Our research

The science behind every score.

Our research combines psychological principles with data science to change how companies identify and hire top talent.

Primary research

We run ongoing primary research to make sure our assessments are scientifically valid. All participant data is fully anonymised, and no personally identifiable information is ever shared or stored alongside results unless participants explicitly consent. As we gather more data, we refine and validate our tests through rigorous analysis, improving their accuracy and fairness over time.

Primary study

Candidate Assessment Study

Analysis of 1,000+ candidate assessments validating the proprietary Huntsly cognitive assessment.

Jan 2023 to May 2024

Research iterations: 167
Participants: 1,000+
Academic partner: 1

Secondary research

Over the past 35 years, research worldwide has consistently shown that some methods are especially good at predicting job performance. Among the most reliable are tests of general mental ability, such as problem-solving, learning speed and critical thinking, and structured personality assessments focused on traits like dependability and conscientiousness.

These methods are backed by extensive evidence, with studies cited more than 28,000 times in academic literature. Huntsly is built on these foundations, so companies can make smarter, fairer and more confident hiring decisions.

10 studies

Meta-analysis

~1,470 citations

The Validity of Employment Interviews: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis

McDaniel, Whetzel, Schmidt & Maurer, Journal of Applied Psychology, 1994

Structured interviews are significantly more valid than unstructured ones.
Structured interviews combined with cognitive ability tests yield high predictive validity for job performance.
Standardisation in interview processes matters.

Region: United States
Professions: Diverse, including managerial, technical and clerical roles

Meta-analysis

~7,353 citations

General Mental Ability in the World of Work: Occupational Attainment and Job Performance

Schmidt & Hunter, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004

General mental ability (GMA) is a strong predictor of job performance and career success.
GMA predicts performance across all job types and levels of complexity, better than job experience or any other common measure or trait.

Region: United States
Professions: Very diverse, from factory workers to legal professionals

Meta-analysis

~1,932 citations

The Validity and Utility of Selection Methods in Personnel Psychology: Practical and Theoretical Implications of 85 Years of Research Findings

Schmidt & Hunter, Psychological Bulletin, 1998

Cognitive ability tests and structured interviews are the most valid selection tools.
Work sample tests and integrity tests also show strong validity.
These apply to both new and experienced hires.

Region: Not specified
Professions: Diverse occupations across sectors

Quantitative review

~844 citations

Predicting Job Performance: Not Much More Than g

Ree, Earles & Teachout, Journal of Applied Psychology, 1994

General mental ability (g) is the strongest and most consistent predictor of job performance across a wide range of occupations.
Other predictors such as personality, experience and interviews add only marginal validity beyond it.

Region: United States
Professions: Seven U.S. Air Force roles of varying complexity

Meta-analysis

~16,916 citations

The Big Five Personality Dimensions and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis

Barrick & Mount, Personnel Psychology, 1991

Conscientiousness is the most consistent predictor of job performance across all occupational groups.
Other traits show varying predictive validity depending on the job.

Region: United States, Europe
Professions: Diverse occupations, classified by U.S. Department of Labor titles

Quantitative analysis

~1,301 citations

The Big Five Personality Dimensions and Job Performance

Rothmann & Coetzer, SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 2003

Conscientiousness was the strongest predictor of job performance among the Big Five traits.
Emotional stability and openness to experience also related significantly to performance in some contexts.

Region: South Africa
Professions: Pharmaceutical manufacturing

Meta-analysis

~4,225 citations

Validity and Utility of Alternative Predictors of Job Performance

Hunter & Hunter, Psychological Bulletin, 1984

Cognitive ability tests are the most valid predictors of job performance.
Structured interviews, work samples and integrity tests also show high predictive validity.
Combining predictors increases overall accuracy.

Region: United States, United Kingdom, South Korea
Professions: Diverse occupations across sectors

Meta-analysis

~399 citations

The Predictive Validity of Cognitive Ability Tests: A UK Meta-Analysis

Bertua, Anderson & Salgado, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 2005

Cognitive ability tests strongly predict job performance across a wide range of UK occupations, consistent with U.S. findings.
Predictive validity is higher for more complex jobs.

Region: United Kingdom
Professions: Diverse occupations across sectors

Meta-analysis

~652 citations

International Validity Generalization of GMA and Cognitive Abilities: A European Community Meta-Analysis

Salgado, Anderson, Moscoso, Bertua & De Fruyt, Personnel Psychology, 2003

General mental ability is a valid predictor of job performance across all the European countries analysed.
Job complexity moderates the strength of the relationship.

Region: Europe
Professions: Diverse occupations, split by complexity

Quantitative analysis

~255 citations

Personality, Learning Style and Work Performance

Furnham, Jackson & Miller, Personality and Individual Differences, 1999

Extraversion and neuroticism were statistically significant but small (under 10%) predictors of rated performance.
Personality accounts for a small but important share of variance in work performance.

Region: United Kingdom
Professions: Telephone sales

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