Alphasights natural strengths questionnaire
- If you've applied for a role at AlphaSights and been invited to complete their online assessment, you're probably wondering what to expect.
- the assessment provider is Sova Assessments
- This guide covers everything — from the AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire to the AlphaSights video assessment questions — so you can walk in confident and prepared.
Aptitudeprep
AlphaSights Online Assessment
- AlphaSights is a global expert network firm that connects clients with industry specialists.
- Their hiring process is rigorous, and the online assessment is typically one of the first hurdles after submitting your application.
The AlphaSights online assessment is hosted on a dedicated candidate portal (as shown in the screenshots circulating on forums like Reddit). Once logged in, candidates are presented with a clean dashboard showing the different stages of the assessment. These typically include:
- A Welcome section with instructions
- The Natural Strengths Questionnaire (the main psychometric component)
- An Optional Feedback Survey
Depending on the role and intake, there may also be a video component. We'll cover that below.
The AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire
AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire
- The questionnaire is a personality-style psychometric assessment. It presents you with a series of statements and asks you to rate how much each statement sounds like you, on a scale from Least Like Me to Most Like Me — typically across five response options.
- There is no time pressure on individual questions, but you should work through it at a reasonable pace and answer honestly rather than overthinking.
AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire - Please indicate to what extent these statements reflect your behaviour at work.
1. "I enjoy experimenting with different approaches"
Answer: Most Like Me (5/5)
AlphaSights operates in a fast-moving, people-driven environment where no two client briefs are the same. The work of finding the right expert for a client often requires trying different search strategies, outreach angles, and framing. Candidates who score high here signal adaptability and a growth mindset — both highly valued. In practice, this means being willing to reframe a search when your first approach isn't yielding results, trying a different industry angle, or adjusting your pitch to a potential expert. If you genuinely enjoy iteration and experimentation, rate this highly.
2. "I really enjoy finding creative solutions to problems"
Answer: Most Like Me (5/5)
This is almost a core competency for the role. When a client needs a very specific expert — say, a former regulator with niche experience in a particular market — there isn't always an obvious path to finding them. Associates are expected to think laterally: who else might have that knowledge? What adjacent roles or industries would produce that experience? Creative thinking in this context isn't abstract or artistic — it's practical problem-solving under commercial pressure. Rate this highly if it's true, and be ready to give a real example in interview.
3. "I prefer to take things as they come rather than pursuing a defined goal"
Answer: Least Like Me (1/5)
This is a reverse-scored statement — it's testing goal-orientation and drive. AlphaSights is a target-driven environment. Associates work to deadlines, track expert connections, and are measured on outcomes. Someone who drifts without defined goals would struggle in this culture. Rating this as "Least Like Me" signals that you are goal-oriented, purposeful, and self-directed — exactly the profile they're recruiting for. This is one of the clearer cases in the questionnaire where the desirable direction is fairly obvious, but answer honestly — the questionnaire cross-checks consistency.
4. "I know a wide group of people who are ready to help when needed"
Answer: Most Like Me or Somewhat Like Me (4–5/5)
This statement probes network breadth and relationship capital — directly relevant to a role where your ability to tap into connections and get warm introductions to experts matters. It also speaks to how well you've invested in relationships over time. If you've built genuine networks through university, previous jobs, societies, or online communities, rate this highly. If you're earlier in your career and your network is still developing, a 3 or 4 is honest and still respectable — AlphaSights expects to develop this in new hires, but they want to see the instinct is already there.
A note on strategy across all four:
These four questions together are testing a cluster of traits: creativity, adaptability, goal-orientation, and network-building. They map closely to the Associate profile AlphaSights consistently hires — someone who is driven, resourceful, socially confident, and commercially curious. Answer in a way that's authentic but also reflective of your best professional self.
Example AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire Questions
Based on what candidates have shared (including on the AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire Reddit threads), here are representative examples of the type of statements you'll encounter:
- "I much prefer getting on with a task than waiting for things to happen."
- "I sometimes find it difficult to come up with new ideas."
- "I am able to build rapport with most people as soon as I meet them."
- "I enjoy applying an analytical approach to problem-solving."
