Our clients have differing needs, so we created Birkman Basics to provide a self-interpreted platform for in-house client solutions that map out personality data including strengths, social expectations, potential stress behaviors, and occupational interests.
The report does not require obtaining certification training or working with a Birkman Certified professional to interpret results, like Birkman Signature does. If you need an efficient, easy-to-access tool to integrate into organizational training and other employee-centric processes such as team building, Birkman Basics might be for you. As a scalable report, Birkman Basics is ideal for companies that want to use personality assessments across a variety of use cases to maintain a consistent language for all employees.
Why Clients Choose Basics:
- Concise, user-friendly reporting format
- Fast, actionable behavior and perception insights
- Drives tactical steps
- Scalable as business requirements and complexity increase
- Positively impacts performance
- Nurtures self and others awareness
Birkman Basics
Birkman Basics empowers individuals to improve self-awareness and understand how they fit into the social context around them. Clients can use this data to uncover the behavioral traits that enable organizations to achieve goals such as team building, career exploration, and personal relationships. With Birkman Basics, all of this can be done without requiring certification or consulting services.


The information included in Basics is derived from The Birkman Method behavioral assessment and includes the following:
- Birkman Map – A high-level view of your personality type relative to where others might fit (Where am I vs. the others on my team?)
- Symbols – A graphic representation of your Interests, Strengths, Needs and Stress
- Usual Behavior – An understanding of your productive self and how others might view you
- Stress Behavior – The frustrated, unproductive behavior that can play out when your core Needs are frequently unmet
- Needs – The social expectations that inform your worldview—when addressed successfully, these provide the social context in which you thrive
- Interests -Your preference for different occupational types and activities
- Career data – Real-world job data matched to your specific responses
- Birkman Insights – in-depth conversation starters reveal your top strengths, potential challenges, and more
Interested in exploring more advanced options? Birkman Signature provides more in-depth personality data to help you achieve goals across the entire employee lifecycle from hiring and selection to executive coaching and culture development. Connect to learn more.
How Birkman Interests Impact Work
See how organizations use applicable insights from Birkman to strengthen business relationships:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the limitations of Basics?
A. Basics does not include our Birkman Components, the secret sauce that we’re known for. Basics is a great report for an overview of personality types without getting too in depth. Basics is not designed for tackling goals such as conflict resolution, leadership development, in-depth awareness building, or hiring for high-value positions. Rather, get started with Basics for trainings or team building activities that don’t require deeper insights.
Q. Can I start out with Basics and gain access to the Signature report later?
A. Absolutely! Many teams implement Birkman Basics initially as an introduction to personality types and Usual, Needs, and Stress Behaviors and Interests. After a positive experience, an organization will often engage a consultant or send a team member to get certified. The certified person will introduce the Birkman Components and other more advanced Birkman data in subsequent group or individual sessions to continue the self-awareness and talent development at the organization.
Q. What support does Birkman provide as I get started with Basics?
A. We will provide you with:
- A full presentation on getting Started with Basics
- Basics Beginnings emails that guide you through best practices
- Ongoing Birkman emails, blog content, recorded webinars, etc.
- Support team is available to answer questions
- Birkman User Group online where you can ask questions to experienced users and our team