SHL

SHL provides talent assessment tools and platforms for organizations making decisions throughout the employee journey. TalentCentral gives users access to assessments and tools to analyze and manage talent programs, with real-time dashboards and reports for interpreting and sharing talent data. Users can create and manage assessment projects, candidates, products, notifications, and invitations. TalentCentral+ adds simplified project workflows, scalability, and reporting with real-time insights. SHL Online’s catalog includes ability, personality, language, technical skills, behavioral, cognitive, and job-focused assessments. Filters cover industries, languages, and propositions such as Graduate, Professional, Development, and Succession Planning. Custom assessments, proctoring, and benchmarking are available. Assessment and report prices are visible in the SHL Online Products List only after login; listed prices exclude tax and carry no additional administration fees. SHL offers free online TalentCentral training. Its mobile app supports iOS 11.0 and Android 5.0 or later, but is unavailable in China. For assessments, SHL recommends supported browsers and operating systems, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on Windows or Mac.

SHL combines an assessment catalog with tools for managing projects and interpreting talent data. Buyers need to log in to see assessment pricing, and mobile app availability excludes China.

SHL may suit organizations managing recruitment, development, or succession programs with assessments and reporting. Its catalog covers several assessment areas and audience propositions.

Overview

SHL brings employee assessments and talent-program management together through its SHL Online catalog and TalentCentral platform. It suits organizations hiring across roles or managing talent beyond recruitment, especially those that need varied assessment types and reporting in one program.

The breadth is a strength, but buyers should expect a business-focused purchase: assessment prices require a login, and the platform’s value depends on having ongoing talent programs to manage.

Key features

SHL Online spans cognitive ability, personality, behavioral, skills, language, technical, and job-focused assessments. Catalog filters for industries, languages, and use cases such as graduate hiring, professional roles, development, and succession planning help narrow a broad range. Custom assessments, proctoring, and benchmarking add options for organizations whose hiring needs call for more than a standard test.

TalentCentral supports assessment projects, candidates, products, notifications, and invitations, with real-time dashboards and reports for interpreting and sharing talent data. That combination makes it more useful as a program-management tool than a standalone test library. TalentCentral+ emphasizes streamlined project workflows, scalability, recruiter and participant experiences, and reporting with real-time insights.

Integrations extend the workflow: SHL offers Workday Recruiting options for high-volume recruiting and for recruiting of any type. Its Microsoft Teams app lets TalentCentral users check scores and reports, schedule interviews, and receive candidate-progress notifications. SHL also offers free online TalentCentral training sessions delivered by its systems training team, which can help teams get oriented to the platform.

Pricing

SHL is paid, with custom pricing for its platform. Assessment and report prices appear in the SHL Online Products List only after login. Prices exclude tax, and SHL says there are no additional administration fees. Buyers therefore need to access the list to evaluate assessment costs; no public plan tiers, seat limits, quotas, or trial terms are provided. That makes comparison and early budgeting less straightforward than with a published per-seat or per-candidate price.

Platforms

SHL supports Android, iOS, and web. The SHL app supports iOS 11.0 and Android 5.0 or later, but is unavailable in China. For assessments, SHL recommends supported browsers and operating systems, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on Windows or Mac. Organizations should check those requirements against candidates’ devices and assessment conditions.

Who it's for

SHL is best suited to employers and talent teams that need a varied assessment catalog alongside tools for coordinating projects and analyzing results. Its filters and assessment range serve different hiring and development contexts, while TalentCentral’s reporting and workflow tools suit teams running programs at scale. A company seeking only a small volume of simple tests, or one that needs to compare costs before speaking with a provider, may find the login-gated pricing and broad platform scope a poor fit.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A wide range of cognitive, personality, behavioral, skills, and job-focused assessments gives teams options across hiring and development.
• Pros: TalentCentral combines project administration with real-time dashboards and reports, helping teams manage assessments and interpret talent data in one platform.
• Pros: Workday Recruiting integrations, Microsoft Teams support, and free platform training can fit into existing recruiting routines.
• Cons: Assessment and report prices require a login, so buyers cannot readily compare costs from public pricing.
• Cons: Assessment access has browser and operating-system requirements, and the SHL app is unavailable in China.

Alternatives

For a broader starting point, browse Pre-Employment Assessment Software or Talent Assessment Software. Consider CodeSignal if a free individual plan with practice-based learning and skills paths fits the need. Arctic Shores is another paid assessment platform, with demo and pricing details available by contacting its team.

Testlify may suit buyers who want a published starting plan: its Standard plan is $139 a month, billed $1,668/year, with 100 annual credits and three seats. Geektastic offers a free option for its multi-choice Express Challenges, covering the first 50 candidates per month and two seats. Brght starts with one free test for up to 10 candidates; its Starter plan is €99 a month on a one-year commitment, paid upfront.

TestGorilla offers a free plan with 10 monthly credits, five essential skills tests, and one full-access seat, so it may work for teams with limited initial assessment needs. HackerEarth Assessments has a free plan with five test invites, three interview invites, and two admins. Cappfinity provides software and services through subscription terms set in the order form.

Verdict

Choose SHL if your organization needs a broad assessment catalog plus tools to run projects and make sense of talent data across the employee journey. Its range, reporting, and recruiting integrations make it a substantial option for established talent programs. Look elsewhere if public, easily comparable pricing is essential before you engage a provider, or if your requirements do not justify a full talent platform.