TraitLab Pro vs. Mercer Mettl: Development vs. Hiring
If you need enterprise-scale candidate screening with personality, aptitude, and skills testing in one platform, a self-serve personality tool is not a substitute. Mercer | Mettl is a broad-spectrum talent assessment platform built for hiring workflows with ATS integration, covering personality, aptitude, technical skills, and communication — including a dark personality inventory for risk screening. TraitLab Pro is a self-serve personality assessment covering six validated frameworks — Big Five, strengths, working style, interpersonal style, Jungian typology, and Enneagram — designed for employee development and coaching. If you need to screen candidates at scale, Mercer | Mettl is in the right category. If you need to develop people already on your team, TraitLab Pro is where to look.
Quick Verdict
Choose TraitLab Pro if you need multi-framework personality insights for team development or coaching, with self-serve access and transparent pricing.
Choose Mercer | Mettl if you need an enterprise hiring platform that combines personality, aptitude, and skills testing with ATS integration.
These platforms serve different purposes
Mercer | Mettl is an enterprise talent assessment platform backed by Mercer (Marsh McLennan), covering personality, cognitive aptitude, technical skills, and communication — all oriented toward hiring and candidate evaluation. TraitLab Pro is a self-serve personality assessment for employee development and coaching. Mercer | Mettl requires consultative sales and enterprise onboarding. TraitLab Pro requires a credit card and five minutes. These platforms serve fundamentally different buying processes and use cases.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Assessment
| TraitLab Pro | Mercer | Mettl | |
|---|---|---|
| Personality Model | Big Five + established frameworks (Enneagram, Jungian, RIASEC) | Five Factor Model adapted into Mettl Personality Inventory (MPI) — 26 scales mapping to behavioral competencies; plus Mettl Dark Personality Inventory (MDPI) |
| Traits/Dimensions Measured | Customizable: Personality Traits, Strengths, Working Style, Interpersonal Style, Jungian Typology, Enneagram Typology | MPI: 26 personality scales; MDPI: 6 dark traits (opportunism, self-obsession, insensitivity, temperamental behavior, impulsiveness, thrill-seeking); plus aptitude, technical, and communication assessments |
| Scientific Basis | Peer-reviewed, research-validated instruments | Based on Five Factor Model; specific validation details not publicly available |
| Customizability | Mix-and-match assessment areas; compact 20-min option | Multiple ready-to-use assessments with configurable question banks |
Personality Model
TraitLab Pro
Big Five + established frameworks (Enneagram, Jungian, RIASEC)
Mercer | Mettl
Five Factor Model adapted into Mettl Personality Inventory (MPI) — 26 scales mapping to behavioral competencies; plus Mettl Dark Personality Inventory (MDPI)
Traits/Dimensions Measured
TraitLab Pro
Customizable: Personality Traits, Strengths, Working Style, Interpersonal Style, Jungian Typology, Enneagram Typology
Mercer | Mettl
MPI: 26 personality scales; MDPI: 6 dark traits (opportunism, self-obsession, insensitivity, temperamental behavior, impulsiveness, thrill-seeking); plus aptitude, technical, and communication assessments
Scientific Basis
TraitLab Pro
Peer-reviewed, research-validated instruments
Mercer | Mettl
Based on Five Factor Model; specific validation details not publicly available
Customizability
TraitLab Pro
Mix-and-match assessment areas; compact 20-min option
Mercer | Mettl
Multiple ready-to-use assessments with configurable question banks
Implementation
| TraitLab Pro | Mercer | Mettl | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Model | Fully self-serve; free account creation | Consultative sales with dedicated account managers |
| Certification/Training Required | None | None specified; account managers provide onboarding |
| Time to First Assessment | Minutes (sign up, purchase credits, send link) | Days to weeks (sales engagement, onboarding, customization) |
| ATS/HR System Integration | No | Yes — HR system and ATS integration support |
| Scalability | Any scale; credit-based, no minimums | Enterprise-scale; built for high-volume assessment |
Setup Model
TraitLab Pro
Fully self-serve; free account creation
Mercer | Mettl
Consultative sales with dedicated account managers
Certification/Training Required
TraitLab Pro
None
Mercer | Mettl
None specified; account managers provide onboarding
Time to First Assessment
TraitLab Pro
Minutes (sign up, purchase credits, send link)
Mercer | Mettl
Days to weeks (sales engagement, onboarding, customization)
ATS/HR System Integration
TraitLab Pro
No
Mercer | Mettl
Yes — HR system and ATS integration support
Scalability
TraitLab Pro
Any scale; credit-based, no minimums
Mercer | Mettl
Enterprise-scale; built for high-volume assessment
User Experience
| TraitLab Pro | Mercer | Mettl | |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Duration | 10-60 min (customizable); 20 min compact option | MPI: 15-20 minutes (80 multiple choice items) |
| Device Support | Mobile and desktop | Online platform (device details not specified) |
