Workplace Alignment Assessment: Common Questions
Updated
by
Cody Cooley
The Workplace Alignment Assessment (WAA) measures how well a candidate’s work-related preferences align with what your organization offers. Candidates rank 20 standardized work factors—such as job security, advancement, recognition, and compensation—based on what they value most in an ideal workplace. These preferences are then compared to a Work Factors Profile created by your organization. A higher alignment score suggests the candidate is more likely to be committed, satisfied, and stay longer in the role.
General
Why assess for Workplace Alignment?
The Workplace Alignment Assessment (WAA) draws on over sixty years of research demonstrating the benefits of alignment between an individual’s preferences and the organizational environment. Multiple large-scale studies of person-organization alignment involving tens of thousands of individuals have shown that alignment is associated with:
✅ Increased commitment to the organization.
✅ Increased satisfaction with the job.
✅ Decreased likelihood of turnover.
✅ Increased tenure.
✅ Less distress at work.
Both employees and organizations benefit when alignment is considered in the hiring process. Employees benefit because they are more likely to find that their most important workplace needs are met within the organization. This reduces distress and increases satisfaction. The organization benefits because the employees are more likely to remain committed and engaged in the organization for longer periods.
✅ Increased commitment to the organization.
✅ Increased satisfaction with the job.
✅ Decreased likelihood of turnover.
✅ Increased tenure.
✅ Less distress at work.
Both employees and organizations benefit when alignment is considered in the hiring process. Employees benefit because they are more likely to find that their most important workplace needs are met within the organization. This reduces distress and increases satisfaction. The organization benefits because the employees are more likely to remain committed and engaged in the organization for longer periods.
How does the WAA work?
The WAA focuses on 20 key work factors that have been shown to be important drivers of organizational commitment and satisfaction. The work factors addressed in the WAA are based on the Minnesota Theory of Work Adjustment and are aligned with the work factors used to describe occupations in the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET® database.
Because the WAA evaluates alignment between a candidate’s preferences and the organizational environment, it is a two-sided assessment.
*️⃣ Candidates sort the 20 work factors into five importance categories, based on how important they are to them in their ideal job.
*️⃣ The supervisor of the job that the successful candidate will be placed in sorts the same 20 work factors into five importance categories, based on the extent to which the organization provides or emphasises those work factors in the role.
The ranking task is simple, and intuitive, and candidates can complete it on any device, including mobile devices. It is an untimed task and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Because the WAA evaluates alignment between a candidate’s preferences and the organizational environment, it is a two-sided assessment.
*️⃣ Candidates sort the 20 work factors into five importance categories, based on how important they are to them in their ideal job.
*️⃣ The supervisor of the job that the successful candidate will be placed in sorts the same 20 work factors into five importance categories, based on the extent to which the organization provides or emphasises those work factors in the role.
The ranking task is simple, and intuitive, and candidates can complete it on any device, including mobile devices. It is an untimed task and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
What are the 20 work factors?
The full list of the WAA work factors and their definitions are listed here.
What does the WAA report look like?
Once both the candidate and the supervisor have completed their ranking tasks, the WAA calculates the degree of alignment between your candidate’s preferences and your organizational environment. This degree of alignment is reported as a percentile figure. A percentile of 70%, for example, indicates that the degree of alignment between your candidate and your organization is higher than 70% of other likely candidates.
The WAA report also provides a detailed breakdown of alignment levels across each of the 20 work factors. You can use this to highlight work factors where there is a potential unmet need. For example, if a candidate has indicated that they highly value the opportunity to work independently of others, but your workplace does not provide this kind of work, then the report will highlight this area as a potential source of misalignment. The report will also provide suggested interview questions to assist you with exploring the issue.
View an example report.
The WAA report also provides a detailed breakdown of alignment levels across each of the 20 work factors. You can use this to highlight work factors where there is a potential unmet need. For example, if a candidate has indicated that they highly value the opportunity to work independently of others, but your workplace does not provide this kind of work, then the report will highlight this area as a potential source of misalignment. The report will also provide suggested interview questions to assist you with exploring the issue.
View an example report.
Is the WAA included in recommended test batteries?
Unfortunately, WAA has not been included in our recommended test batteries at this time. You can add WAA to any custom test battery in your Criteria account.
It can be used for any position, but it's particularly relevant if you are making a significant investment in candidates, such as hiring for graduate roles/making campus hires, looking to hire your future leaders, or wanting people who will pursue a long-term career path with your organization. Candidates who will feel a sense of belonging to your organization will want to stay for the long term, and people whose most important work preferences and values are closely aligned to your organization's are more likely to do so.
