What Do Behavioral Assessments Measure?

Behavioral tests typically measure traits related to behavior at work, interpersonal interactions and satisfaction with different aspects of work. They are often used to assess whether individuals have the potential to be successful in jobs (where performance requires a great deal of interpersonal interaction) or for assessing work in team situations.

There is also the reality that instead of a high level of interpersonal interaction there may be a need for more subtle scoring ranges due to the more secluded nature of the work being performed. Many times this type of work is remote and a person must be someone who can work independently without a lot of social interaction or feedback.

Both these high score and lower score “desired” behavioral trait ranges are important to note because they take into account the specific requirements of the job. It’s also important to note that in “best fit” for a position (high or low scores) higher is not always better.

Behavioral assessment measurements typically fall into the following four quadrants:

Interpersonal traits: How a person functions with others
Organizational traits: How a person functions with tasks and responsibilities
Dedication traits: Measures one's commitments
Self-Control traits: Measures one's emotional maturity

Some commonly measured personality (behavioral) traits for work settings within the four quadrants include:

Extraversion
Conscientiousness
Openness to new experiences
Optimism, agreeableness
Service orientation
Stress tolerance
Emotional stability
Tough-mindedness
Responsibility
Trust
Initiative or proactivity
Self confidence
Composure

The Winslow Behavioral Assessment in particular also measures Alertness - cognitive thinking skill, which is critical for executive level decision making, sales and management positions.

Overview of Personality Assessments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes.
Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed behaviors, skills and abilities.
Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests.
Can be administered via paper and pencil or online methods (preferred when instant test results are desired).
Can be cost effective to administer.
Do not require skilled administrators.

May contain questions that do not appear job related or seem intrusive if not well developed.
May lead to individuals responding in a way to create a positive decision outcome rather than how they really are (i.e., they may try to positively manage their impression or even fake their response).
* This is why quality behavioral tests will integrate Accuracy and Objectivity questions to identify biases.
May be problematic for use in employee selection if the test is one used to diagnose medical conditions (i.e., mental disorders) rather than simply to assess work-related personality traits.
** Note: The Winslow Behavioral Assessment is not a medical or clinical tool.