Many hiring teams wonder what they might be missing when a seemingly perfect hire doesn’t work out. Resumes and interviews only show part of the picture, so people are trying out new ways to find the best candidates. That’s why more companies are now asking “What are behavioral assessments?” and “How can they help us avoid hiring mistakes before they happen?”

Hiring managers will get a good sense of a candidate's personality traits, thinking style, communication skills, and how well they'd mesh with your team's culture from these assessments. This guide will cover why these tools are essential, the information you'll gain, and the advantages of using TeamTrait for confident and efficient hiring.

Why Hiring Based on Personality and Behavior Is a Smarter Strategy

Hiring for skills and experience alone no longer cuts it. Plenty of candidates look great on paper but still underperform on the job. Knowledge is helpful, sure, but how you apply it is the real driver of success. Think about a talented athlete who doesn't train hard; their talent is wasted.

Want to see a candidate's strengths, weaknesses and typical behaviors? Behavioral assessments do that before they even join your team. By hiring for personality traits, communication style, and motivation, you get people who can actually thrive in your environment, not just meet the qualifications. This approach reduces turnover and builds stronger teams from day one.

It also helps companies build teams that complement each other, not clash. One strong hire can improve team morale and productivity, while one poor fit can drag down even your best performers. When you factor in time, training and lost sales, making a smarter choice upfront becomes a no-brainer.

What Are Behavioral Assessments and Why Do They Matter?

Hiring isn’t just about who looks best on paper. You need to know how someone works with others, reacts under pressure, and responds to challenges. That’s where behavioral assessments come in. Want to know how someone will perform at work? These tools measure behavior to give you a reliable view of how someone will show up in the workplace.

A typical behavioral assessment asks questions to examine a candidate’s decision-​making style, thinking, problem-​solving, and conflict-​handling abilities. These aren’t pass-​or-​fail tests; they’re a way to get a better sense of a candidate as a potential employee.

This information matters because not every great resume leads to a great hire. A candidate could have impressive achievements but lack the collaboration or communication style your company depends on. Behavioral assessments help prevent those mismatches.

Hiring managers feel more confident and notice better interviews and stronger hires resulting from the use of these tools. While they're incredibly useful, remember that your own decision-​making skills are still key. But don't rely on them completely.

How Do Behavioral Assessments Work in the Hiring Process?

​​Behavioral assessments fit easily into a structured hiring process. In most cases, they’re used right after a resume screen and before a phone interview. They help save time by quickly narrowing the candidate pool to the most promising fits. They also provide valuable insights you wouldn’t get from a resume alone. Here's the typical process.

1. The applicant gets a private link to start the behavioral assessment test.
2. The assessment takes around 25 minutes to do online.
3. The hiring manager receives a report with the candidate's scores.

This report examines key aspects of behavior: a person's capacity for leadership, their communication preferences (Are they direct or indirect? Do they prefer written or verbal communication?), and their level of task orientation (Do they prefer big-​picture thinking or detailed execution?). How a candidate scores on the assessment changes how the interview goes. It helps the team ask better interview questions.

Instead of asking, “Are you a team player?” you can say, “Tell me about a time you had to adjust your style to work with someone very different from you.” This method saves time during the screening process and helps you narrow down your top candidates based on more than a gut feeling. It also keeps your evaluations fair and even when hiring across departments or locations.

What Can You Learn from Behavioral Assessments?

Behavioral assessments tell more than you may realize. These tools don’t just say “introvert” or “extrovert” but break down specific behaviors that impact job success.

You’ll see how a candidate prefers to communicate, how they respond to stress, how much structure they like, and how they handle fast-​changing environments. For example, someone who scores high in adaptability might thrive in a startup, while someone who values stability might be a better fit in a structured corporate setting.

Knowing a candidate’s emotional intelligence — their ability to understand and manage their feelings and respond appropriately to others — is incredibly valuable. For example, someone with high emotional intelligence will be better at navigating conflict and building strong relationships. Their emotional intelligence is clearly revealed through these assessments.

