Best Hiring Assessments for Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Picking a behavioral or cognitive assessment tool is kind of like picking a dating app. They all promise to help you find the one, but each does it in their own quirky way—and some are better at long-term matches than others. 

Here at The Metiss Group, we’ve spent the last 30 years perfecting the hiring process, and choosing the right candidate assessments are a big part of that.

Here’s a rundown of the big players, how they work, and what they’re actually measuring.

Predictive Index (PI) Behavioral Assessment

What it does: PI is all about behavior. It looks at four key drives: dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality. Candidates fill out two quick checklists — one about how you see yourself, and one about how you think others expect you to be. 

Feels like: “Pick the words that describe you.” Think: “Driven,” “Precise,” “Collaborative.”

Best for: Fast-growing companies who want quick, repeatable insights into how people behave on the job.

Example insight: “This person needs variety and hates being micromanaged. Great for client-facing roles, not ideal for a super-structured finance gig.”

Keep reading: We wrote an in-depth article looking at the pros and cons of Predictive Index.

TriMetrix by TTI Success Insights

What it does: TriMetrix looks at three things: behavior (how you show up), motivators (why you do what you do), and competencies (what skills you bring). 

Feels like: A mix of “how would you respond to this situation?” plus some deeper questions that reveal your internal drivers.

Example question: “I am most driven by A) Helping others B) Advancing my position in life C) Financial flexibility D) Expanding my understanding E) Imaginative expression F) Sharing my beliefs.”

Best for: Companies who want the whole picture: how you act, why you act that way, and whether your values line up with the role.

Pro tip: Especially good for teams with shared goals, like sales or service organizations where motivators (team vs. individual) really matter.

Keep reading: Check out this article comparing TriMetrix vs Predictive Index.

McQuaig System

What it does: McQuaig focuses on behavior and temperament, which is especially helpful when you’re trying to figure out how a person likes to work and whether they’ll fit with your culture.

Feels like: Imagine answering a personality test designed by your future manager. That’s McQuaig. It compares candidate profiles with your ideal job profile.

Example question: “Do you prefer a steady pace or constant change?”

Best for: Mid-sized companies that want to get better at hiring without getting buried in data.

Watch out for: If your job profiles are vague or based on the hiring manager’s ego, you’ll get wonky results.

DiSC Profile

What it does: DiSC looks at four behavior styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. It’s like a BuzzFeed quiz that’s meant to help hiring managers understand how someone communicates and makes decisions.

Feels like: “Which of these describes you best?” The questions are short, and the results are color-coded and super easy to understand.

Example insight: “High D” people are direct and assertive. “High S” folks are dependable but hate sudden change.

Heads-up: The four behavioral styles here are the same styles measured in Predictive Index and in the first part of TriMetrix.

Culture Index

What it does: Culture Index focuses on traits that predict job performance, using data to map behavior against role expectations. It’s lean and to the point.

Feels like: A very short word-choice test — think 7 minutes or less.

Example question: “Select the words that best describe you: Decisive, Agreeable, Intuitive, Precise, Outgoing, Methodical…”

Heads-up: The data’s solid, but the reports can feel a little rigid if you’re not used to interpreting raw results.

Insights Discovery

What it does: Based on Carl Jung’s psychology, this one uses colors to describe how people think and interact. Fiery Red = assertive, Earth Green = supportive, Cool Blue = detail-oriented, and so on.

Feels like: A softer, more self-reflective assessment with “lightbulb moments” about how you come across to others.

Example question: “I prefer working: A) Alone, B) With a small team, C) In a large, collaborative group.”

Heads-up: Again, the insights here are very similar to DiSC, PI, and TriMetrix’s first assessment, just with a little more color.

CliftonStrengths (aka StrengthsFinder)

What it does: CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) doesn’t measure behavior or personality. Instead, it identifies candidates' top natural talents — things they do well without trying. It’s all about leaning into what energizes them, not fixing what doesn’t.

Feels like: A long but engaging list of “how often is this true for you?” questions. You rank things like “I enjoy making things better” or “I like starting conversations with strangers.”

Example question: “I am the one who keeps everyone on task.” Rate it from “very much like me” to “not at all like me.”

Heads-up: StrengthsFinder isn’t ideal for hiring because it doesn’t compare candidates to a job profile. You can’t take it “on behalf of a role,” so you won’t get a fit score. But once someone’s hired, it can be helpful for onboarding and engagement.

