Korn Ferry Test: A Complete Guide for 2024

Korn Ferry describes itself as a ‘global organizational consulting firm’. It specializes in working with clients to help with recruitment and retention.

With more than 100 offices worldwide, it is a dominant force when it comes to recruitment, data insights and data analytics.

The company prides itself on being able to work with Fortune 100 companies and has rewarded data on more than 20 million professionals around the world.

What Is Korn Ferry?

As a recruitment specialist, Korn Ferry excels in providing executive ability tests. It uses its knowledge and understanding of leadership positions to help businesses recruit the perfect candidate.

A typical recruitment campaign goes beyond job adverts and interviews. Instead, you can expect to find candidates participating in a variety of pre-set online assessments and live virtual assessments.

The success of Korn Ferry’s approach to recruitment means that:

‘Each business hour, the company places a candidate every three minutes’.

We’re sure you’ll agree that’s impressive.

Korn Ferry Test and the Success Profiles

A key part of Korn Ferry’s success is based on its ability to create ‘Success Profiles’.

These are a series of actionable data sets that allow businesses to establish ‘what good looks like’.

The profiles are compiled through a series of aptitude tests.

The data is used to look at the specific accountabilities of a certain job role, what capabilities are required to perform that specific role and what the key personality traits are of people who succeed in these roles.

In turn, companies can use these Success Profiles to influence their recruitment and retention campaigns.

What Services Does Korn Ferry Provide?

Businesses who sign up for Korn Ferry’s digital solutions will be provided with access to Korn Ferry’s digital platform. This can be used to compile data and make the most of data insights and analysis.

If you are applying for a job and you discover that your prospective employer is aligned with Korn Ferry, it’s important to be aware of why firms choose to invest in such a service.

Understanding their reasons will help you to prepare in advance for any specific aptitude tests or personality assessments that you may have to complete.

Typically, the Korn Ferry test works across three distinct areas:

• Recruit
• Assess
• Select

Recruit

Within Korn Ferry Recruit, clients can take advantage of AI technologies which are designed to streamline the recruitment process.

Clients can use the technology to filter through applicants several different ways including Success Profiles, pay scales, assessment data and other criteria.

The Korn Ferry Recruit system is designed to work in conjunction with a range of HRIS and Applicant Tracking Systems, making it easier and quicker for companies to make recruitment decisions.

As a candidate, you should ensure that your application will meet the criteria commonly set by these algorithms to pass through the AI filters.

A tip is to ensure that you use the same terminology/jargon on your application that is found within the job description. This will give you a greater chance of your application successfully passing through the technology.

Find out more about applicant tracking systems in our dedicated article.

Assess

Korn Ferry Assess is designed to help businesses make decisions on employee performance.

Thanks to these Korn Ferry assessments, firms can make informed decisions on how to spot and develop talent, and how to leverage leadership potential.

Within Korn Ferry Assess, employers can make use of aptitude tests, personality tests and employee assessments to determine who has the traits that determine leadership capabilities.

The data used within these assessments can be used to influence employee development plans and ensure that firms are making the most out of their teams.

A key highlight of the Korn Ferry Assessment is the unique insights found through the Korn Ferry Leadership Assessment.

This is a specific aptitude test aimed towards mid-senior management executives to identify who is ready for career progression. The Korn tests use the insights gleaned through the Success Profiles to look for skills, personality traits and motivations of high performers.

Select

Korn Ferry Select is designed to help employers make rapid hiring decisions.

Thanks to four different types of Korn Ferry assessment, it uses data analytics to work through information beyond the CV or resume.

Companies can use the Success Profiles to identify who will be a good cultural fit and predict how a potential employee may behave in the role.

The first stage is a Korn Ferry cognitive abilities and behavioural competencies test, which is an entry-level assessment. This may involve a range of test formats such as rating statements according to a scale from 'completely untrue' to 'very true', pattern recognition and interpretation of written text.

This is designed to measure core competencies as well as cognitive capabilities such as numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, checking and logic.

Once the applicant has completed the assessments, the hiring manager is provided with an easy-to-read report which can be integrated with an Applicant Tracking System to filter successful applicants through to the next stage.

Korn Ferry Select also has a graduate assessment. This is designed to identify high-quality graduates. In addition to the core competencies and cognitive capabilities as tested by the entry-level assessment, the graduate assessment will also explore motivational drivers and personality traits/characteristics.

The professional Korn Ferry assessment is designed to find the right applicant for the job role. It understands that needs are changing, and the assessment is designed to avoid a ‘mismatch’ between employees and required skills.

Like the graduate assessment, participants will be tested on core capabilities, cognitive abilities, drivers and traits. But the output provided to hiring managers will include a ‘best fit’ suggestion based on the Success Profiles as well as a dynamic interview guide to help recruiters structure their interview questions around the participant’s results.

The final assessment is the robust manager assessment. This has been designed to factor in people management skills so employers can feel more confident that they are hiring the right people with the right capabilities for specific job roles.

What Are the Four Dimensions of Leadership and Talent in Korn Ferry Tests?

Korn Ferry tests are based on four distinct dimensions of leadership and talent.

Each is designed to provide recruiters with the insights and understanding of who that candidate is and what sets them apart from others.

