Gallup Test (CliftonStrengths® / StrengthsFinder) – discover your 34 strengths and finally use them

Gallup Test, Gallup StrengthsFinder, StrengthsFinder 2.0 and CliftonStrengths® all refer to the same talent assessment developed by the Gallup organization. Gallup renamed StrengthsFinder to CliftonStrengths® in 2015 in honour of its founder Dr. Donald Clifton, the father of strengths-based psychology. So whether you search for "Gallup test", "CliftonStrengths" or "StrengthsFinder", you mean the same scientifically validated strengths test.

Methodologically the CliftonStrengths® test is a psychometric online assessment. You answer around 177 paired statements with 20 seconds per pair – roughly 35 minutes total. The algorithm calculates how strongly each of the 34 talent themes is expressed in you. Typical CliftonStrengths themes include Strategic, Empathy, Achiever, Learner, Connectedness, Responsibility, Focus, Significance or Maximizer. The 34 themes are grouped into four domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking.

Two main versions are available: Top 5 (your five dominant themes – ideal for personal clarity) and Full 34 / CliftonStrengths 34 (the complete ranking of all 34 talents). For leaders, team work, an actual career pivot or a coaching certification we recommend the Full 34 report. Only there do you see your lesser themes – the areas where you should consciously delegate or build structure instead of fighting your wiring.

Reading the PDF rarely changes much on its own. Gallup has surveyed more than 30 million people with CliftonStrengths® and the studies are clear: people who use their strengths daily are 6× more engaged at work, 3× more satisfied with their lives and significantly less likely to be looking for another job. But you only unlock that strengths effect when the CliftonStrengths themes are translated into actual roles, projects and decisions – that's exactly the work of a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths® coach.

In our strengths coaching sessions we often combine the Gallup test with profilingvalues, which makes your values and motives measurable. That gives you a 360° picture: what you do best (strengths / CliftonStrengths), what matters most (values / profilingvalues) and where your contribution lies (purpose) – the foundation for career decisions, leadership roles and team setups that hold up long-term, whether you work with us in Zurich, Bern, Basel or online from anywhere in the world.