The Assertive Trait Measures What Somebody Believes About Being Bold
The assertive trait is one of the People Traits scored on the Aptitude assessments. It measures what a candidate believes about approaching people boldly, rather than whether they will actually do it.Â
What Does the Assertive Trait Measure?
The assertive trait measures the degree to which somebody believes the best way to approach people is being bold and saying what is on their mind.
In more detail, that belief covers being tough, confronting people, interrupting them, trying new sales approaches even when slightly unacceptable, asking deliberate questions, and never being afraid to say what they think.
What the assertive trait is not
It is not the degree of willingness to approach people boldly or to say what is on your mind. That willingness sits in a separate behavioral reading named Assertiveness, so somebody can hold this belief firmly and still never act on it once.
What the Assertive Trait Helps You Evaluate Before You Hire
Ask how they would approach a customer who keeps postponing a decision. The answer shows what they believe works, which is what this reading covers, while whether they would actually do it is a separate question.
Why the Assertive Trait Matters in Hiring
This trait fails in both directions, which is why the benchmark decides more than the number does.
It also has a behavioral twin under a similar name, and the two can disagree on the same candidate.
Belief, Not Behavior
This score tells you what somebody thinks works with people. Whether they act on it belongs to a different reading.
Two Traits, Similar Names
Assertive covers the belief and Assertiveness covers the willingness, so the two numbers can easily disagree on the same candidate.
Right Score Depends on Seat
Persuasive sales rewards a high reading. A service or support position often reads better with something closer to the middle.
How a mismatched Assertive score shows up on the job
This trait fails in both directions, which is why the benchmark matters more than the number. Consequently, the same reading can be an asset in one seat and a liability in the next.
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How the Assertive Trait Is Scored
Ten questions produce a score from 0 to 100 across six named ranges, and the three bands below summarize them.
Note that two consecutive ranges both carry the Poor label, at 26 to 38 and again at 39 to 45, with different descriptions.
Low — under 39
The belief that approaching people boldly and saying what is on one's mind is not the best way at all.
Medium — 39 to 60
Boldness may or may not be the answer, moving into some belief that saying what is on one's mind works.
High — 61 to 100
The belief that boldness and saying what is on one's mind works best, becoming a definite belief from 75 upward.
Read this score against the seat, not upward. A high reading suits persuasive sales and predicts friction in a service or administrative position, so the benchmark for the role decides what a strong number looks like here.
Assertive is one of the People Traits on the Aptitude assessments
Each trait in this set scores knowledge and belief rather than personality.
However, this one has a behavioral twin under a similar name, which makes reading the pair together more useful than reading either alone.
Assertiveness (Behavioral)
The behavioral twin scores willingness to be bold. Belief without willingness produces somebody who agrees with directness and avoids it.
Managing Fear
Fear is a named relation, because believing in boldness matters little when upsetting somebody still frightens the person holding it.
Confront People
Confronting people sits inside this belief, so read that trait too whenever the role depends on addressing offensive behavior directly.
General Sales
Sales and Sales Manager both name this trait, since believing in a bold approach underpins asking somebody to buy anything.
People Traits
The category this trait belongs to. Every People Trait is scored from multiple choice questions with one correct answer, so these readings measure what a candidate knows rather than how they describe themselves.Â
Best Practice: Read this score against the seat rather than upward. Pair it with the behavioral Assertiveness reading, because belief without the willingness to use it disappoints a sales manager expecting a closer.
How to Interpret Assertive Results
Six named ranges cover this trait, two of them labeled Poor. Both the IC Aptitude Test and the Sales Aptitude Test include it.
What to Do Based on Your Assertive Score
Guessing alone could reach 20 here, so read this as a firm belief that approaching people boldly and saying what is on one's mind is wrong.
The belief that approaching people is not necessarily about being bold and saying what is on one's mind. Clearly weak for almost any persuasive sales position.
The belief that approaching people may or may not take being bold. Read this beside the sales traits before you place anybody in a closing seat.
Some belief that being bold and saying what is on one's mind is the best approach. This sits comfortably in most service, support and coordination positions.
The belief that approaching people boldly and saying what is on one's mind works best. Strong for persuasive sales positions and for anybody managing other salespeople.
A definite belief in boldness and in saying what is on one's mind. Check the seat, since interrupting and confronting can be wrong for support work.
Assessment results support your hiring decisions, they do not replace them. Always read the assertive trait score alongside the full profile and your role benchmarks before drawing a conclusion.
The Assertive Trait Matters for Every Role You Hire
Because a bold approach helps in some seats and hurts in others, benchmarks define what each reading means. Therefore, review results against the benchmark for the specific job.
Relevant for all role types
Outside Sales Representative
Account Manager
Collections Specialist
Customer Service Representative
Service Coordinator
Sales Manager
Business Development Representative
Administrative Assistant
If any of these situations sound familiar, this assessment is for you
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Frequently Asked Questions
It measures the degree to which somebody believes the best way to approach people is being bold and saying what is on their mind. That belief includes being tough, confronting people, interrupting them, trying new sales approaches even when slightly unacceptable, and asking deliberate questions.
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