Gallup, the company who owns and creates the tool, has a stance on retaking the assessment that surprises many people. They do not recommend retaking it. They believe that the most accurate results happen the first time through (because it's tough to not skew your answers once you've been exposed to the talent themes).

So the software is designed to not allow you to retake it. In their reliability research, it shows that over long spans of time (decades), 73% of your Top 10 will stay the same.

They see a shuffling of order, yet a persistent lineup. Based on this data, they believe your first results are your most accurate results. This .73 correlation on results over decades is extremely stable. It's very high compared with industry counterparts.

Another Reason: Keeping An Accurate CliftonStrengths Database

Gallup is also very keen on keeping an accurate database. They want to have a single version of you in the database so that the numbers we report out aren't skewed. For example, if you are in there twice with Achiever at #1 and you take it twice, the database would see Achiever as more likely to be in someone's #1 spot. It could lead us to reporting out averages that are not accurate.

In What Situations Do CliftonStrengths Change?

• Distraction or Interruption - If you didn't take it seriously when you first did it, or you got distracted, or you had a lot of interruptions, your results with likely change with a retake.
• Life Traumas - Gallup does acknowledge that some people have major life events and/or traumas that can change the results.
• Age - If you originally took the assessment when you were young, your results are also more likely to be different today. For example, if you took the assessment at age 19 for a university StrengthsFinder program, you would be more likely to have a different lineup as a 40 year old professional.
• Language - Occasionally, we'll see that someone takes their assessment in their native language, and then they switch on another go-round and they take it in their 2nd or 3rd language. This can impact results because your nuance with each language will differ.
• Authenticity - if you were not authentic in your responses. For example: you were trying to only reflect the "work you" or you were answering how you thought your manager would want you to answer.
• (NOT) Job Changes & Mood - Surprisingly to many, results don't change because you're in a new role and you've been applying different skills over the past decade. Shockingly to some, a person's mood does not skew results in a statistically significant way. The tool is designed to find out how you think, feel, and act when you're at your natural best. It looks more to how you approach things, not what you are working on. In this way, your career changes do not have a significant impact on the talent themes that show up in your Top 10.

If I'm Happy Using Existing (Old) CliftonStrengths Results

Do you have access to your actual PDF reports from last time you took the CliftonStrengths assessment? If you have an event planned with us, simply email your results to admin@leadthroughstrengths.com and tell her which company event you'll be attending. She will be sure that your data is in the spreadsheet with the team charts.

If you're not sure where to find your old results, you can use the Forgot Password link to get back into your dashboard.