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The internet is full of assessments that can help increase self-awareness, boost your confidence and provide direction for your career. But which one is going to be the best investment of your time and energy, and at no cost?
Welcome back People Warriors! Or if this is your first time to the blog - welcome, I am so glad you are here!
Last week, I introduced the the second of the 4 core fundamentals of self-awareness and self-worth - values, strengths, passions and vision. To catch up on where we are at with this topic, check out these links:
Today we are continuing the conversation about strengths. In last week's post, A Complete Guide to Understanding Your Strengths, you learned the value of understanding your strengths, common pitfalls to avoid when defining your strengths, the 4 different types of strengths and how to define your strengths through good ol' fashion self-reflection, online assessments and confirmation from others.
So today, we are focusing on online strengths assessments. I am a huge fan of online assessments - whether it be personality, behavioral or strengths assessments. They are genuinely fun for me, maybe that makes me a nerd but I gladly accept that title if it does. The benefits of taking online strengths assessments are fast and vast, ranging from just a quick confidence boost, to an increase in self-awareness, to finding more fulfillment at work, or even providing direction for possible career paths.
But there are A LOT of strengths assessments out there and it can be tough to figure out which one is going to be the best investment of your time, energy or even your money.
Thankfully, there are many out there that are FREE. And free is always the best place to start! So I have put together a list of what I feel are the 5 best free online strengths assessments.
Feel free to keep reading or click the links below to jump ahead.
#1 - StandOut Assessment
Tagline: Discover your greatest sources of strength and contribution.
# of Questions: 34
Time to Complete: 15-20 minutes
The StandOut assessment reveals your primary and secondary StandOut Roles. These top two Roles are the focal point of all your talents and skills, and represents your instinctive way of making a difference in the world.
The assessment itself is unlike others for several reasons. First, the questions are presented as scenarios and you answer each question based on how you would respond or react in that scenario. Other assessments present statements about yourself such as “I am good at finding simplicity in the midst of complexity” or “I love getting things done by doing one thing at a time” and then you rate your agreement or disagreement with that statement. Second, Marcus Buckingham himself (the creator of StandOut and best-selling author and speaker) actually narrates each scenario breaking up the typical silent monotony of online assessments. Third and finally, there are only 34 scenarios where other assessments have anywhere from 75-280 questions. Thank you Marcus!
The results, however, are what makes this a home run experience. The first section of the results provides detailed descriptions of how each of your top two Roles manifest in your life, as well as specific examples of when you are at your most powerful when operating in each Role. In second half of the report, your top two Roles are combined to give you even more specific advice on how you can win at work, how to make an immediate impact, how to take performance to the next level and how to win as a leader, manager, and in client services and sales.
Why it's my favorite: It's short, engaging, completely free, immediately impactful and memorable. You will remember your top two Roles and how they represent you and your greatest contributions far longer than you will remember what your results were from other assessments.
#2 - Red Bull Wingfinder
Tagline: Give wings to your career.
# of Questions: 280 questions
Time to Complete: 35-45 minutes
Wait…Red Bull like the energy drink? Doing strength assessments? YES! It’s crazy. I too had my reservations, but after taking this and seeing the quality of the results it is now one of my most highly recommended strengths assessments.
The Wingfinder model comprises 25 individual strengths organized in four key areas - connections (interpersonal skills and self-management skills), thinking (fluid intelligence), creativity (includes curiosity) and drive (includes ambition and motivation).
The assessment questions are quirky, entertaining, challenging, dynamic and much more visually engaging than other assessments. As I was taking it, I kept thinking to myself "where is this going?" in an exciting, sitting on the edge of your seat kind of way. But somehow it all comes together. The results are completely free (yay!), very detailed, thorough, modern, and most importantly super helpful. The results will tell you which of the 25 individual strengths are strongest for you, as well a detailed description and insights on how you find success through each strength.
It also provides a personal coaching plan that focuses on the top 4 strengths that represent your strongest personality preferences, and the areas that you are most likely to start and continue developing. The personal coaching plan brings together years of experience and specialist knowledge on how to train for success and is customized based on your personality.
Word of warning, it does take upwards of 35-45 minutes to complete so make sure you plan ahead before starting this assessment.
#3 - VIA Survey of Character Strengths
Tagline: Bring your strengths to life and live more fully.
# of Questions: 96
Time to Complete: 15-20 minutes
The VIA Survey of Character Strengths is unique in that it specifically assesses...well, you guessed it...your character strengths. Which are one of the four types of strengths. It provides a wealth of information to help you understand the most positive parts of your personality that influence how you think, feel and act. VIA reports provide personalized, in-depth analysis of your free results, including actionable tips to apply your strengths to find greater well-being.
What I like about the VIA assessment is that it feels very personal. It transcends beyond work. Many assessments provide us insights on how our strengths specifically show up in our work, or how we can lean into our strengths to find success, be more productive, or be a better leader at work. Not with this one. In fact, the word "success" doesn't even appear in the 3 page results you receive after taking the assessment, and the word "work" only shows up once in regards to team work and that isn't even specifically tied to teamwork in the workplace.
Your top 5 character strengths are very core to who you are and while VIA describes them as the positive parts of your personality, I see them as the most positive parts of your soul. And recognizing those top 5 character strengths feels like you are reconnecting with your unique goodness.
My one complaint with this assessment is that the free results provide a very brief 2-3 sentence explanation of each character strength. While that is fine for quick recognition and reflection, you have to pay $19 for a detailed report further exploring your top 5 strengths, or $49 for the full report on all 24 strengths. And while those reports may be incredibly impactful and worth the cost, I didn't purchase or explore this option because this post is all about free!
#4 - High5 Test
Tagline: Discover the best part of yourself.
