Everyone has preferences about the way they live and work.
We believe people can be characterised by their preferences to gain meaningful insights into the unique ways they process information and think. We call these different ways of thinking; "archetypes".
By understanding your archetype, we can learn a lot about your behaviour and predict how you might react in certain situations. To find your archetype, we collect data about your natural preferences and organise it into different categories. This helps us understand why people act the way they do and how we can relate to them better.
It is important to understand that extreme scores in categories does not indicate skill or ability. Instead, scores indicate the strength of your preference for that area.
Our proprietary assessment is built on a foundation of leading scientific assessment frameworks.
Science & methodology behind the assessment
It combines academic research with practical insights from our team members with decades of real-world business experience to bring valuable insights into personality archetypes and workplace preferences.
The results comprise a person's score from very low to very high, across 11 categories (e.g. Systematic and Conceptual), further subdivided into 27 factors (e.g. Realist, Analytical, Curious, Non-conforming). These are used to identify one of 24 Archetypes that the individual is most likely derived from an algorithm-based model. Factors measured by our assessment have high internal consistency, retest reliability and validity.
To understand the science and methodology behind our assessment, click here.
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Archetypes are derived by grouping several individual factors (out of 27 total) that cluster together to indicate certain themes about an individual (such as their desire for social interaction, or creativity).
Everyone has their own unique and varying ways they think and process information. These different preferences can be visualised by dividing the brain into four quadrants, each of which represents a different preference.
Learn more about the four brain quadrants
Roger Wolcott Sperry, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology in 1981, discovered that our brain's two hemispheres, left and right, specialize in controlling different functions. The left hemisphere is responsible for verbal, logical, linear, and organized functions, while the right hemisphere is responsible for visual, imaginative, lateral, conceptual, and emotional functions. Kobus Neethling later identified these preferences can be further split across four categories or quadrants for brain profiling: Structured (L1), Detailed (L2), Creative (R1), and People-orientated (R2), each with their own characteristics and traits.
Realist: A metric to identify an individual’s preferences to approach work in pragmatic, realistic ways.
Analytical: A metric to identify one’s preferences for applying logic, reasoning, and critical thinking rather than observing intuitive and emotional approaches.
Conceptual- Big-picture-thinking fueled by curiosity and possibilities
Curious: A metric to identify an individual’s preferences to be open to the unknown and to unfamiliar experiences.
Non-conforming: A metric to understand an individual’s preference for challenging the status quo, departing from traditions and rules, and initiating change.
Systematic - Thinking practically and sequentially, going deep into details
Organisational: A metric to identify an individual’s preferences for planning, structure and routine, rather than spontaneity.
Specifics: A metric to gauge an individual’s preferences for fine details and precision.
People-Oriented - Connecting with others through empathy and intuition
Empathetic: A metric to identify one's understanding of or feeling of what another person is experiencing, the capacity to place yourself in another’s position.
Connecting: A metric to understand an individual’s preference to connect with others, and their preference for focusing on people, relationships and emotional connection.
In your ploomo portal, you will see brain preferences like the bar displayed below.
What does the bar mean?
The strength of a preference in a particular area is indicated by the width of the segment within a particular quadrant (for example, this individual’s preference would be high for ‘Conceptual and ‘Logical’ and low for ‘People-oriented’ and ‘Systematic’).
The depth of colour is not indicative of any measurement.
Your Application and Interaction Style
Your application and interaction style reflects how you prefer to apply yourself to work and how you prefer to interact with other people and your environment, categorised by factors like resilience, reflectiveness, and charisma. It is the collection of behaviours and attitudes that an individual applies to their tasks and social interactions, dictating how they are likely to respond to their environment, communicate, and solve problems. Application and interaction style are modelled off self-observed behaviour patterns, whose results showcase the patterns of interaction that are highly contextual, yet innate.
Factors that make up your Application and Interaction Style
Each Category is made up of a set of factors that provide further detail into your preferences.
Factor definitions
Initiative Style Tendency to initiate action or respond to circumstances
Driven
A metric to gauge an individual’s tendency to find motivation in competitive dynamics, progression and achievement.
This metric looks at the ways ambitions and competition compel an individual.
Self-motivated
A metric to identify an individual’s proclivities to harness and pursue their internal motivations.
Take Charge
A metric to gauge one’s bias to lead and direct.
Environment Preference
Environmental preference for ambiguity and change or clarity and stability
Work Adaptability
A metric to identify one’s preferences in dealing with ambiguity, unpredictable settings, and fast-changing environments.
Reflection Style Approach to problem-solving and decision-making
Receiving Feedback
A metric to understand an individual’s preferences in seeking and receiving feedback.
This metric looks at whether an individual proactive seeks feedback and opposing views.
Reflective
A metric to identify an individual’s preferences for contemplation.
This metric assesses how one uses reflection to increase understanding and find areas for improvement.
Accepting
A metric that considers an individual’s preference to accept people and not feel the need to be critical of their decisions, rather than openly and willingly telling people what they did wrong.
Discipline Style Approach to completing tasks and achieving goals
Self-disciplined
A metric to evaluate and identify an individual's tendency for self-discipline in terms of resisting impulsivity, adhering to commitments and maintaining focus towards tasks and goals.
Resilient
A metric that identifies how inconveniences, obstacles, adversities, and uncontrollable setbacks impact an individual.
Social Adaptability
Tendency to adapt self-expression in social settings or be consistent
Social Agility (Socially)
A metric to measure an individual's ability to adapt to different social situations and communication styles.
Finesse
A metric that identifies one’s preferences for eloquence when expressing their views. This metric considers how nuanced and engaging one can be when articulating themselves.
Charismatic
A metric of one's preference to charm others and be compelling.
Energy Type The impact of external factors on an individual's energy levels
Energetic
A metric to identify one’s enthusiasm, outgoingness, and stamina.
Social
A metric to identify an individual’s tendency to gain energy from social interaction and collaboration.
Temperament Range
An individual's emotional composure and level of responsiveness
Centered
A metric to identify the stability of one’s mood and the control they have over their emotions and behaviours.
Confident
A metric to identify an individual’s tendency to stay confident while facing difficult situations, stress or pressure.
Scores Explained
The factors we use are characteristics that everyone has to different degrees.
A high score in a factor means that compared to others, you have a strong preference towards this characteristic, or that you are very comfortable leaning into this natural trait of yours.
A low score means that compared to others, you have a lower preference towards this characteristic, and prefer to focus on something else.
Brain Prference Scores
The brain preference class reflects individuals’ propensities across the four quadrants. Each brain preference quadrant is scored from Very Low to Very High where scores reflect your individual preference or bias toward that area, not your competency. For example, a low score in ‘Empathetic’ does not indicate an inability to feel empathy towards others, but rather a preference to think and make decisions based on fact and logic.
Application & Interaction Scores
The application and interaction style class scores reflect the strength to which an individual's preference or bias is present. For example, a low score in ‘Take Charge’ indicates an individual's natural desire to support others and allow others to take charge in situations. Though they may have strong skills in this area, their preference may be to support a team and allow others to guide and lead.
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