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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Dynamo Onboarding: personalized onboarding powered by Sola

Organizations invest heavily in hiring but often treat onboarding as an afterthought. With Sola powering personalized onboarding journeys, Deeper Signals transforms assessment insights into practical, role-relevant goals that accelerate effectiveness, improve integration, and reduce new-hire stress from day one.

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Three things everyone gets wrong about assessments

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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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Effective coaching starts with understanding how people think, respond, and grow. Explore practical tools and strategies to personalize your approach across different personality types.

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This guide explores the best short pre-employment assessments that deliver real predictive value in just 10–20 minutes.

Dynamo Onboarding: personalized onboarding powered by Sola

Organizations invest heavily in hiring but often treat onboarding as an afterthought. With Sola powering personalized onboarding journeys, Deeper Signals transforms assessment insights into practical, role-relevant goals that accelerate effectiveness, improve integration, and reduce new-hire stress from day one.

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Learn how to measure learning agility using behavioral indicators, multi-source data, and technology to strengthen talent development and leadership potential.

How can HR identify and leverage cognitive diversity in teams?

This guide explains how HR can measure thinking patterns using personality and cognitive assessments, visualize diversity at the team level, and turn differences into a measurable performance advantage.

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