Predictive Index Hire is a powerful tool designed to improve job success predictability. By building a behavioral and cognitive target for a role, Hire allows organizations to map candidates and internal employees against that target to determine alignment. The ultimate goal is to place the right people in the right seats and reduce misalignment that could hinder performance. A common feature in Hire is the five-star rating system, which summarizes how well a candidate aligns with a job target. While this system is helpful, it has limitations that organizations should understand to avoid misjudging potential hires.
The PI star rating evaluates candidates based on alignment with the four primary behavioral drives:
A – Dominance: How much a person seeks control or influence over their environment
B – Extraversion: How much a person seeks social interaction and collaboration
C – Patience: How much a person seeks consistency, stability, and predictable routines
D – Formality: How much a person seeks structure, rules, and attention to detail
The star system aggregates alignment across all four drives and assigns a candidate a rating from 1 to 5 stars. A higher rating suggests closer alignment with the job target, while a lower rating indicates potential misalignment. Not all drives are equally important for every role, and the star system alone does not always reflect the relative importance of each drive.
While the star rating can support better hiring decisions, it can sometimes produce counterintuitive results:
High-star candidates may underperform: If alignment on critical drives is poor but alignment on less important drives is strong, the star rating may appear favorable despite higher risk of underperformance.
Low-star candidates may excel: A candidate may score poorly overall due to misalignment in less important drives but perform exceptionally because they are strong in the key drives required for the role.
Example: A large smoked salmon producer discovered discrepancies in star ratings versus actual performance. Employees who scored poorly on stars often performed very well, while some high-star employees struggled. After analyzing the data and running an alignment meeting, it became clear that Factor C – Patience – was the critical driver of success for that role. Employees with high C scores consistently excelled, even if their other drives were misaligned. Poor performers with high star ratings often had aligned A, B, and D drives but low C, highlighting that the star system alone did not capture the key predictor of success.
The key takeaway from this example is the importance of identifying non-negotiable factors for each role. Not all drives are equally important, and certain factor combinations strongly predict success. Organizations should consider:
Which drives are most important for consistent performance in the role
Which drives may be flexible depending on team dynamics or role requirements
How drive combinations interact to influence success
By understanding these nuances, you can use star ratings as a starting point without making them the sole determinant of hiring decisions.
To avoid misaligned hires or missing top talent, consider the following:
Be intentional when creating job targets: Use assessments, clone top performers, or leverage PI Design and analytics tools to identify the drives that truly matter for success.
Run alignment meetings on jobs: Review job target alignment with your team to identify which drives or drive combinations are non-negotiable. Discuss potential gaps and areas where misalignment may be acceptable.
Educate hiring managers and talent acquisition teams: Ensure they understand that stars are a helpful guide but not the final word. Encourage them to dig into the individual factor scores when necessary.
Monitor outcomes and adjust: Track employee performance against predicted alignment and refine targets based on trends.
The PI star system is useful but should not be the sole determinant in hiring decisions.
Some behavioral drives are more critical than others for specific roles. Identifying these non-negotiable factors is essential.
Misalignment in less critical drives should not automatically disqualify candidates, just as alignment in less critical drives should not automatically guarantee success.
Use stars as a starting point, complemented by alignment meetings, data analysis, and human judgment.
By taking a thoughtful approach to the PI star rating system, organizations can make smarter hiring decisions, improve role alignment, and reduce the risk of losing top talent.
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