It can be used for any position, but it's particularly relevant if you are making a significant investment in candidates, such as hiring for graduate roles/making campus hires, looking to hire your future leaders, or wanting people who will pursue a long-term career path with your organization. Candidates who will feel a sense of belonging to your organization will want to stay for the long term, and people whose most important work preferences and values are closely aligned to your organization's are more likely to do so.
Who is best placed to complete the organizational profile?
In short, the Work Factors Profile should be completed by someone who knows the role being recruited for, and the organization, well. The position supervisor is often the best person for this job, for a couple of reasons:
*️⃣ They are likely to reinforce to their supervisees what they perceive the organization to value. Their close relationship with their supervisees means that they act as a “filter” of their supervisee’s experience of the company.
*️⃣ Given their supervisory responsibility, they may have had longer tenure, and their experience of the company is potentially quite rich, so have insight into how things operate in the business.
If you are recruiting for different positions, you should create separate Profiles for each job, since the degree to which each work factor is emphasised may vary from one position to another. For example, having the opportunity to advance up the organization’s hierarchy (the Advancement factor) may be emphasised in many positions within the organization, but might not be as important in other roles.
If you are recruiting for different positions that have very similar work environments, it might be appropriate to use the same organizational profile for all jobs. In this case, we recommend asking the supervisors for the different positions to use the WAA worksheet to reach a consensus on which factors are most (and least) emphasised by these roles.
*️⃣ They are likely to reinforce to their supervisees what they perceive the organization to value. Their close relationship with their supervisees means that they act as a “filter” of their supervisee’s experience of the company.
*️⃣ Given their supervisory responsibility, they may have had longer tenure, and their experience of the company is potentially quite rich, so have insight into how things operate in the business.
If you are recruiting for different positions, you should create separate Profiles for each job, since the degree to which each work factor is emphasised may vary from one position to another. For example, having the opportunity to advance up the organization’s hierarchy (the Advancement factor) may be emphasised in many positions within the organization, but might not be as important in other roles.
If you are recruiting for different positions that have very similar work environments, it might be appropriate to use the same organizational profile for all jobs. In this case, we recommend asking the supervisors for the different positions to use the WAA worksheet to reach a consensus on which factors are most (and least) emphasised by these roles.
There's a talent shortage at the moment. Why would I want to add more testing to my process?
Smart employers know there's a talent shortage, but rather than just focusing on getting people in the door, you're focusing on ensuring you're providing a workplace that meets your employees' needs and encourages them to stick around for longer. You want to demonstrate to your current and potential employees that you care about your employees' wellbeing and do everything you can to promote it. And you know that if you don't, people will leave and it will be very difficult to replace them.
The WAA is a great tool in your arsenal of firstly, identifying candidates whose needs will be met by your organization and will thus be more likely to be committed and engaged and stay longer, and secondly, demonstrating to the talent market that you take these things seriously.
The results are also incredibly useful for onboarding new employees, since they help you to understand any areas of potential shortfall - i.e. factors that the employee values highly but which are not strongly promoted by your organization. This can help hiring managers to look at ways to compensate for any mismatches to better meet the employees' needs and help them feel more valued.
The WAA is a great tool in your arsenal of firstly, identifying candidates whose needs will be met by your organization and will thus be more likely to be committed and engaged and stay longer, and secondly, demonstrating to the talent market that you take these things seriously.
The results are also incredibly useful for onboarding new employees, since they help you to understand any areas of potential shortfall - i.e. factors that the employee values highly but which are not strongly promoted by your organization. This can help hiring managers to look at ways to compensate for any mismatches to better meet the employees' needs and help them feel more valued.
Where can I go to learn more?
Here is our guide to the Workplace Alignment Assessment.
How to use WAA in your recruitment process.
If you have any additional questions about the Workplace Alignment Assessment please feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager or our Support Team for advice and assistance.
How to use WAA in your recruitment process.
If you have any additional questions about the Workplace Alignment Assessment please feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager or our Support Team for advice and assistance.
Candidate Experience
Candidates might think that all 20 factors are important. Why ask them to rank them?
The WAA specifically ask candidates to rank, rather than rate, those work factors they feel are most important to them, e.g. they may perceive a steady and secure work environment to be more important than perhaps being able to undertake a variety of tasks throughout the day. This is not to say that they do not value variety, only that they value security greater than variety.
Your organization will naturally emphasise some things more than others in the workplace, so it’s important to understand a candidate’s top preferences to see how they match with your organization.
Your organization will naturally emphasise some things more than others in the workplace, so it’s important to understand a candidate’s top preferences to see how they match with your organization.
