Whether during training or recruitment, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of employees is essential.
To do this, HR managers and training managers can access various questionnaires and personality tests 🎭
In this whole lot, the Clifton Strengths test, formerly called StrengthsFinder, stands out from the rest.
Find out how the StrengthsFinder method developed by the Gallup Institute can help you improve at work.
- The beginnings of the StrengthsFinder personality test
- Tool performance and reliability
- What is the Clifton Strengths test all about?
- What to do with your StrengthsFinder test results?
The beginnings of the StrengthsFinder personality test
The foundations of the StrengthsFinder method are derived from the results of a 2001 study by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton, both of the Gallup Institute.
Their premise was that the best way to develop your career and your work is to develop your strengths.
Let’s remember that until now, we have tended to focus on weaknesses rather than strengths, not least so that we can do something about them 🥇
At school, for example, parents and teachers are more concerned about low grades while good grades go unnoticed, as they are considered a “normal” fact.
The Clifton Strengths personality test was created to address this bad habit.
It stands out with its approach based on talents 🎯
Thus, the test will allow everyone to get to know themselves better, to discover their natural aptitudes and above all to learn how to exploit them.
In the end, identifying weaknesses can be useful in overcoming them, but developing skills and strengths remains the only way to make maximum progress.
If this seems obvious, many of us do not necessarily know our talents, hence the importance of the reliability of a personality test.
👉 Read also our article Disc : presentation of the 4-colour management personality test
Tool performance and reliability
The StrengthsFinder method uses a psychological test to determine a person’s top five natural talents 👈
One of the most widely used assessment tools in the world today, the StrengthsFinder personality test is used in training to discover the patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that occur naturally in subjects.
Talent Themes
Based on 40 years of research, the StrengthsFinder approach consists of 34 talent themes, each of which represents a common pattern of behaviour.
To facilitate the grouping of talents, the themes are divided into four categories:
- Strategic thinking
- Influencing
- Relationship
- Execution
Once these themes have been identified, the aim of the StrengthsFinder method is not to decipher the things we do, but rather to know how we do them.
The combination of talents
Each individual has a combination of talents relating to a theme that is unique to them 😉
People who like to exchange, tell their ideas or speak in public have talents that are part of the Relationship theme and in particular to communication.
Note that our combination of talents does not change throughout our lives.
Even if our personality changes, our original character traits remain the same.
For trainers and recruiters, being aware of the combination of talents of employees and future subordinates is a considerable asset 🍀
In this case, you can help them to exploit their full potential.
In the context of professional training, the aim of the personality test is to identify the subject’s natural abilities and then turn them into strengths.
Why use the StrengthsFinder method?
Studies conducted to develop the StrengthsFinder method at the Gallup Institute have shown that employees who are able to harness their talent have more qualities:
- more motivated and more productive in the execution of assignments;
- more self-confident; and
- more fulfilled and healthy.
In companies, the personality test makes it possible to make an inventory of talents to establish a positive psychology within the company 🤩
Thanks to the StrengthsFinder approach, you will be able to know the combination of talents of each employee, capitalize on the natural abilities of your employees and above all guarantee the success of projects.
What is the Clifton Strengths test all about?
The StrengthsFinder method measures a person’s natural patterns of thinking and behaviour.
The real advantage is the ease of access.
The Clifton Strengths personality test can be taken easily via a dedicated website.
The steps to follow to discover talent
First and foremost, we recommend that you choose a quiet location to take the quiz, as the questions have a limited time frame.
Depending on your preference, the StrengthsFinder test can be in French.
The rest is fairly straightforward:
1️⃣ Order online access to the test (price: $19.99)
2️⃣ Allow 30 minutes for the questionnaire and isolate yourself to avoid being disturbed
3️⃣ Turn off any electronic devices that might interfere with concentration
4️⃣ Take the test by answering the series of questions
What to do with your StrengthsFinder test results?
At the end of the test, the results are delivered as two automatically generated PDF files.
🚨 Caution: We strongly recommend that you conduct a debriefing with a StrengthsFinder certified coach to get the most out of your test results. Contact us to conduct this debrief for your teams.
These documents include :
- the report on the subject’s specific themes, in particular his or her 5 dominant talents;
- the strengths guide explaining the qualities that distinguish the subject from others.
To make the most of the results, it is best to prioritise the development of the 5 dominant talents.
To deepen the analysis of the results, you can also consult the resources available on the dashboard: video presenting the talents, sheets describing the themes, techniques for developing an action plan, etc.
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The Gallup StrengthsFinder test is a practical and reliable tool for identifying and developing individual strengths. By using this method during team training, you can improve the way teams work together.
