Alva measures personality on five main scales:
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Emotional Stability
Openness
Each trait comprises three sub-facets, giving more nuance to the results. When interpreting personality test results, it is important to keep in mind that no result is inherently "good" or "bad", and all results have their potential strengths and pitfalls. When evaluating if a score is a good match for a particular role, one should always consider the specific demands of that role. One result that is a great fit for one position might be problematic in another.
The easiest way to quickly interpret results is to use the role fit score in Alva. It will automatically and mechanically evaluate the results compared to the unique context for which you are hiring.
If you want a deeper understanding of what is captured in the personality test, here is an overview of all the facets and sub-facets.
Scale | Description | Below Average (1-3) | Above Average (8-10) |
Agreeableness | A person’s social style. The tendency to care about other people’s well-being, strive for consensus, and be mild and diplomatic in relations with people. | Distant. Acts independently from others’ feelings. Is more straightforward, and more skeptical. | Friendly. Acts with more compassion, more politely, and with greater trust. |
Compassion | The emotional aspect of Agreeableness. Tendency to feel sympathy and empathy for other people. | Unaffected by other people's negative experiences. | Often feels compassion. Cares about the well-being of others. Wants to care for and help other people. |
Politeness | The rational aspect of Agreeableness. Tendency to act in a polite and well-mannered way. | Questions others and has a sharp tongue. Accustomed to conflicts and arguments. | Well-mannered and humble. Avoids offending others and stays out of conflicts. |
Trust | The tendency to trust the intentions of others. | Wary of other people. | Believes in the good intentions and truthfulness of others. |
Conscientiousness | A person’s attitude to performance and responsibility. The tendency to be disciplined, goal-oriented, and care deeply about performing well. An inclination to do what one has promised, and also to be orderly and structured. | Relaxed. Acts more spontaneously, without structure, and cares less about goals. | Dutiful. Acts more diligently, thoughtfully, and well-organized. |
Goal-striving | The action-oriented aspect of Conscientiousness. The tendency to work hard to achieve goals. | More inclined to lower their ambitions than to get out of their way to reach goals. | Works harder to reach their goals, completes tasks, and gets started with work easily. |
Carefulness | The decision-making aspect of Conscientiousness. The need to get things right. | Makes decisions and acts on impulse. | Puts a lot of deliberation and preparation into decisions. Concerned about getting things right. |
Orderliness | The orderly aspect of Conscientiousness. The tendency and need to keep things in order. | Prefers unstructured approaches. | Likes order and structure. |
Extraversion | A person’s usual social role. The preference for the company of others. The propensity to be social, talkative, energetic, confident, and positive. | Reserved. Acts more compliant, independently, and is more low-key. | Outgoing. Acts more confidently and energetic. Is more social. |
Assertiveness | Preferred position in social settings. The tendency to state opinions and take charge. | Lets others take the lead and keep their opinions to themselves. | Takes charge and makes their opinions heard. |
Sociability | The need for social interaction with others. The tendency to enjoy spending time with other people. | Likes to be alone. Quiet and socially withdrawn. | Likes to be among other people. Socially outgoing. |
Energy level | The activity level among others and tendency to have a high activity level and intensity in interaction with others. | Likes low-energy environments. Restrained appearance. | Enjoys high-energy environments. Active and lively appearance. |
Emotional stability | One’s general emotional state. Tendency to be calm, easy-going, and resilient in the face of difficulty or problems. | Sensitive, heavy-hearted, acts more temperamental, and restless. Has difficulty handling stress and pressure. | Resilient. Acts more carefree, has a more even temper, and can handle a higher degree of stress and pressure. |
Optimism | Refers to one's ability to deal with setbacks and failure. The tendency to perceive setbacks as manageable. | Gets discouraged when experiencing setbacks. Inclined to negative emotions. | Gets past setbacks easily and stays optimistic. |
Stability | One’s way of dealing with emotions. Tendency to have an even and steady temper. | Experiences emotions intensely. Gets angry when provoked. | Has an even temper. Rarely gets annoyed or upset. |
Stress tolerance | How one experiences stress. The tendency to be composed and rarely experience feelings of worry or stress. | Worries about things that have happened or might happen in the future. | Relaxed. Rarely experiences feelings of worry or stress. |
Openness to experience | A person’s need for new experiences. The level of curiosity when it comes | Conventional. Acts more down-to-earth and conservatively. Is more concrete. | Innovative. Curious and appreciates aesthetics, variety, and change. |
Curiosity | The rational, intellectual aspect of Openness. The tendency to be interested in theoretical or philosophical discussions. | Uninterested in abstract, philosophical discussions. | Enjoys intellectual challenges and theoretical discussions. |
Aesthetic orientation | The emotional aspect of Openness. How interested one is in experiences of beauty and being swept away by the moment. | Perceives the world without beautifying or fantasizing it. | Appreciates beauty, in everyday life as well as in art, music poetry or literature. |
Change orientation | The attitude toward change. The tendency to appreciate variety. | Appreciates familiar environments and settings. Likes to follow established methods. | Has a strong need for variation. Likes to try new things and change settings. |