Values Compass Mini
A one-minute baseline of your top value across ten universal motivational goals — built on Schwartz's cross-culturally validated framework, written in plain English, no licensed items reproduced.
What the Mini Measures
The Values Compass Mini is a ten-item self-report that points to your dominant motivational value right now. Each item is a first-person statement scored on a 5-point agreement scale; your highest-scoring item identifies your top compass direction. There is no paid PVQ here — the items are JobCannon-original wording, sitting at the conceptual level of Shalom Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values (1992).
Values are not personality. Personality tests describe how you behave; values measure what you treat as important. The Mini is the fastest way to surface a values signal without committing to a longer instrument — useful as a periodic check-in, a pre-job-change diagnostic, or a primer before taking the full 20-item Values Compass.
The Ten Universal Values
Schwartz's circular model — values on opposite sides of the circle (Power vs Universalism, Achievement vs Benevolence) tend to be in genuine tension.
Autonomy, independent thought, choosing your own path.
Novelty, challenge, the energy of unfamiliar terrain.
Enjoyment, pleasure, sensory and aesthetic richness.
Recognised competence, visible wins, upward trajectory.
Influence, status, comfort with positional authority.
Stability, predictability, low-ambiguity environments.
Restraint, shared norms, doing what is expected.
Continuity, faith, family, cultural inheritance.
Loyalty to close others, care, particular love.
Justice, nature, obligation to people you will never meet.
Why a Mini Version
A one-minute baseline is more useful than a fifteen-minute instrument you only take once. Repeat-measure beats single-point precision when values are the thing you want to track.
The Mini is enough to surface the headline — your top compass direction — and to flag whether to invest in the full 20-item Values Compass for the nuanced map.
Built on the most cross-culturally replicated values framework in psychology (Schwartz 1992, validated in 80+ countries) without paying licensing fees that would be passed on to the user.
What You'll Discover
- • Your dominant value right now — the compass needle's current direction
- • A short read on what that value drives, where it shines at work, and where it clashes
- • Whether your dominant value tends to pair with stability-seeking or with change-seeking neighbours
- • A starting point for deciding whether the full Values Compass (20-item) is worth your time
Mini vs Full Values Compass
- • 10 items, 1 minute
- • One statement per value
- • Returns your top value
- • Best as a periodic baseline
- • Free, no signup gate
- • 20 items, 8 minutes
- • Multiple items per value (more stable)
- • Returns a full ranked profile
- • Best when making a real life decision
- • Available at /assessments/values-assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Values Compass Mini take?
About one minute. Ten short statements on a 5-point agreement scale, one statement per universal value. The full Values Compass (20-item PVQ-RR style) is the Standard-tier next step when you want more nuance.
Is this the Schwartz PVQ?
No. The Mini is a JobCannon original instrument that covers the same ten universal values identified by Shalom Schwartz (1992) at the conceptual level, written in plain first-person English. No PVQ items are reproduced; the framework is in the public domain even though the PVQ scale itself is licensed.
What are the ten values?
Self-Direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Security, Conformity, Tradition, Benevolence, and Universalism. Schwartz validated this structure across 80+ countries — it is the most cross-culturally replicated values framework in psychology.
Why a Mini version?
A one-minute baseline is more useful than a fifteen-minute test you only take once. The Mini gives you the headline — which value is dominant right now — without making you commit to a longer instrument. Re-take it after a major life change and watch the compass shift.
How is this different from a personality test?
Personality tests measure how you behave. Values tests measure what you want and what you treat as important. Both predict career fit, but through different mechanisms — personality predicts task fit, values predict culture fit. Pair this Mini with Big Five for the fuller picture.
Can my top value change over time?
Yes — gradually. Security and Benevolence tend to rise after major life transitions (children, economic shocks). Stimulation and Self-Direction often moderate with age. Universalism tends to increase with education and exposure. Re-take every few years, or after any life inflection point.
Related Assessments
Which way does your compass point today?
Take the Values Compass Mini