# of Questions: 120
Time to Complete: 15-25 minutes
Link: https://high5test.com/
The High5 Test is a self-proclaimed free alternative to the infamous CliftonStrengths assessment that helps people find what they are naturally good at. Similar to the StandOut Assessment, the High5 Test is also a strength roles assessment and provides you insights on your top 5 strength roles (i.e. coach, believer, catalyst, optimist, self-believer).
The assessment asks you to rate your agreement with120 statements about yourself (i.e. "I am energized by the mere fact of learning something new" and "I believe success is not limited to money or prestige"). You answer each question by sliding a scale, capturing your gut answers quickly and minimizing the hesitation that comes with typical numbered answers or somewhat agree/agree/neutral answers.
I am not the biggest fan of agreement statements because I feel we tend to second guess ourselves more when it comes to what we think we are or what we think we believe or what we think other people think of us, verses how we would act in a situation. I don't second guess how I would act or react, but I might second guess how I make people feel or behave.
The free results of the High5 Test provide you a high level horoscope like description of your top 5 strengths, so you miss out on the good stuff like actionable insights to apply and develop your strengths further and the best career applications. To get the full report, or to "unlock your full potential" you have to pay $49.99 (right now its on sale for $29.99). And, again, this post is specifically highlighting the best free assessments out there.
#5 - Strength Profile
Tagline: Be Your Best SELF with Strengths Profile
# of Questions: 180
Time to Complete: 15-20 minutes
With the free Strengths Profile you can discover your top 3 realized strengths, 3 unrealized strengths, 2 learned behaviors and 1 weakness. Breaking the results down to these categories adds an additional layer of depth and understanding than the other assessments. The categories are intended to help you understand which strengths to use wisely, which to use more of, which to only use when needed and which to use less. It’s a great way to start your strengths journey and gain self-awareness.
The assessment itself is unique in that they ask you a number of questions about how you act and feel in different scenarios at work, at home or in other social situations. The questions are grouped into three sections - performance, energy and use - so instead of simply answering disagree/agree, you are rating how well you perform using the strengths, how energized you are when using the strengths and how often you use the strengths. It feels like a hybrid between agreement statements like in the High5 Test and scenarios in the StandOut Assessment.
Following suit with the VIA Survey and High5 Test, the Strengths Profile offers the limited profile assessment at no cost and lures you into upgrading your results to gain access to the full in-depth reports. Out of all the assessments that require you to purchase the full results, this is the one I would have likely spent money on first because the categories really intrigued me. I wanted to dive in deeper on those.
You can upgrade to an introductory strengths profile for €14 or the expert strengths profile for €42 . Don’t worry, I googled it for you and it’s basically the same in US dollars. ☺️
Which assessment is for me?
Read the statements below and see which assessment may be best for you. As I mentioned above, the StandOut Assessment is my favorite so no matter which of these statements best describes your current mindset, the StandOut is always a great place to start. But others may have peaked your interest more so here you go...
I just want high level, no fluff results - High5 Test or Strengths Profile.
I really struggle to think about what my strengths are - VIA Survey
I am questioning if I am in the right role with my company - StandOut or High5 Test
I like my job, but don't feel fulfilled or motivated lately - Wingfinder, High5, or StandOut
I am looking for direction on a new career path - StandOut
I don’t feel confident in anything - VIA Survey
I am having trouble motivating my team - High5 Test, StandOut or Strengths Profile
I don’t believe in all this fluffy stuff about understanding my strengths - StandOut
Give me all of the strengths tests, I love personal development! - Wingfinder or StandOut
You have a big job interview coming up - Strengths Profile or StandOut
I am intrigued, but don’t have the time or attention span for a long assessment - StandOut
I completed my assessment. Now what?
Once you complete an online assessment, don't stop there. There are two more critical steps to take in order to fully realize and lock in your new-found self-awareness.
#1 - Seek Confirmation
Reach out to 2-5 people you trust - your spouse, partner, family, friends, colleagues, etc. - and get their input. You can ask questions like what do I contribute best to the team, when do I seem the most confident or energized, how do I add value to others, what are my strongest skills, what are my strongest qualities, etc. Sometimes these questions are easier to answer than just flat out asking "what are my strengths?" Also, ask them to provide 1 or 2 specific examples of how you have demonstrated that strength.
You can also tell them your results from your online assessment and ask them if they agree or disagree and why. Again, ask for specific examples of how you currently demonstrate or have demonstrated that strength in the past.
#2 - Self-Reflection. And Get Specific.
Grab that journal and find a quiet place! No matter which assessment you complete, take some time to reflect on the following questions:
In what areas of my life do I use these strengths?
In what areas of my life do I want/need to use these strengths more?
What specific skills or abilities make this a strength for me?
How can I use these strengths more at work so I am more energized, motivated and fulfilled?
Am I currently in a role or career that maximizes these strengths?
Does my manager understand and leverage my strengths? (If not, that's on you to communicate how your strengths can be better utilized.)
Am I currently using these strengths more to serve myself or others?
How can I use these strength to serve others?
Now that I have this new self-awareness, what I am I going to do with it to make my life more purposeful and meaningful?
I will end with this last, final attempt to persuade you to take this journey of discovering your strengths.
Whether you are looking to become a better leader with your family or with your friends or in your community or with your company, if you want to help other people understand their strengths, to leverage strengths on a team, to build people's confidence by recognizing their value, to bring out the best in people...before you can do that for others, you have to be able to do that for yourself.
So go take an assessment, see what the results tell you and let me know how this exercise has an impact on you. You can do this on social media through LinkedIn or Instagram or you can just shoot me a quick email at heather@peoplewarriors.com.
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