Competencies

These are the tangible skills and attributes that make you successful at your job.

Your core competencies show what you are good at now, and what you have the capability of being good at.

Experiences

This looks at the applicant’s career history; what their achievements are and what they have done.

Typically, a candidate’s experiences are tested via the Korn Ferry Leadership Assessment.

Drivers

This is relevant to cultural fit and talent retention.

The questions are based on motivating factors – what drives a person to remain motivated? What are individuals rewarded by and how can this align with the overall job role?

Traits

What is a person’s personality traits and why is this so important when it comes to the workplace?

The Korn Ferry test looks at personalities to establish how a person can behave.

It looks at whether someone’s personality can change as they take on new roles and responsibilities.

Thanks to the Success Profiles, Korn Ferry can identify what traits are common within specific job roles.

Sample Korn Ferry Leadership Test Questions (2024)

The main purpose of the Korn Ferry test is to enable employers to identify the most adaptable, inclusive, practical managers who are self-aware of their leadership style and how it impacts others.

So, what questions might you be asked in a typical Korn Ferry test?

The first thing to note is that you’ll be asked a variety of questions seeking to explore how firm, fair, practical and understanding you are as a manager. Do you take a more empathetic approach or are you more direct?

Within each question, you’ll be given a typical work-based scenario to consider as if you were the manager. From the four possible responses, you’ll be asked to select the route you’d most likely take.

Here are a few possible examples below:

Example 1

At lunchtime, you overhear an employee complaining to another manager about the volume of work they are expected to achieve in your team. However, you can see that the person’s productivity is far lower than other members of the team. You are concerned this person could become a negative influence though as they are popular with their colleagues. How would you react?

a) Invite the employee for a private conversation, explain that you overheard what they were saying and that it is not acceptable to complain to another manager.
b) For the moment you decide not to respond to what you have heard. After all, everyone moans from time to time.
c) You invite the employee for a chat. You do not tell them what you heard but you do ask them if they are feeling ok with their job as you’ve noticed a dip in productivity. Together you discuss ways you can help.
d) You realise it’s best to nip the behaviour in the bud. You tell the employee what you heard and inform them that others in their team do not struggle and that they should be more productive.

Remember to think carefully about how you would respond. Would you be agitated by the employee and want to stamp out the behaviour quickly or would you seek to understand?

Example 2

One of your high performing employees is great at their job. They are always hitting their sales targets and get on with everyone in the team. However, they frequently talk over you in meetings and will often bulldoze your ideas in favour of their own. How do you resolve the situation?

a) You don’t. As they are such a high performer you decide not to rock the boat and keep your annoyance to yourself.
b) You speak with the employee concerned, acknowledge their hard work but express that you are not happy with being undermined.
c) Understanding that the employee is yearning for something more from their job, you give them a project they can be in control of although stress the importance of reporting to you.
d) You take a firm stance, invite the employee for a one-to-one and make it clear that you expect to be respected as their manager.

Example 3

A manager from another team has been called in to co-manage a project with you. While they are just as motivated as you, their motivations are self-oriented. You managed to secure a major new client, yet they take the credit when talking to senior management. What do you do?

a) You do nothing. You’re not bothered by egos and let it drop as all that matters is that the business benefits. b) You take the manager to one side and ask them why they took the credit for your ‘win’ and ask them to correct the misunderstanding. c) At the earliest opportunity, you oust your co-manager out to the Board to reveal that you won the client. d) You take the experience as a learning opportunity and remember to ‘get in their first’ next time.

Example 4

An employee comes to you in the strictest confidence. They tell you that another member of the team is bullying them. The bullying employee is giving the other employee all the jobs no one else wants to do and belittles them in front of others. How do you help resolve the conflict?

a) You seek to understand both sides and speak to each employee independently to find out why the behaviour is happening and seek to resolve the issues.
b) You sit down with both employees and a representative from HR, let both employees give their account, and find a resolution.
c) You do not allow the bullying employee to explain themselves. Bullying in all forms is unacceptable and you issue a formal warning.
d) You do nothing for now. You keep a good listen out though in the hope of catching the bullying behaviour as it happens and discipline accordingly.

Who Are Korn Ferry’s Key Customers?

Korn Ferry specializes in working with Fortune 100 companies. The company is proud to work with 98% of the Fortune 100 to help clients find and develop talent.

Companies listed on the Fortune 100 include brands such as:

• Walmart
• Exxon Mobil
• Apple
• Amazon
• AT&T

How Is Korn Ferry Different From Its Competitors?

As executive search experts, Korn Ferry has many competitors. It differentiates its services in several ways:

• Globalised approach. As an international brand, with 56 offices around the world, Korn Ferry has a wealth of data available to make accurate predictions and analysis of employee behaviors, drivers and traits.
• Flexible solutions. The Korn Ferry approach is flexible and can be adapted to businesses of different sizes with changing needs.
• Blendable technology. The Korn Ferry digital platforms are designed to fit in with existing HRIS and Applicant Tracking Systems. This means that businesses can integrate the Korn Ferry digital solutions with their existing technologies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

It is likely you will come across a Korn Ferry assessment if you are applying for a graduate job and throughout your career.

Knowing what the tests aim to assess will help you to prepare for your Korn Ferry assessment and secure that dream job.