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With the world of work constantly evolving, individuals continue to look for better ways to understand and develop themselves. Two prominent tools in this space are the Birkman Method and CliftonStrengths (formerly known as StrengthsFinder). These assessments are equipped to provide unique insights into one’s personality and strengths. However, both come with their strong and weak points. 

The Birkman Method: A Multi-Dimensional Approach: Known for identifying the intricacies of our personalities and measuring characteristics that influence our behaviors, motivations, and perceptions, The Birkman Method is designed to help us explore the different aspects of our personalities and give better insight into how our behaviors and perceptions can affect us in the workplace.  Birkman focused on four key areas: 

  •  Interests 
  • Usual behavior
  • Psychological needs
  • Stress behaviors 

 CliftonStrengths: A Strengths-Based Framework: Developed based on 25 years of extensive research by psychologist Don Clifton, the CliftonStrengths assessment analyzes people’s skills abilities, knowledge, and personality traits while also focusing on helping individuals identify and leverage their natural talent. The assessment categorizes 34 themes of talent into four domains:  

  •  Strategic Thinking 
  • Executing  
  • Influencing 
  • Relationship Building 

Comparative Analysis: Birkman Vs. CliftonStrengths 

In this blog, we’ll compare the Birkman Method and CliftonStrengths by outling their benefits and drawbacks to help you identify which assessment aligns best with your personal and professional goals.  

The Birkman Method – Benefits 

A Comprehensive Approach: Birkman, unlike other assessments, is known for providing deep insights into visible behaviors and underlying motivations that allow individuals to understand what they want to do and why they’d prefer to pursue a certain interest. The Birkman tools also excel at highlighting individual strengths and interests – a feature that is vital to help people align their career paths with their natural inclinations.  

 Teamwork and Alignment: Birkman is known for improving interpersonal relationships among team members. When individuals understand their needs and communication styles, they can better articulate their preferences to peers and colleagues. This allows members to recognize and appreciate the differences in working styles, thus fostering a culture of empathy and improved collaboration.  

Career Development and Satisfaction: Birkman tools create a path for professional development by identifying roles and environments where individuals are most likely to thrive. Personalized insights derived from the assessments regarding one’s interests and behaviors allow individuals to make better decisions about career choices and advancement opportunities.  

The Birkman Method – Limitations 

Implementation Challenges: Results from the Birkman Assessment may be complex and may require time and expert intervention to interpret and understand. This might become a challenging task for individuals to keep up with alongside other professional and personal responsibilities.  

 High Cost and ROI: The initial investment for implementing the Birkman Method is significant as compared to other assessments. Therefore, individuals who are solely focused on cost may not consider this assessment. Additionally, the return on investment for those who choose Birkman largely depends on the person’s commitment to applying the insights and their access to qualified interpretation and support.  

CliftonStrengths – Benefits 

Simple and straightforward: The CliftonStrengths assessment is known to be simple – one that is easy to comprehend. It provides individuals with a straightforward framework for understanding and leveraging their natural talents. This assessment categorizes individuals into the top 5 talent themes by clearly identifying their strengths and helping them seek opportunities that align with their natural abilities.  

 Career and Growth-Focused: Another significant advantage of CliftonStrength is its practical application to career development. The assessment allows individuals to identify roles that best suit their strengths – thus, allowing them to make better career choices. This framework’s emphasis on developing one’s strengths can be particularly empowering to an individual’s career progression.  

CliftonStrengths – Limitations 

Mainly Strength-Focused: Since this assessment primarily focuses on an individual’s strengths, it may not provide sufficient insight into areas that need improvement. It also offers limited insight into a person’s behavior in stressful scenarios or demanding workplaces.  

 Lacks Analytical Depth: This assessment’s focus on positive psychology (mainly strengths) may result in oversimplified interpretations of complex workplace dynamics. CliftonStrengths’ results, may not provide sufficient insight into interpersonal conflicts, stress triggers, or communication challenges that could impact future success. In fact, some users may require additional tools or further interventions to gain a complete picture of their career development needs.  

 Requires Integration with Other Systems: While CliftonStrengths is beneficial, it is more likely to provide better results if it is integrated with other professional development tools and frameworks. Individuals may feel the need to supplement their Strength insights with additional assessments that cover areas such as emotional intelligence and leadership style. This need for supplementary tools and support can make the entire process more complex, time-consuming, and expensive.  

Final Thoughts 

While both the Birkman Method and CliftonStrengths have made a name for themselves as leading development assessment tools – Birkman goes beyond and explores multiple facets of an individual’s personality and implications for the workplace. At Crosworks, we believe that The Birkman Method provides an in-depth and accurate assessment of an individual’s interests and expectations.  

 Intrigued about how the Birkman Method can help you identify your career needs and proactively manage your career? Download a sample Birkman Report from Crosworks, to see how this can be beneficial for you.  

 

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