| Question Format | Short multiple choice | Multiple choice (80 items for MPI) |
| Results Delivery | Instant, digital, self-serve for both test taker and admin | Online platform delivery; specifics not publicly detailed |
| Admin Portal | Yes — view, compare, manage all results | Enterprise dashboard (details not public) |
Assessment Duration
TraitLab Pro
10-60 min (customizable); 20 min compact option
Mercer | Mettl
MPI: 15-20 minutes (80 multiple choice items)
Device Support
TraitLab Pro
Mobile and desktop
Mercer | Mettl
Online platform (device details not specified)
Question Format
TraitLab Pro
Short multiple choice
Mercer | Mettl
Multiple choice (80 items for MPI)
Results Delivery
TraitLab Pro
Instant, digital, self-serve for both test taker and admin
Mercer | Mettl
Online platform delivery; specifics not publicly detailed
Admin Portal
TraitLab Pro
Yes — view, compare, manage all results
Mercer | Mettl
Enterprise dashboard (details not public)
Pricing
| TraitLab Pro | Mercer | Mettl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-assessment credits; transparent, published pricing | Enterprise; contact-only custom pricing |
| Entry Price | $49/assessment (1 credit) | Not publicly available |
| Volume Price | $24/assessment (100+ credits) | Not publicly available |
| Annual Minimums/Subscriptions | None | Likely (enterprise contracts) |
| Hidden Costs | None | Likely consulting and onboarding fees |
| Free Tier/Trial | Free account; credits required for assessments | Not publicly available |
Pricing Model
TraitLab Pro
Per-assessment credits; transparent, published pricing
Mercer | Mettl
Enterprise; contact-only custom pricing
Entry Price
TraitLab Pro
$49/assessment (1 credit)
Mercer | Mettl
Not publicly available
Volume Price
TraitLab Pro
$24/assessment (100+ credits)
Mercer | Mettl
Not publicly available
Annual Minimums/Subscriptions
TraitLab Pro
None
Mercer | Mettl
Likely (enterprise contracts)
Hidden Costs
TraitLab Pro
None
Mercer | Mettl
Likely consulting and onboarding fees
Free Tier/Trial
TraitLab Pro
Free account; credits required for assessments
Mercer | Mettl
Not publicly available
Use Case Fit
| TraitLab Pro | Mercer | Mettl | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment Screening & Hiring | Not supported | Primary |
| Employee Development & Team Building | Primary | Not a primary focus |
| Leadership Development & Succession Planning | Secondary | Secondary |
| Coaching & Professional Development | Primary | Not supported |
Pre-employment Screening & Hiring
TraitLab Pro
Not supported
Mercer | Mettl
Primary
Employee Development & Team Building
TraitLab Pro
Primary
Mercer | Mettl
Not a primary focus
Leadership Development & Succession Planning
TraitLab Pro
Secondary
Mercer | Mettl
Secondary
Coaching & Professional Development
TraitLab Pro
Primary
Mercer | Mettl
Not supported
Key Differences
Mercer | Mettl's Advantages
-
Dark personality assessment (MDPI) measuring six dark traits — no direct equivalent in TraitLab Pro
-
Broad assessment platform covering personality, aptitude, technical skills, and communication in one system
-
ATS and HR system integrations for enterprise hiring workflows
-
Backed by Mercer/Marsh McLennan's global enterprise credibility
-
26 personality scales mapped to behavioral competencies for granular hiring insights
TraitLab Pro's Advantages
-
Transparent, published pricing vs. opaque enterprise quoting
-
Self-serve setup in minutes vs. consultative sales process
-
Uses established, peer-reviewed frameworks across multiple personality systems (Big Five, Enneagram, Jungian)
-
Designed for development and coaching, not just hiring
-
Results delivered instantly and directly to test takers
-
Accessible to organizations of any size without enterprise commitments
Mercer | Mettl
Strengths
-
Comprehensive assessment platform goes beyond personality to include cognitive, technical, and communication testing
-
Dark personality assessment adds a unique risk-screening dimension
-
Global enterprise backing provides credibility and infrastructure for large deployments
-
Granular personality mapping to behavioral competencies supports structured hiring decisions
Weaknesses
-
Focused on hiring with limited development or coaching use cases
-
No transparent pricing; enterprise sales model excludes smaller organizations
-
Assessment validation details not publicly available despite being based on the Five Factor Model
-
Consultative onboarding adds time and potential cost before first assessment
The Bottom Line
Mercer | Mettl is built for enterprise hiring teams that need a multi-assessment platform — personality, aptitude, skills, and communication — integrated into ATS workflows. Its dark personality inventory adds a risk-screening dimension that TraitLab Pro does not offer. TraitLab Pro serves a different need entirely: validated personality assessment for development and coaching, available self-serve at $24-49 per assessment. If your primary question is "should we hire this person," Mercer | Mettl is the right category. If your question is "how do we develop the people we have," TraitLab Pro is designed for exactly that.
See What TraitLab Pro Measures
Six validated personality frameworks from a single 20-minute assessment. No certification required.