By understanding a candidate’s personality traits, you're also helping avoid company culture clashes. You can catch potential mismatches early before they cause problems. You can also identify hidden strengths that a resume or interview might miss.

How Do Behavioral Assessments Compare to Other Hiring Tools?

​​Most hiring teams rely on three core tools: resumes, interviews, and references. While these all provide some value, they leave major gaps. Resumes show what someone has done but not how they did it. Interviews are often shaped by nerves or practiced answers.

Using behavioral assessments fills those gaps with data. They help you understand what’s driving a person’s behavior. Someone might have worked in sales for ten years, but a report could reveal they dislike competition or dislike rapid change: two red flags for many sales environments.

Behavioral assessment tools become even more powerful when used alongside psychometric assessments or cognitive ability tests. You'll see how a candidate thinks and what they do with the results from these tools. While cognitive tests measure things like problem-​solving and learning speed, behavioral tools focus on day-​to-​day tendencies and soft skills.

Use personality tests and behavioral assessments together for a better overall view. While personality assessments highlight general characteristics, behavioral assessments reveal how these traits affect workplace performance. Use a multi-​step process to lower the risk and hire people based on who they really are, not just a few facts.

Are Behavioral Assessments Right for Every Role?

Behavioral assessments work best when the job involves teamwork, communication, leadership, or frequent interaction with clients or customers. These tools shine in roles where behavior affects performance just as much as skill, like sales, management, customer service, or health care.

But even in more technical roles, behavior still matters. A software engineer may be brilliant, but the whole project suffers if they can’t collaborate or communicate clearly with product managers. Understanding how a person works, not just what they know, helps ensure success in nearly any job.

That said, you don’t need to use the same assessment for every position. There are many other behavioral assessments available, each with its own strengths. Some are designed for leadership roles, others for hourly workers, and some for identifying future potential. The key is matching the right tool to the job.

TeamTrait, for instance, is built to support hiring in roles where team fit and job fit are essential. It’s simple to use, fast to deploy, and flexible enough to adjust for different job types.

When Should You Use Behavioral Testing During Hiring?

Start your behavioral testing early in the hiring process; right after you've reviewed resumes. Do you want smart interview questions, a shorter candidate list, and more free time? Behavioral insights make it happen and help keep things fair since you look at the facts before you meet the person.

Some hiring teams wait until after the first interview to use assessments, but that can mean investing time in someone who isn’t a good fit. Starting earlier makes the whole process smoother. Plus, when candidates take the assessment early on, it shows them you care about finding the right match — not just checking boxes.

Behavioral testing can also be useful after hiring. You can use it during onboarding to guide training or pair new hires with teammates who complement their style. It’s not just a hiring tool — it’s a team-​building tool.

What Do Hiring Managers Need to Know About Interpreting Results?

Getting a behavioral report is one thing; knowing how to read it is another. Hiring managers don’t need to be psychologists, but they should understand the basics. Most reports will include a summary of behavioral traits, charts, and key takeaways.

The most important thing to remember is context. A candidate who scores low on assertiveness might not be ideal for cold calling but could be perfect for account management. Likewise, a high score in independence might be great for a remote role but challenging in a tightly controlled team.

Managers should also avoid using assessments as a yes/​no filter. These tools are meant to support decisions, not make them for you. Use the insights to guide your conversations, dig deeper during interviews, and make more confident hiring decisions.

TeamTrait makes this part easy. Get clear, straightforward results plus helpful suggestions for your open position. Hiring managers can now skip the guesswork with behavioral assessments, focusing on what truly matters.

How Can TeamTrait Help You Hire Smarter and Faster?

TeamTrait is designed for companies that want a faster, more accurate way to evaluate candidates. It’s an assessment tool built specifically for real-​world hiring. It’s quick to set up, easy to use, and backed by behavioral science.

