Before you start assessing candidates through Alva, it's important to decide what to look for. This is what you do when you select a test profile. The test profile help you decide on the personality traits and level of logical ability that are desired for the role in question.
You select your a test profile when you create a new job position. You can choose between a number of our default profiles or create your own. The Alva profiles are all based on published research on what predicts performance in different broad role families.
How Do I Identify The Best Test Profile To Use?
We recommend that you base your profile choice on the broad role family that your job position belongs to: sales, customer service roles, operational leadership roles, etc.
Consider what the role is most centered around. For example if most tasks a centered around acquiring new customers our Sales profile would be appropriate. However, if the role is more oriented on customer retention and service, our Customer Service profile is the right one. The tests and profiles evaluate broad characteristics - so the choice will not differ depending on if you're looking for a B2B sales person or a B2C sales person.
An easy way to select the right test profile is to use this decision tree:
An Overview Of The Different Profiles
Generic High Performer
Use this profile when you are looking for
a results-oriented and ambitious ‘doer’, who has high performance standards for him- or herself as well as others
an organized person with a clear sense of structure
someone who is able to see what needs to be done, and is good at prioritizing between tasks
a quick learner who is eager to get up to speed, and is able to handle complex problems of many kinds.
Example roles: Law associate, controller, management consultant, analyst, trainee, HR specialist.
Leading Others
Use this profile when you are looking for
a people leader who likes to drive towards ambitious targets and makes others want to follow
an executive self-starter who takes own initiatives and likes to take the lead
a highly energetic person who prefers to live and work at a high tempo
someone who is able to work well under pressure, remains stable and calm in stressful situations, and is able to lead the team through rough times.
Example roles: Operational leader roles; team lead, project manager, store manager, school principal.
Strategic
Use this profile when you are looking for
a future-oriented change agent with a strong ability for big-picture, long-term thinking
a leader personality who can handle multiple internal and external stakeholders, and has the ability to drive complex processes
a bright and curious mind who learns quickly and is able to handle many different kinds of information
someone who is dynamic and innovative, thinks out of the box, and loves exploring new opportunities.
Example roles: Strategic leadership roles; management team members, executives, C-suite, regional managers, business unit managers.
Sales
Use this profile when you are looking for
a goal-oriented achiever with a passion for reaching measurable results
a self-starter who takes own initiatives in the sales process
someone who is able to close deals and push sales processes through to the end
a stable and positive person with the ability to work well under pressure, who prefers working at a high tempo and is able to multi-task
someone highly social, who conveys energy and enthusiasm to team and clients.
Example roles: Account manager, account executive, sales manager.
Creative
Use this profile when you are looking for
a curious and innovative mind who loves to come up with new solutions and think outside the box
an explorer who is eager to meet new people and encounter new ideas and experiences
a social person who likes working in teams
a goal-oriented individual who combines creative thinking with a focus on results.
Example roles: Designer, UX, art director, illustrator, photographer.
Writing / Verbal
Use this profile when you are looking for
an excellent communicator who is able to convey his/her message effectively, both orally and in writing
a creative writer with the ability to translate company messages into compelling texts
a goal-oriented person with a good sense of structure
a curious mind who likes using knowledge creatively and is passionate about understanding and learning.
Example roles: Journalist, copywriter, content writer, communicator, and some teacher roles.
Customer Service
Use this profile when you are looking for
a service champion who always places the client center stage
a team player who loves working with others and has an easy time collaborating
a flexible and resourceful person who adapts quickly to the situation
a ‘people person’ with great social skills
someone stable and stress-tolerant, and can handle stakeholders in any state.
Example roles: Customer success, customer service, retail clerk, client relations staff.
Attention to Detail
Use this profile when you are looking for
a ‘structure pro’ with excellent skills in organizing and systematizing
a detail-oriented person who always keeps track of the fine print and is excellent at fact checking and proofing
someone who is meticulous and strongly quality-conscious;
a ‘finisher’ who will not settle for 95 percent but instead see tasks through to the end
a reflective and thoughtful individual who works well in a low-key environment and does not mind occasionally repetitive tasks.
Example roles: Administrator, accounting clerk, quality assurance tester, medical assistant.
Technical
Use this profile when you are looking for
a bright and analytical tech person with a strong ability to solve complex problems and make decisions based on limited information
a fast learner who can quickly get up to speed regardless of the task type
a goal-oriented ‘doer’ who cares about the results and always wants to excel
someone who is structured and organized, with a diligent mindset.
Example roles: Engineer, software developer, systems architect, technical project manager, technician.
Integrity / Safety
Use this profile when you are looking for
an honest and reliable individual with a clear moral compass
a quality-conscious person who is motivated to follow rules and reluctant to taking time-saving shortcuts that might jeopardize quality or safety
a true ‘organization citizen’ who goes the extra mile to make sure things are done with high quality and diligence.
Example roles: Machine operator, construction worker, safety guard.
You can read all about the different default profiles HERE.
Which Complexity Level? High, Medium or Low?
The complexity level helps determine how inclusive the assessment will be. A high complexity profile is ideal for roles that require a high level of independence and handle many stakeholders and tasks simultaneously. A low complexity variant is more suited for work that is more supervised where a portion of tasks are routinised. Read more about complexity levels here.
Most often medium complexity is a great starting point. However, if you're expecting large volumes of candidates a high complexity variant can help increase granularity and find the top performers in your candidate pool.
What If I'm Not Sure About What To Pick?
If you're unsure, you can never go wrong with the profile called Generic High Performer. This profile will evaluate candidates based on logical ability and conscientiousness - the two characteristics that have turned out to be important in almost any job role.
Also, remember that you can always change test profiles later if you realize that there's a better option available. This will impact the candidates' role fit, but the basic test results are always the same.
You can also take a short quiz to help you find the right test profile to evaluate your candidates HERE!