CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder), developed by Gallup, identifies the 34 talent themes that drive how people naturally think, feel, and behave. A certified coach helps teams use their unique strengths profile to work better together and stay engaged.
CliftonStrengths is a strengths-based assessment developed by Don Clifton and published by Gallup. It identifies 34 talent themes — recurring patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that, when applied intentionally, become strengths. Every person receives a ranked list of all 34 themes, with their top 5 highlighted as signature strengths.
Unlike behavioral assessments focused on fit for a specific role, CliftonStrengths focuses on what each individual naturally does best. Gallup's research across millions of employees shows that people who use their strengths daily are significantly more engaged, more productive, and less likely to leave. The assessment takes 35–45 minutes to complete.
More than 26 million people have taken CliftonStrengths. The research foundation is extensive: Gallup's database of engagement and strengths data spans decades and hundreds of thousands of teams. Source: Gallup.
CliftonStrengths is most effective for teams focused on development, engagement, and collaboration — rather than hiring or behavioral risk. It is widely used in onboarding programs to help new employees understand their working style and how it complements their team. It is also a core tool for executive coaches working on leadership identity and personal effectiveness.
Companies with moderate to high turnover who want to improve engagement without major structural changes often start with CliftonStrengths — it creates a shared language for appreciating different working styles and reduces interpersonal friction. It works at any company size but delivers especially high value for team leads managing five or more direct reports.
A CliftonStrengths engagement typically runs 4–12 weeks. It begins with everyone completing the online assessment, followed by individual discovery sessions where the coach walks each person through their results. Team workshops then map individual strengths to team roles and identify gaps or redundancies in the collective profile.
Many organizations integrate CliftonStrengths into onboarding as a standard day-one activity. Coaches are often retained for one or two sessions per new hire cohort. Ongoing work typically focuses on manager coaching to help leaders apply strengths-based management consistently across their teams.
This methodology works best when:
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