Overview
Our values shape how we see the world, the careers we pursue, and the relationships we build. When organizations fail to align with these values, employees disengage—leading to burnout, dissatisfaction, and lower performance.
The Core Values Diagnostic helps decode human motivation. It measures what drives people, reveals how they thrive at work, and gives organizations the insights they need to keep teams engaged and motivated.
Key benefits / use cases
Understand motivation – Gain insights into what activities, careers, and environments bring the most energy and engagement.
Harness team diversity – Identify and combine different motivations to build stronger, more collaborative teams.
Shape culture – Understand organizational values and ensure they align with strategic goals.
How the Core Values Diagnostic works
The Core Values Diagnostic measures motivations, values, and goal-directed behaviors. It is built on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which identifies three key human needs:
Independence – Autonomy and freedom of choice
Competence – Mastery and growth
Connection – Belonging and meaningful relationships
The diagnostic is:
Quick and engaging to complete
Developed using a sample of 12,000 working adults
Free of bias and adverse impact
Validated against multiple psychological constructs and work behaviors
Upon completion, users receive an interactive report highlighting their Core Values. Managers and admins gain access to data visualizations that make it easy to see engagement patterns, map culture, and guide team development.
Target audience
The Core Values Diagnostic is designed for talent management and development across roles and industries:
Individual contributors – Understand what motivates them to do their best work.
Managers – Learn how to inspire and guide diverse teams.
Leaders – Shape organizational culture to support long-term strategy.
Important: The diagnostic is not intended for people under 18 years old. While it was developed for English speakers, translations are available, and all translated versions undergo replication studies to ensure consistency and fairness.