Blog:
Why I believe in pure assessments

Why I believe in pure assessments

On building blocks, sliced cabbages, and the power of authenticity in teams

By Marilou van der Keur, Expert Development, Training & Coaching | Voice Your Future coach

An assessment that stayed with me

At the start of my career, I was introduced as a temp for a position at a bank. But first, I had to take an assessment. Not a standard questionnaire, but a guided program full of assignments and observations.

“Build a house with these blocks,” was the instruction.
I built a house. With a driveway. Because that’s what I wanted, just like at my foster parents’ house.
the assessor nearly exploded. Not realistic. Not according to the assignment.
I stayed calm: “This is my perspective,” I said. “This is how I see it. That’s allowed, isn’t it?”

Then I was shown an abstract drawing and was asked: “What do you see?”
My answer: “A sliced cabbage.” Again, surprise. No butterfly, no tree, no symbol of transformation. I loved cooking, already at a young age, especially with my grandmother. And together, we often sliced cabbage. So that’s what I saw. Nothing more, nothing less.

The feedback to the bank?
“Strange girl, but unshakable.”
And yes, I got the job.

What I learned about interpretation

What struck me then (though I only fully understood it much later) is how important interpretation is. How quickly someone is judged on deviating from the norm, while that deviation actually shows character. Strength. Authenticity. And how crucial it is that an assessment does not judge someone, but engages with someone.

Later, early in my career, I ended up at a headhunter’s office. There, I was asked questions like: “Who is your father? Who is your mother?” Not out of warm interest, but as a test: what social background are you from?

Both experiences taught me how defining the intention behind an assessment is. Are you looking for control or for connection? For conformity or for character?

Why I believe in pure assessments

That’s why I believe in pure assessments.

No tricks, no expected answers. No judgment, only insight. Tools that do not measure whether you fit, but make visible who you are – in behavior, choices, and collaboration. For me, Voice Your Future is the ultimate example of this.

It makes your inner voice audible—the voice that drives you, but often had no words yet. It shows how you function under pressure, how you influence others, where you grow, and where you run into yourself. Without judgment, without a score. With purity and precision.

The moment when insight resonates

Recently, I worked with an international leadership team. Professionals with impressive profiles, but beneath the surface: friction. Unspoken patterns. Behavior that clashed, without people fully understanding why.

I started with individual interpretation. One-on-one, in a calm setting.
And then it happened: moments of recognition
The wonder of “wow, this is me.”
The emotions that surface when you suddenly see yourself described so clearly.

“I thought this was a weakness, but it’s actually a pattern.”
“Now I understand why I always clash with that one colleague.”
“This gives me words for something I’ve felt for years.”

Something special happened in the team.
Because each individual dared to show a little more of themselves, connection emerged. No masks, no positioning. Instead: language, openness, and a different way of seeing. People suddenly understood what they meant to each other. And that is where maturity in teams begins: with pure information, with the courage to truly meet each other.

That’s what it’s all about

That’s my why!
For that moment when insight resonates.
For leaders who dare to grow through self-knowledge.
For teams that choose connection, not games.
For development that is right—because it starts from within.