When a candidate completes the TeamTrait assessment, you get a full report in minutes. It's easy to see how each person fits into your team. The platform highlights communication styles and areas needing attention, making coaching and support a breeze. It even compares candidates side by side so you can see who truly stands out.

Unlike more complicated tools, TeamTrait doesn’t leave you buried in charts or jargon. It gives you clear, practical insights you can apply right away. You’ll spend less time interviewing the wrong people and more time making great hires.

It’s especially effective for companies growing fast or building new teams. When speed and accuracy matter, TeamTrait gives hiring managers the support they need to move quickly without sacrificing quality.

How Does Behavioral Data Support Long-​Term Growth and Retention?

Hiring is just the beginning. Once a new team member is on board, behavioral data continues to add value. Knowing how someone prefers to communicate, solve problems, and handle pressure helps managers support their team more effectively.

Performance coaching, employee development, and leadership training benefit greatly from this type of information. You already know what feedback works best; no more guessing games! The payoff? Better working relationships, faster project completion, and, most importantly, results that stand the test of time.

Behavioral data also helps with role planning as teams evolve. You can identify who’s ready for more responsibility, who might thrive in a different department, or who may need more structure to succeed. It’s like having a roadmap for your team’s future, not just their current roles.

Retention improves, too. When people feel understood and supported, they tend to stay. Using behavior assessments to build trust, improve communication, and tailor leadership styles creates a workplace people want to be part of.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary goal of behavioral assessment?

The main goal is understanding workplace behavior: How do people naturally conduct themselves professionally? This tool forecasts their performance, social skills, and problem-​solving capabilities, offering valuable insights into their overall potential.

What is included in a behavioral assessment?

Work style, preferences, and skills are all aspects a behavioral assessment helps find through its questions. Some tests include visual reports or behavior models based on the results. These results often highlight areas like communication style, task focus, adaptability, and decision-​making. The goal is to provide a clear snapshot of how a person is likely to behave in a work setting.

What are employers seeking in a PI behavioral assessment?

Employers using a predictive index, or PI behavioral assessment, want to see how a person will respond in specific job scenarios. With predictive index insights, you can match the right candidate to the right role and reduce turnover. These assessments help uncover how someone approaches tasks, communicates with others, and handles feedback. The predictive index provides a clearer view of fit before the first interview.

How do you conduct a behavioral assessment?

It’s usually done online. The candidate gets a link, completes the assessment, and the system delivers results instantly. Tools like TeamTrait make the process seamless and easy to manage.

What’s Your Next Step Toward Smarter Hiring?

Choosing the right candidate takes more than instinct; it takes insight. Resumes and interviews, combined with personality tests, make hiring much easier, quicker, and more accurate.

Tools like TeamTrait bring structure and science to your hiring process. You’ll stop guessing and start making data-​informed choices that strengthen your team and support long-​term growth. You’ll get a complete view of the person behind the resume, from communication style to stress response.

By using behavioral assessments, companies can spot patterns, improve interviews, and reduce costly mistakes. And when you pair them with cognitive ability testing or psychometric assessments, you get a truly well-​rounded view of your candidates. That’s the edge today’s hiring managers need to stay ahead.

Why TeamTrait Is the Tool for Better Hires

Behavioral data is useful for hiring, onboarding, team building, and leadership. It helps human resources teams create environments where people thrive. With clear insights into each candidate’s personality traits, companies can make better decisions across the board.

It’s time to go beyond guesswork. Start using proven assessment tools that bring clarity to your next hire. Behavioral testing with TeamTrait makes it easier to screen candidates, spot key behavioral traits, and build stronger teams.

Ready to improve your hiring decisions? TeamTrait helps you integrate behavior assessments into every part of your process — without slowing things down. It’s the smarter way to hire, from entry-​level roles to leadership positions.

Discover how TeamTrait can help you make faster, more accurate hiring decisions using real behavioral data. Explore our platform today and see how simple effective hiring can be with the right tools in place.