- "I like to have a clear plan before starting a project."
- "I find it easy to stay calm under pressure."
- "I prefer working in a team to working alone."
- "I pay close attention to detail even when working quickly."
These statements are designed to reveal underlying traits around initiative, creativity, interpersonal skills, analytical thinking, and resilience — all qualities central to client-facing roles at AlphaSights.
AlphaSights Natural Strengths Questionnaire Tips
- Don't game it. These tools are designed to detect inconsistent or overly ideal responses. Authentic answers produce more reliable profiles and help AlphaSights place you in the right team.
- Think about how you actually behave at work, not how you'd ideally behave.
- There are no right or wrong answers in the traditional sense, but the results will be benchmarked against profiles AlphaSights knows succeed in their roles.
- Consistency matters. Similar traits are often tested from multiple angles throughout the questionnaire.
AlphaSights Online Assessment Questions and Answers: What Reddit Says
The AlphaSights online assessment Reddit threads are a useful (if anecdotal) resource. The consensus from candidates who have been through the process is:
- The Natural Strengths Questionnaire takes 15–30 minutes on average
- Most candidates describe it as "straightforward but thought-provoking"
- Some report that the portal also includes a brief situational judgement element, though this appears to vary by intake
- The interface is clean and professional — the portal feels polished and candidate-friendly
One recurring theme in AlphaSights online assessment answers discussions on Reddit is that candidates who tried to answer "what AlphaSights wants to hear" found it harder, not easier. The questionnaire is long enough that maintaining a fabricated persona across all statements becomes inconsistent.
AlphaSights Video Assessment Questions
If you progress past the online assessment, you may be invited to complete a video assessment. This is an asynchronous video interview — you record your responses to prompts on screen, and a hiring team reviews them later.
Based on what candidates have shared about AlphaSights video assessment questions, you can expect:
- Motivational questions: Why AlphaSights? Why this role?
- Competency-based questions: Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone. Describe a situation where you had to work to a tight deadline.
- Commercial awareness questions: What do you know about expert networks? How do you think AlphaSights differentiates itself?
- Situational questions: A client asks for an expert you're struggling to find. How do you approach this?
You'll typically get 30–60 seconds to prepare and 1–3 minutes to respond. Practice speaking clearly and concisely. AlphaSights values communication skills highly — this is a people-facing role.
AlphaSights Interview Questions and the Case Study Interview
If you clear the online and video stages, the live interview process begins. AlphaSights interview questions are heavily competency and values-based, often structured around the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Common themes include:
- Resilience and handling rejection (cold calling and outreach are core to the role)
- Commercial awareness and curiosity
- Relationship-building and communication
- Self-motivation and drive
The AlphaSights case study interview is typically introduced at a later stage, often the final round. Candidates are given a scenario — usually involving a client brief and a need to identify relevant experts — and asked to work through it. This tests your structured thinking, prioritisation, and ability to operate under pressure.
Tips for the case study:
- Ask clarifying questions before diving in
- Structure your answer clearly — think out loud
- Demonstrate commercial logic rather than just domain knowledge
- Show that you can balance speed with quality
Preparing for the Full AlphaSights Process
Here's a quick summary of the full journey and how to prepare for each stage:
| Stage | What to Expect | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Strengths Questionnaire | Psychometric personality statements | Answer honestly and consistently |
| Video Assessment | Pre-recorded responses to prompts | Practise out loud, keep answers structured |
| First Round Interview | Competency and motivational questions | Use STAR method, know your CV cold |
| Case Study Interview | Scenario-based exercise | Structure your thinking, ask questions |
Final Thoughts
The AlphaSights online assessment is designed to filter for the specific traits that drive success in their client-facing model: initiative, resilience, communication, and commercial curiosity. The Natural Strengths Questionnaire isn't something you can cram for — but you can approach it thoughtfully and authentically.
If you're preparing for the full process, the best investment of your time is understanding what AlphaSights does, why it matters to clients, and how you genuinely fit into that picture. That clarity will carry you further than any rehearsed answer.
Good luck — and if you found this guide useful, check out our other assessment prep resources at AptitudePrep.
