Best practices for discussing assessment results in an interview

At HI, we emphasize the importance of being clear on the purpose when discussing assessment results in an interview.

It should not be about:

• trying to determine whether the test result “should have been something else”, or
• allowing different candidates to be evaluated on completely different themes (e.g. focusing on extraversion with one candidate and goal orientation with another).

The risk in doing so is that the interview loses both its structure and intended purpose.

When can it make sense to discuss test results?

There can still be value in addressing test results, particularly from a candidate experience perspective.

For example:

• In HI, candidates are given the opportunity to leave comments on their results directly in the platform.
• In the interview, you may choose to ask a few short, open questions such as: How did you experience the assessment? Did you recognize yourself in the results? Was there anything that stood out that you’d like to elaborate on?

These questions should be brief and not take over the interview.

Other relevant use cases

There are also situations where discussing results can support the assessment of specific competencies, for example:

• When self-awareness or self-reflection is a key competency
• When you want to understand how natural behavioral tendencies translate into actual behaviors in a work context
• When exploring areas such as stress behaviors, where there are no “right or wrong” outcomes, but where it can be valuable to understand triggers, awareness, how the person manages it, and when it may be a strength versus a potential challenge.

Using suggested interview questions from HI

Within HI, you have the possibility to receive suggested interview questions based on certain results or combinations that could indicate potential challenges.

These are **not **meant to replace a structured, competency-based interview.

Instead, they should be seen as support in preparation:

• helping you connect insights from the assessment to the competencies you intend to evaluate
• providing guidance on how to explore those competencies in a structured and relevant way

Stay structured and purposeful

If you choose to include discussions around test results, it is essential to maintain structure and context.

Be mindful of when you are:

• assessing a specific competency, versus
• exploring overall fit in a given context (e.g. team dynamics, role demands or organizational challenges)

Both can be valuable, but they serve different purposes and should be handled consciously.

A final note

We also recognize that recruitment processes often come with time constraints and complexity. Not everything can be fully explored during the interview stage.

However, many of these insights can continue to create value beyond the hiring decision, for example in:

• onboarding
• team discussions
• performance and development conversations
• leadership development

Used thoughtfully, assessment insights can support not just better hiring decisions, but long-term success in the role.

Updated on: 28/04/2026