the Gallup Strengths Test, also known as CliftonStrengths, offers a refreshing paradigm shift: why not focus on enhancing our strengths instead? This revolutionary approach underscores the importance of understanding and leveraging our innate abilities to foster personal and professional growth.
The test consists of 177 paired statements, reflecting a range of thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors. Respondents must select which statement they most identify with, encouraging instinctive responses that reveal genuine personal preferences and abilities. The result is a comprehensive report that outlines an individual’s top five strengths from a pool of 34 distinct themes, offering profound insights into how these natural abilities can translate into job performance.
Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition
- Predictive Insight for Better Placement: By understanding a candidate’s inherent strengths, recruiters can match individuals with roles in which they are most likely to excel and stay engaged. This strategic placement significantly increases the chances of job proficiency, satisfaction, and long-term retention.
- Streamlined Recruitment: The strengths-based approach refines the recruitment process. Instead of navigating through a multitude of qualifications, recruiters can identify potential talent who, even with less experience, possess the natural strengths necessary for a role’s demands.
- Diversity and Inclusion: By focusing on strengths, companies can move beyond stereotypes and biases associated with backgrounds, age, and gender. This focus fosters a more inclusive recruitment strategy, valuing diverse talents and perspectives.
Fostering a Strengths-Based Culture in the Workplace
- Enhanced Employee Engagement: Employees are more engaged and motivated when their job roles resonate with their natural strengths. They are likely to take more initiative, feel more confident in their abilities, and express greater satisfaction in their contributions.
- Boosted Team Performance: Understanding team members’ individual strengths helps in assigning tasks that align with their natural abilities, promoting productivity and innovation. It also nurtures a collaborative environment where each member’s strengths are recognized and valued.
- Professional Development and Growth: Strengths-based development programs allow employees to focus on enhancing their natural talents, contributing to personal and professional growth. It creates a workforce that is resilient, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning and improvement.
What are the Clifton Strengths?
The CliftonStrengths assessment identifies an individual’s unique sequence of 34 themes of talent, which are the ways in which they most naturally think, feel, and behave. These 34 themes are categorized into four domains, representing different types of strengths that individuals can possess. Here are the 34 CliftonStrengths themes categorized by their respective domains:
Executing Domain: These strengths are related to making things happen and executing tasks. Individuals with dominant themes in this domain are known for their ability to take ideas and transform them into reality.
- Achiever: People strong in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive.
- Arranger: Those with the Arranger theme are organized and flexible. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
- Belief: Individuals with strong Belief have core values that affect their behavior and provide direction for their lives. They are determined and passionate about their convictions.
- Consistency: Those strong in the Consistency theme are keen on treating everyone the same. They crave stable environments and cultures where rules are clear and apply to everyone equally.
- Deliberative: People with the Deliberative strength are careful and vigilant. They anticipate obstacles and proceed with caution, precision, and a plan, minimizing risk.
- Discipline: Individuals with this strength enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.
- Focus: Those with the Focus theme prioritize and then act. They set clear goals and remain on track until they are achieved.
- Responsibility: People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
- Restorative: Those with the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.
Influencing Domain: These strengths are related to influencing others. Individuals who are innately good at persuading and taking charge often have their dominant themes in this domain.
- Activator: People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They want to do things now, rather than simply talking about them.
- Command: Those with the Command theme have presence and can take control of a situation and make decisions.
- Communication: People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
- Competition: Individuals with this strength measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.
- Maximizer: Those strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
- Self-Assurance: People with the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They have an inner compass that gives them certainty in their decisions.
- Significance: Those with the Significance theme want to make a big impact. They are independent and prioritize projects based on the influence they will have.
- Woo: “Woo” stands for winning others over. People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over.
Relationship Building Domain: These strengths are related to building strong relationships that hold a team together. Individuals with dominant themes in this domain are the glue that holds teams together.
- Adaptability: Those with the Adaptability theme prefer to go with the flow. They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come.
- Connectedness: Individuals strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning.
- Developer: People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress.
- Empathy: Those with the Empathy theme can sense other people’s feelings by imagining themselves in others’ lives or situations.
- Harmony: People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
- Includer: Those with the Includer theme accept others. They show awareness of those who feel left out and make an effort to include them.
- Individualization: People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how different people can work together productively.
- Positivity: Those with the Positivity theme have contagious enthusiasm. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
- Relator: People who are strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
Strategic Thinking Domain: These strengths are related to what we might call strategic thinking. Individuals with dominant themes in this domain are known for their analytical and conceptual thinking.
- Analytical: People strong in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all factors that might affect a situation.
- Context: Those with the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.
- Futuristic: People strong in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They energize others with their visions of the future.
- Ideation: Those with the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
- Input: People strong in the Input theme have a need to collect and archive. They may accumulate information, ideas, artifacts, or even relationships.
- Intellection: Those with the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
- Learner: People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. The process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
- Strategic: Those with the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
These 34 themes represent the unique ways individuals understand, interpret, and act on their experiences. Understanding these themes is crucial for personal development, improving team efficiency, and fostering better understanding among individuals in both personal and professional settings. The CliftonStrengths assessment helps people discover these themes and provides a language for individuals to express and build upon their unique strengths.
Familiarity with Test Format: Assessment tests often follow specific formats and use particular types of questions. Practicing allows you to become familiar with the test structure, including different sections and the kinds of questions you can expect, which can help reduce uncertainty and anxiety on test day.
