At Omnia, we know the value of behavioral assessments in giving you a hiring and management edge. Of course we do! It’s our business. With nearly 40 years in the field, a team with decades of experience (which is itself proof of the power of assessments!), and an assessment that has been independently validated three times, we understand the power of tools like the Omnia Behavioral Profile.
For us, not using an assessment feels like choosing to fly blind. The traditional path of hiring — job posting, resume review, interview, and offer — covers the basics. You certainly wouldn’t want to skip any of those steps. But if this is your whole hiring strategy, you run the risk of only ever finding people who are great at applying to and interviewing for jobs, with little idea of how suited they are to those jobs.
Behavioral assessments give you a bigger piece of the story; they provide insights into a candidate’s personality, motivations, and behavioral tendencies. By evaluating how individuals approach tasks, interact with others, and respond to challenges, they help predict job performance and cultural fit. This data-driven approach allows employers to make more informed decisions, reducing the risk of hiring mismatches and increasing the likelihood of finding candidates who align with the company’s culture and goals.
You could say I’m biased, but I know Omnia is the best at doing all of the above! Our behavioral profiles can tell you how well a candidate’s traits fit with job duties, the workplace, managers/supervisors, and peers. And if that wasn’t enough, we offer other ratings that give you added insight into the person’s mindset when they completed the assessment.
These ratings are: Perspective, Intensity, and Energy
Let’s break them down.
PERSPECTIVE
On the Omnia Behavioral profile, the measure of Perspective refers to a candidate’s judgment and possible reaction to stress. While no one can predict exactly how a person will behave, their Perspective rating can give us some clues. Perspective is based on learned behaviors, which we’re not born with but need to develop to understand how to behave appropriately.
This measure can give us some insight into the following questions about candidates:
- Do they understand the consequences of their words?
- Are they able to discern what is appropriate and expected of them in various professional settings (e.g. at an interview) and act accordingly?
- Can they stay steady under pressure?
There are three possible Perspective ratings:
Optimal Perspective (In Range)
When the profile results show an Optimal rating, that means there are no red flags about the quality of the judgment and behavior you are likely to see from the individual.
The participant should display appropriate, consistent behavior and consider the consequences of their words and actions. It also signals the participant’s comfort with their assessment responses, meaning the resulting behavioral pattern should be a reliable reflection of how they really see themselves.
Low Perspective (Below Range)
A Low Perspective rating suggests the presence of stress. When Low Perspective is present, the participant may not display appropriate, consistent behavior or carefully consider the consequences of their words and actions. You may see negative versions of a person’s behavioral traits.
For example, the person could be:
- Aggressive instead of assertive
- Passive instead of cautious
- Overly talkative or distracting instead of sociable
- Shy or even taciturn instead of reserved
- Impatient instead of fast paced
- Slow or stubborn instead of methodical
- Noncompliant instead of independent
- Perfectionistic or exacting instead of detail oriented
Low Perspective can sometimes indicate that the candidate is trying to guess the right responses to the assessment rather than selecting words that describe themselves. For example, someone applying for a leadership position may answer the assessment the way they think a leader would rather than selecting adjectives that honestly reflect their own view of themselves. This can lead to a Low Perspective rating.
Sometimes, the stress indicated is transient. It could mean that the candidate was feeling nervous about the hiring process, or it could indicate that an outside issue is impacting them.
When talking to references, it’s a good idea to discuss how the candidate has handled stress in the past. You can also keep an eye out during the interview for behaviors that don’t quite fit the professional setting.
Here are some real-life examples of actions taken by people with a Low Perspective rating.
- The candidate hugged the prospective employer at the conclusion of the interview.
- A candidate overshared personal information and discussed boyfriend troubles at length when asked why they were leaving their current position.
- In response to the interview question “Tell me about the most difficult person you have worked with,” the candidate used curse words to describe a customer.
Elevated Perspective (Above Range)
An Elevated Perspective rating can be an indication of overthinking and possibly indecision. There is careful consideration of the consequences of each action, perhaps to the point of hesitation. While Elevated Perspective isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can combine with the person’s behaviors in a way that has potential to hinder productivity.
For example, a person who is…
ambitious may set goals that are not realistic.
cautious might be hesitant to take action.
reserved might experience analysis paralysis.
detailed might set unrealistic personal standards.
INTENSITY
Intensity refers to the definition of the personality represented by the bar graph, and not a specific trait. Think of Intensity as the volume of a sound system. As the volume decreases, it’s harder to discern what is being said; the personality is less defined. As the volume increases, you can hear better; the personality becomes more pronounced. And it’s possible for a sound system to be too loud.
There are three possible Intensity Ratings
Optimal Intensity (In Range)
The participant’s personality is clearly defined. If you look at their bar graph, you’ll see good separation between the tall and short columns.
These people depicted themselves in definitive terms, giving us a distinct picture of who they are, along with what is most likely to motivate them. This allows us to make solid assessments about which behaviors you are likely to see and guide you in managing and motivating them.
Low Intensity (Below range)
They described themselves in somewhat neutral terms, so their self-assessment lacks focus. People with Low Intensity may feel that they can be a little bit of everything in a job. But most jobs require certain clear strengths.
Also, people with Low Intensity can be a little more challenging to manage. It can be difficult to identify their motivators. They may need to be managed flexibly until they have spent some time on the job and their preferences and needs are more readable.
Elevated Intensity (Above range)
There are exaggerated traits that may result in magnified, more intense behaviors. As traits become more magnified, the person’s actions could seem a little more extreme or intense. Stress and overextension might sometimes cause one to describe oneself in extreme terms.
ENERGY
This rating is based on the number of words the candidate chose to describe themselves. The number can correlate to how energetic the person is in general or was when they completed the assessment, or it could simply indicate how much effort they put into this portion of the process.
There are three possible Energy Ratings
Optimal Energy (In Range)
An Optimal Energy rating means that the person picked an average number of words — not too many and not too few. While this doesn’t guarantee they have the right amount of stamina for a job, it also doesn’t raise any alarm bells.
Low Energy (Below Range)
A Low Energy rating means the person picked a lower-than-average number of words. This could mean they were just trying to get through the assessment, or it could reflect an overall lower stamina. When the Energy rating is Low, we recommend keeping an eye out for indicators of lower energy during the other parts of the hiring process, such as incomplete application materials or lack of follow through on hiring tasks.
Elevated Energy (Above Range)
An Elevated Energy rating means the person picked a higher-than-average number of words. Over response may be a reaction to stress associated with a candidate’s job-hunting process, an eagerness to earn a position, or concern about the outcome of the assessment. It could also indicate an attempt at beating the assessment by selecting enough words to include the “right” ones.
Just like how you wouldn’t want to rely completely on one part of the candidate selection process to hire someone, you also wouldn’t want to rely completely on one aspect of their behavioral assessment. People have bad days and experience situations that can pull their focus from a task. The three ratings above just give you a little more data to use when choosing your next hire. They add to the picture so you can make a more informed decision.
If you have any questions about any part of the Omnia Profile, want to try one out yourself, or just want to learn more about the components of our profiles, reach out to our Customer Success Team today.
