Appropriate use of the ICA
The ICA is a self-report behavioral-preference assessment, and its accuracy is currently being studied. It is not a clinical, medical or diagnostic test, does not measure intelligence or cognitive ability, and does not screen for any condition. Here is where it helps, and the rules that apply wherever decisions about people are involved.
Where it helps
- Self-reflection and personal development
- Coaching and mentoring conversations
- Team development and workshops
- Education and student development
- Onboarding: helping a new colleague and their team understand how each prefers to work
Where it should not be used
- As the sole basis for any decision to hire, promote, discipline or dismiss
- To screen people out of consideration on its own
- For clinical diagnosis or any medical purpose
- As a measure of intelligence, ability or performance
- With anyone who has not agreed to take it
If the ICA is used in hiring
- Give every candidate for a role the same instrument, the same way.
- Use profiles to plan structured interview questions and discuss how a person prefers to work; compare each profile with the role, not candidates' scores with each other.
- Combine it with structured interviews, work samples and other job-relevant evidence. It is one input, never the sole basis, and never a reason on its own to screen a candidate out.
- Offer an alternative format to anyone who asks for an accommodation.
- Keep a record of how it was used, and monitor outcomes across groups.
- Follow the rules where you hire. Several US jurisdictions now regulate scored assessments in hiring; the hiring guide summarizes them.
Why scores are not compared between people
ICA scores show the order of one person's preferences. Because every person's scores add to 40, the same number can mean different things for different people. See how scores work.
Credentials
Certification is a private credential, and the licenses are commercial-use licenses. None of them is a government or state license, and none authorizes anyone to provide psychological services.
Questions
Does using the ICA make our hiring compliant?
No instrument does that on its own. Compliance depends on how you use it, the other evidence you use, and the law where you hire. Take legal advice for your situation.
Can the ICA be used with under-18s?
In education settings, with the consent your institution and local law require.
Keep reading
Take the next step.
Where the ICA fits (development, coaching, teams, education) and the rules for using it anywhere near hiring: one input, accommodations, local law.