This article summarizes insights gained from actual use of a well-known aptitude test. The SPI3 for Employees diagnostic tool, considered an extension of SPI3,
is widely used as a diagnostic assessment for employees in many companies.
However, there are various challenges in its actual usage.
First, we explain the tool’s purpose and mechanism, then describe its proper operation.
① Definition: What is SPI3 for Employees?
SPI3 for Employees is the employee version of “SPI3,” developed by Recruit Co., Ltd.
Similar to SPI3 used in new graduate and mid-career recruitment, it measures personality traits but is mainly intended to support employee placement, development, and talent utilization.
Modern workplaces require understanding each employee’s individuality and values to tailor support accordingly.
It is also important for employees themselves to understand their motivation and strengths for satisfying career development.
This tool visualizes employees’ personality, preferences, and work values to provide self-awareness and support optimal placement decisions.
By objectively grasping behavioral tendencies and values, companies can leverage this data for placement, development, leader selection, and career support.
② Background: Why was SPI3 for Employees introduced?
Recently, companies have shifted from uniform personnel evaluation for placement and training to more personalized approaches.
SPI3 for Employees meets this need by visualizing employee individuality and personality trends.
It addresses HR challenges and demands such as:
- Placement strategies maximizing employee abilities
- Managerial approaches for developing subordinates
- Supplemental materials for career and feedback interviews
- Materials to improve engagement and reduce turnover
- Foundational data for next-generation leader development and selection
The personality section measures traits like persistence, sociability, caution, and flexibility, quantifying workplace behavior tendencies and interpersonal styles.
Unlike previous aptitude tests that simply assessed whether a person “fits” or not, this tool additionally evaluates what motivates and engages the employee.
③ Features (Strengths): Why SPI3 for Employees is valued
- Three types of reports are provided: For the employee, for managers (to support management), and for HR.
- Measures preferences and work values: Preferences mean thinking styles; work values indicate what individuals value in their work.
Preferences alone show “how” a person works; work values show “why” they work.
Together, these reveal the meaning behind work styles. - Web-based testing offers quick result access: Results are delivered in a timely manner.
- Easy to apply for placement and development: Strengths and weaknesses are quantified.
- Results are visually simple and easy to compare: Rich graphical data provides immediate impact.
- Supports individual interviews: Enables objective data-based dialogue in career and 1-on-1 meetings beyond subjective impressions.
④ Weaknesses and Issues: Structural challenges of SPI3 for Employees
- Answer manipulation is as easy as with SPI3: Since managers and HR share results, examinees may deliberately respond to present themselves favorably.
This risks undermining result reliability.
Lack of psychological safety means examinees cannot provide honest answers, turning it into a “not truly evaluative” tool. - Tendency to surface-level personality evaluation: Results show numeric scores, short labels, and brief summaries.
However, these are often misunderstood as simple evaluations of complex human behavior.
For example, employees scoring low on caution may be labeled “unreliable” or “unplanned,” and those low on cooperativeness may be seen as “problematic.”
Detailed explanations and concrete advice are absent.
In Japan, there is a tendency to favor simple label-based diagnostics, reminiscent of blood type personality types.
Once labeled, correcting these impressions is difficult. - Personality test does not use Big Five model: Big Five is globally regarded as most reliable and valid for personality assessment.
It allows correction of biases such as social desirability and extreme responding.
Fewer factors increase risk of distorted responses undetected by statistical checks. - Guidance is paid service: Since guidance on purpose, operation, and utilization is paid, many examinees and managers lack full understanding.
Consequently, superficial use of scores and labels leads to “judging” people without considering behavioral context or workplace environment.
This risky misuse seems common, estimated around 80% based on consulting experience.
Employees sometimes resign themselves to fixed personality types, ceasing efforts to grow.
SPI3 scores are tendencies, not absolute judgments of good or bad.
Result interpretation literacy among users is critical to avoid misapplication as either empowerment or oppression.
⑤ Conclusion: SPI3 for Employees offers comprehensive scoring with feedback
Dangerous misuse occurs when superficial scores and labels are used to “judge” people without context of behavior or environment.
Personality and preferences are shaped by influences such as environment and relationships.
For instance, even an outgoing, energetic person may become introverted and withdrawn due to poor relationships with supervisors or colleagues.
Such temporary states might be misdiagnosed as stable personality traits.
Unless individuals have strong personal purpose or resolve, humans often show vulnerable sides.
Psychology shows that behavioral psychology, sub-traits, and deep psychology are essential to understanding human behavior.
As long as people work within organizations, social psychology is also necessary.
Without considering workplace environment, relationships with supervisors, and colleagues, personality testing is risky.
SPI3 for Employees does not specify use of the Big Five personality model.
Thus, no factor analysis linking personality with preferences and work values exists.
These three dimensions are treated separately.
While it is difficult to cover all in one test, relying only on scores, labels, and brief summaries without understanding is dangerous.
The results are visually well-designed but lack specific feedback or advice.
To illustrate, it’s like having great fashion sense but problematic character — or vice versa.
(All views are personal opinions.)
⑥ Proposal: Improvements for SPI3 for Employees
The scientific basis for this aptitude test is unpublished, so its psychological reliability is unclear.
Although it is top in examinee numbers and client companies domestically, this does not guarantee diagnostic validity.
Guidance exists but is paid, so extent of examinee preparation is unknown.
- Clearly communicate test purpose and usage policy. Without full understanding, examinees remain skeptical — this mindset must be acknowledged.
- Ensure examinee psychological safety.
- It is inappropriate to select next-gen leaders or make promotion decisions based solely on test results.
- Support interpretation of results. Reading the materials may create illusions of understanding, but also raise questions.
For example, is high “communication” a real strength? Is low cooperativeness a real weakness? Must one become highly cooperative?
No concrete feedback or advice is given. If guidance does not resolve this, minimal feedback should be mandatory or test value declines. - Recognize companies require multiple talent types. Statistical “correctness” may not translate to actual job fit; HR must use results accordingly.
Knowing one’s traits is valuable and important.
But if employees do not understand the meaning or purpose of sharing results with managers or HR, it functions only as an evaluation tool.
(The above includes the author’s personal opinions.)