Should I retake my CliftonStrengths Assessment? This is a question I often get from people who have taken the assessment (also called StrengthsFinder) in the past.
My answer is usually “No!”.
Reasons not to retake the CliftonStrengths Assessment (also called StrengthsFinder)?
The reason I can confidently advise people that they do not need to re-take the assessment is because Gallup, the organization that created and deploys CliftonStrengths, has found that the test-retest correlation is 0.73 (Asplund, 2019). In other words, their data show that results are highly consistent when someone re-takes the assessment.
I trust the research on this tool because it is strong and extensive (at the time of writing this post, nearly 25 million people have taken the assessment, which means the research team has a lot of data to draw from).
There are, however, four circumstances that may warrant re-taking the assessment (Collison, 2020).
4 circumstances that can justify retaking the CliftonStrengths Assessment
1. You initially took the StrengthsFinder assessment in a language that you’re less fluent in
If you originally took the CliftonStrengths assessment in a language that is not the one you’re most familiar with and comfortable in, and the option exists to take it in a language you are even more fluent in, you may want to re-take it. The CSA is available in more than 25 languages.
2. You weren’t “into it” the first time you took the assessment
If you were distracted, rushed, or disengaged in the process the first time you took the assessment, re-taking it might be a good idea! The ideal situation under which to take the assessment is when you can focus and have 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted time.
3. You were very young the first time, and now some time has passed
If you were in your late teens or early 20s when you first took the assessment, and are now in your 30s or later, re-taking the assessment is likely warranted because you have changed since early adulthood.
4. You have gone through a major life event (i.e., trauma or other) since you last took CliftonStrengths
If you would answer the questions differently due to a significant life circumstance, such as trauma or other, you should re-take the assessment.
References
Asplund, J. (2019). Stability of CliftonStrengths results over time. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253943/guides-reports.aspx
Collison, J. (Host). (2020, August 21). Assessing the stability of your CliftonStrengths results. [Audio podcast episode]. In Called to Coach, Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/317894/assessing-stability-your-cliftonstrengths-results.aspx
Want to know how the CliftonStrength Assessment can help you?
This assessment is a powerful tool for greater self-awareness and the results provide great insights that can help you navigate your work and career. If you’d like to find out more about how you can use the CliftonStrengths assessment in your own career, please reach out to me here to find out how my coaching support can help.
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