How it works

How Kanso Works - The Career Trade-Off Assessment

Most career advice asks what you want. Kanso asks what you'd give up. Here's exactly how that works.

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How Kanso Works - The Career Trade-Off Assessment

Assessment

20 targeted questions

Each question maps to named factors from your assessment, so your profile reflects what you actually rated.

Mechanic

Credits force real choices

Every higher priority pulls weight away from something else, which makes the hidden hierarchy visible.

Output

A profile you can use

That profile then powers coaching, role review, and the scoring layer coming next.

1

Step 1

The 20-Question Core Alignment Assessment

Twenty questions, four pillars. Not your job history, but how you value your working conditions. Cultural, Professional, Personal, and Compensation: covering everything from psychological safety to base salary.

The result isn't a label. It's a starting point for a more honest conversation about fit: with yourself, and with whoever you work for next.

Four pillars

Cultural

Values, Energy, Accountability, Psychological safety, Recognition, Collaboration.

Professional

Purpose, Growth, Learning & support, Feedback, Autonomy, Leadership quality.

Personal

Flexible working, Commute, Work-life balance.

Compensation

Base salary, Equity, Financial stability.

2

Step 2

The Credit-Allocation Mechanic

Standard career surveys usually fail because they let you mark every single preference as a top priority. When every factor is a "10 out of 10," nothing actually stands out.

Kanso solves this with a fixed budget of credits you have to spend. Rank one thing higher, and something else has to give. That's not a limitation - it's the whole point. It's how we find out what you'd actually trade.

Credit budget

Example category allocation.

Cultural 35%
Professional 30%
Personal 20%
Compensation 15%
3

Step 3

Your Trade-Off Profile

Once your credits are locked in, you get your Trade-Off Profile. A clear map of your non-negotiables, your flex zones, and the things you can genuinely let go of. Not a personality type. A decision-making tool.

Your profile clearly maps out non-negotiables, flex zones, and low priorities so you can make better career choices.

Trade-off profile

Non-negotiables

High-credit categories that set the boundaries.

Flex zones

Moderate-credit areas where compromise is possible.

Low priorities

Categories you can safely ignore in a search.

4

Step 4

Guidance via the Kanso Coach

Your profile feeds the Kanso Coach - built to argue your case, not give generic advice. Ask it why a driver matters, run a real opportunity against your profile, or get language for the conversation you've been avoiding with your manager.

It bypasses generic resume guidance and analyzes your profile data to deconstruct patterns, evaluate roles, and create negotiation talking points.

Coach view

Surfaces hidden patterns in your work style.
Checks roles and offers against your priorities.
Creates talking points for interviews and negotiations.
5

Step 5

Role Scoring (Coming soon)

You have identified what you'd trade. Now see what you're actually trading in the role you have, or the one you're considering.

What this tool does:

  • Alignment score: See how well a role delivers against your trade-off profile, not against an ideal, but against what you've said actually matters to you.
  • Gap analysis: See exactly where the role is paying you back, and where it isn't (broken down across Cultural, Personal, Professional, and Compensation).
  • Compare roles: Considering a new offer? Score it against your current role before you decide.
Start the assessment Want to see one first? View a full sample profile →

Coming soon

Alignment score: see how well a role delivers against your trade-off profile.

Gap analysis: see where a role pays you back across Cultural, Personal, Professional, and Compensation.

Compare roles: score a new offer against your current role before you decide.

Validated in academia