you. Here is what the research says about designing hiring that wins the candidates you actually want.
Read more
Guides & Tips
How to Turn Executive Assessment Data into a Leadership Narrative with an AI Skill
Psychometrics, 360s, interviews, references — this free Deeper Signals skill codes it all against a role's success criteria into an auditable leadership narrative.
Read more
Guides & Tips
How to Review an Assessment's Evidence Base with an AI Skill
How well is that assessment actually evidenced? This free Deeper Signals AI skill maps any instrument against the APA, SIOP, EFPA, and ITC standards.
Read more
Guides & Tips
How to Create a Coaching Plan from Assessment Results in Under 10 Minutes
Learn how Deeper Signals' free Development Plan skill turns assessment results into a coach-ready plan in under 10 minutes.
Read more
Guides & Tips
How to Build a Finance-Ready Business Case with the Assessment ROI Calculator
See how Deeper Signals' free Assessment ROI Calculator turns a few workforce data points into a finance-ready business case for assessment investment.
Read more
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