OAD Assessment (Organization Analysis and Design)

What it does: OAD zeroes in on work-related personality traits to predict how someone will behave on the job. It measures factors like assertiveness, extroversion, patience, and detail orientation. The goal is to match the right person with the right role by understanding their natural tendencies.​

Feels like: A quick, adjective-based survey where you select words that describe yourself. It’s straightforward and takes about 10 minutes.

Example insight: “This candidate has high detail orientation and patience, making them a great fit for roles requiring precision and consistency.”​

Best for: Companies aiming to reduce turnover by ensuring candidates' personalities align with job demands. Also useful for team building and leadership development.

Kolbe A Index

What it does: The Kolbe A™ Index measures a candidate’s instinctive approach to problem-solving and taking action. Unlike assessments that focus on personality or intelligence, Kolbe identifies your natural strengths, or "conative" abilities, across four Action Modes: Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor. 

Feels like: A 36-question assessment where you choose how you'd naturally respond to various scenarios, revealing your innate methods of operation.​

Example question: "When starting a new project, do you prefer to: A) Research all available information, B) Create a detailed plan, C) Jump in and adjust as you go, or D) Build a physical model?"​

Best for: Understanding how individuals naturally take action, which is invaluable for team composition, role alignment, and reducing workplace stress.

Heads-up: Kolbe doesn't assess personality or cognitive abilities, so it's best used in conjunction with other assessments for a comprehensive view.​

ProfileXT

What it does: ProfileXT is a comprehensive assessment that evaluates how well an individual's cognitive abilities, behavioral traits, and interests align with a specific job role. It helps in predicting job performance and cultural fit.

Feels like: A multi-part assessment including cognitive questions (verbal and numerical reasoning), behavioral statements, and interest inventories.

Example question: "I prefer tasks that involve: A) Analyzing data, B) Interacting with people, C) Hands-on activities, or D) Creative problem-solving."​

Best for: Organizations seeking a holistic view of a candidate's fit for a role, from entry-level positions to leadership roles.​

Heads-up: ProfileXT® requires a clear understanding of job performance models to effectively interpret results.​

Caliper Profile

What it does: The Caliper Profile assesses an individual's personality traits and cognitive abilities to predict job performance. It measures 22 traits, including assertiveness, empathy, and abstract reasoning, providing insights into potential and development needs. ​

Feels like: A combination of personality questions and cognitive exercises, such as pattern recognition and problem-solving tasks.​

Example question: "Choose the shape that completes the pattern: [Visual sequence of shapes]."

Best for: Roles requiring critical thinking, leadership, and interpersonal skills, such as management, sales, and customer service positions.​

Heads-up: The assessment can take up to 60 minutes, so it's important to schedule accordingly and ensure candidates understand its purpose.

Wonderlic Test

What it does: This is a popular, well-known cognitive ability test. It measures problem-solving and general intelligence with a series of timed questions.

Feels like: A math-and-logic pop quiz. You’ve got 12 minutes to answer 50 questions, so it’s a bit intense.

Example question: “If five people can build five cars in five days, how many people are needed to build 20 cars in four days?”

Warning: Not everyone loves being tested under pressure. And many companies misuse it for roles where these skills aren’t relevant. For example, the Wonderlic was used in the NFL Combine to evaluate NFL draft prospects until 2022, despite there being no statistical correlation between on-field performance and Wonderlic score.

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal

What it does: This one’s all about how someone thinks — can they separate fact from opinion? Can they make good decisions under pressure?

Feels like: Reading mini case studies and answering whether certain conclusions follow logically.

Example question: “Statement: All managers are leaders. Some leaders are not managers. Conclusion: Some managers are not leaders. Is this: A) True, B) False, C) Cannot say.”

Pro Tip: At The Metiss Group, we combine the Watson-Glaser with TTI’s TriMetrix. The higher someone’s Watson-Glaser score, the more likely they are able to adapt to challenging roles.

The Bottom Line: Best Candidate Assessments

Each of these tools brings something different to the table. Some are best for behavior, others for motivation, and some for how people think. The trick is figuring out what you actually need to know about your candidates — then picking the tool that gets you closest to that answer without adding fluff.

Here at The Metiss Group, clients going through The Hiring Process Coach™ service can have access to the TriMetrix paired with the Watson-Glaser. We guide our clients through the assessment process to not only help them understand what they’re looking for but to also help them interpret the assessment results once they get to that stage with candidates.

Now that you understand the best candidate assessments, the next step is to read our article on how to master the art of hiring. This article will walk you through the full hiring process and show you how assessments fit into the broader picture.