What does the predictive index measure, and why has it become such a vital compass for hiring managers in 2026? If you have ever felt that a resume only tells half the story, you are not alone. Traditional hiring often fails because it looks backward at what someone has done, rather than forward at how they will actually behave when the pressure is on.
We have all seen the 'brilliant jerk' – the person with a flawless pedigree who manages to demoralise an entire department within three months. Or perhaps you have hired a 'quiet achiever' who looked average on paper but became the backbone of your operations. The difference between these outcomes usually comes down to things a standard interview simply cannot catch: natural work preferences, behavioural drives, and cognitive agility.
At Compono, we have spent years researching organisational design and people science to solve this exact problem. We know that work is personal. When you understand the underlying traits that drive a person, you stop guessing and start predicting. In this guide, we will break down exactly what these assessments measure and how you can use those insights to build high-performing teams.
When people ask what the predictive index measures, they are usually looking for a way to quantify human nature. At its heart, this type of assessment measures four key behavioural drives that dictate how a person interacts with their work environment. These aren't just abstract ideas; they are the engines behind every email sent, every decision made, and every conflict resolved in your office.
The first drive is dominance – the need to exert influence over people or events. Some people are naturally wired to take charge and drive change, while others prefer a collaborative, consensus-based approach. Neither is 'better', but knowing which one you are hiring is critical for role alignment. A high-dominance person might thrive in a competitive sales environment but feel stifled in a highly regulated compliance role.
The second drive is extraversion, which measures the need for social interaction. This dictates whether a person processes information internally or through dialogue with others. In a world where remote and hybrid work are the norm in 2026, understanding this drive helps you manage engagement. An extraverted team member might need more frequent video check-ins to stay motivated, whereas an introverted colleague might do their best work with long stretches of uninterrupted focus.
The third and fourth drives are patience and formality. Patience measures the need for consistency and stability, while formality measures the need for structure and rules. Together, these four factors create a behavioural 'pattern' or 'DNA'. By measuring these, we can see if a candidate's natural style matches the actual demands of the job.
At Compono, we take this science a step further. Our Compono Hire module uses these behavioural profiles to automatically rank candidates based on how well their natural work personality fits your specific role and team structure.
While behaviour tells us how someone will work, cognitive ability tells us how fast they can learn. Many predictive assessments include a cognitive component because it is often the single best predictor of job performance, especially in complex or fast-changing industries. It measures a person's capacity to process new information, solve problems, and adapt to change.
In 2026, the speed of business has never been higher. We are constantly integrating new technologies and shifting strategies. A candidate with high cognitive ability can get up to speed quickly, meaning your 'time to productivity' is significantly shorter. They are the people who can see patterns in data or find workarounds when a project hits a snag.
However, it is important to remember that cognitive ability is about potential, not just knowledge. You aren't testing what they already know; you are testing their mental 'bandwidth'. When you combine this with behavioural data, you get a holistic view of the person. You might find a candidate who has slightly less experience but incredible cognitive agility and the perfect behavioural fit – often, this person will outperform a veteran who is set in their ways.
Beyond individual drives, we need to look at how these traits translate into team actions. Our research at Compono has identified eight key work activities that define high-performing teams: Evaluating, Coordinating, Campaigning, Pioneering, Advising, Helping, and Doing. When you ask what the predictive index measures, you are essentially asking which of these roles a person will naturally gravitate toward.
Every person has a dominant work personality. For example, a 'Doer' is task-focused, reliable, and obsessed with precision. They are the ones who make sure the work actually gets finished on time. On the other hand, a 'Pioneer' is imaginative and thrives on doing things differently. If your team is full of Doers but has no Pioneers, you might be very efficient at doing the same thing over and over, but you will likely struggle to innovate.
This is why team balance is so vital. If a manager only hires people who share their own work personality, they create a massive blind spot. A team of 'Campaigners' will be great at selling the dream and motivating each other, but they might completely overlook the fine print or forget to set up a structured plan for execution. By measuring these work personalities, you can proactively 'design' your team to cover all eight work actions.
You can see how your own team thinks by using Compono Engage. It helps you map the natural work preferences of your current staff so you can spot gaps and hire specifically for the traits your team is missing.
The final piece of the puzzle is culture. We often talk about 'culture fit' as a gut feeling, but in 2026, we can measure it with surprising accuracy. What a predictive index really helps you measure is the alignment between a person's values and the 'way things are done' in your organisation. This is the 'glue' that keeps people at a company long-term.
Culture is essentially the personality of the organisation. Some businesses are 'Risk Taking' and 'Flat', while others are 'Process Driven' and 'Hierarchical'. Neither is wrong, but a person who thrives on individuality and questioning authority will be miserable in a culture that demands strict conformity and centralised control. This misalignment is the primary cause of turnover within the first six months of hire.
When you measure culture alongside behaviour, you are looking at the 'mood' of the workplace. We find that when a person's natural drives are supported by the company culture, their engagement levels skyrocket. They aren't just doing a job; they are working in an environment that makes sense to them. This leads to higher productivity, lower stress, and a much stronger employer brand.
If you're looking to understand your current workplace 'mood' and identify any systemic issues, Compono Engage provides a validated way to assess both your current and desired culture. It moves culture from a vague concept to a measurable business metric.
Now that you know what these assessments measure, how do you actually apply them? The key is to move them to the very beginning of your hiring process. Most companies wait until the final round to run a 'test', but by then, you have already wasted hours interviewing people who were never going to be a good fit. We believe in flipping the funnel.
By using people science at the attraction stage, you can profile and rank every candidate before you even open a resume. This removes human bias and ensures that your shortlist is made up of people who have the skills, the cognitive ability, and the behavioural drives to succeed. It makes your job as a recruiter or manager much easier because you are only talking to 'high-probability' candidates.
Once you hire the right person, these insights don't lose their value. You can use their behavioural profile to personalise their onboarding. A 'Coordinator' might want a very detailed, written schedule for their first week, while an 'Advisor' might prefer more collaborative sessions and time to meet the team. Using this data to guide management ensures that your new hire feels understood and supported from day one.