Kolbe vs Culture Index: What a Contractor Gets From Each
The short answer: Kolbe and Culture Index measure different things. The Kolbe A Index measures conative strengths, the instinctive way a person takes action, across four Action Modes. The Culture Index Survey measures behavioral traits from two lists of descriptive words, and Culture Index scores hires against a behavioral benchmark with an Executive Advisor's help.
What Kolbe measures and how it is delivered
The Kolbe A Index has 36 questions. It reads how a person instinctively takes action across four Action Modes, which Kolbe names Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start and Implementor, and returns a four-number code, one number from 1 to 10 for each mode. Kolbe sells it on its own site. For hiring, Kolbe offers a separate system, Kolbe RightFit, which Kolbe describes as a hiring system that screens and selects applicants. Kolbe also trains and certifies consultants to interpret Kolbe A Index results.
What Culture Index measures and how it is delivered
The Culture Index Survey has two sections of 174 descriptive words each and takes about ten minutes. It measures traits Culture Index names Autonomy, Social Ability, Pace, Conformity, Energy Units, Logic and Ingenuity. Culture Index is an advisor-led program: an Executive Advisor works with the leadership team through four steps, Assess, Diagnose, Plan and Execute, and every hire is scored against a behavioral benchmark.
What each costs
Kolbe sells the Kolbe A Index for $63 on its own site. Its hiring page shows no price for Kolbe RightFit.
Culture Index does not publish pricing.
What neither one measures
Both describe the person: how they act, or which traits they show. Neither puts a candidate in situations from your trade and reads which move they reach for first against a written standard for the specific seat you are filling.
That is what First Move Assessment does. The candidate reads situations from one seat in one trade, such as an HVAC dispatcher's board or a service call, and picks the move they would make first. The report scores them out of 100 against the seat's written standard, with a margin of error beside the score. See how it stands next to each: First Move Assessment vs Kolbe and First Move Assessment vs Culture Index, with every comparison on one page and every price on the pricing page. For what to expect from any assessment, see what a pre-hire assessment should tell a trades contractor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Kolbe and Culture Index?
The Kolbe A Index measures how a person instinctively takes action, across four Action Modes. The Culture Index Survey measures seven behavioral traits from two lists of 174 words, and Culture Index works through an Executive Advisor.
Is Kolbe or Culture Index better for hiring technicians?
They describe the person rather than the seat. Kolbe's hiring product is RightFit; Culture Index scores hires against a behavioral benchmark. Neither puts a technician in situations from the trade. First Move Assessment reads a technician against situations written for that seat, such as an HVAC service technician.
How much does Culture Index cost?
Culture Index does not publish pricing.
How much does Kolbe cost?
Kolbe sells the Kolbe A Index for $63 on its own site. RightFit pricing is not published on its hiring page.
Do I need a consultant or advisor?
Culture Index's approach runs through an Executive Advisor. Kolbe certifies consultants to interpret results. A First Move Assessment report is written for the owner to read directly.
Kolbe A Index, Kolbe RightFit, and Kolbe Wisdom are trademarks of Kolbe Corp. Culture Index and Culture Index Survey are trademarks of Culture Index. First Move Assessment is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kolbe Corp. or Culture Index.
First Move Assessment reads the move a candidate reaches for first in situations from one seat in your trade: get the three sample reports.