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Assessments, for the purposes of this website, are defined as collections of informal inventories, questionnaires, surveys and checklists to be used by employers and employees to self-assess values, interests, skills, personality traits and overall work environments. These instruments can be crucial in cultivating high performance human resource talent and assuring that there are growth benefits for both the agency and the employee.

Assessment is an important step in the career development process. It helps employees find appropriate career paths based on distinct personality traits and specific abilities. It is important to respond honestly to the assessment instruments. There are no right or wrong answers, only answers that will assist employees in discovering the right career paths. Honest assessment of likes, dislikes, values, skills, interests and work-life is a prerequisite for developing a viable and realistic career development plan that will result in a rewarding work life for the individual.

Managers and employees should use these instruments as tools for exploration, guidance, identification of new self-concepts and identification of areas for growth and improvement. They should not be used as an absolute prediction of valid options. No assessment can tell a manager or employee, with 100% accuracy, the job an employee should have. Only through exploration, evaluation and honest consistent feedback can such a decision be made.