Maki is built for modern hiring. SHL isn't.

A side-by-side comparison of Maki vs SHL across assessment science, automation, candidate experience, integrations, and enterprise capabilities.

Overview

SHL is a long-established assessment provider known for cognitive, personality, behavioral, and job-focused tests backed by 40+ years of occupational psychology and a large science team. It serves global enterprises running structured, high-volume assessment programs across talent acquisition and talent management.

Maki offers similarly rigorous, science-backed assessment within an AI-native platform. With 300+ validated, job-focused skills, automation across screening and scheduling, and branded journeys in 45+ languages, Maki helps teams connect assessment data with workflows and decision-making in a single system.

Where SHL provides a broad catalog of psychometric and simulation-based tools, Maki combines validated assessments with conversational screening, scheduling, and analytics to create a unified skill-intelligence layer for hiring.

Ideal customer

SHL is designed for large enterprises with central assessment teams, multi-step hiring processes, and established assessment programs. It fits organizations that prioritize catalog breadth, long-term psychometric research, and comprehensive coverage across hiring and talent management.

Maki is built for global teams looking for predictive skill insights, fast adoption, workflow automation, and a differentiated candidate experience. It suits employers aiming to reduce manual work, scale efficiently, and ensure fairness and compliance across markets within an AI-native environment.

If SHL supports complex and wide-ranging assessment portfolios, Maki supports speed, skill visibility, and integrated hiring workflows in one platform.

Feature comparison

Science

Long-standing assessment provider with 40+ years of occupational psychology and a large science team focused on psychometric rigor and a broad test catalog.

Experience

Structured assessment experiences using established formats such as cognitive tests, personality questionnaires, SJTs, and simulations.

Automation

Automated delivery and scoring of assessments, with workflow orchestration and scheduling typically configured through HR teams and integrations.

Feedback

Reports and insights delivered to hiring teams and, in some cases, to candidates as part of structured reporting workflows.

AI learning

Assessment content and scoring updated by SHL’s science and product teams based on research and client needs.

Science

In-house, Cambridge-led science team with 300+ job-focused, innovative, validated assessments integrated directly into an AI-native hiring platform.

Experience

Adaptive, conversational journeys that combine assessments, simulations, and screening into branded, mobile-friendly flows in 45+ languages.

Automation

End-to-end automation via AI agents that orchestrate screening, assessment assignment, scoring, and interview scheduling.

Feedback

Instant, digital, role-specific feedback for candidates and hiring teams, designed to support transparent and consistent communication.

AI learning

Continuous improvement through AI and outcome-linked signals, enabling organizations to connect assessment performance with hiring success over time.

Why companies choose Maki

  • Science-backed assessments with modern UX: Maki combines a library of 300+ validated assessments with immersive, branded journeys available in 45+ languages, helping teams align rigorous skill measurement with a candidate experience tailored to their employer brand.

  • Automation across screening, scoring, and scheduling: AI agents handle repetitive steps such as pre-screening, assessment, and interview scheduling, reducing manual workload for recruiters and hiring managers and shortening hiring cycles.

  • Fast enterprise rollout: Maki is designed to go live in 4–8 weeks, including branding, SSO, and ATS integrations, without requiring formal certification to use the platform day-to-day.

  • Deep fairness and compliance readiness: Assessments and scoring are regularly reviewed by an internal science team and independent experts, with processes built to support global regulatory frameworks and bias monitoring.

  • Flexible, customizable, and white-labeled: Maki offers deep white-labeling and configuration across all touchpoints, enabling organizations to maintain consistent employer branding and adapt journeys to different roles, geographies, and seniority levels.

Proof in performance

45%

faster hiring

70%

recruiter time saved

95%

satisfaction

In summary

SHL brings decades of assessment history and a broad catalog of psychometric tools.

Maki brings an AI-native approach that combines validated science, automation, global accessibility, and a branded candidate experience in one integrated platform.

With structured skill insights, automated workflows, and multilingual journeys, Maki helps organizations deliver faster, fairer, and more consistent hiring decisions at scale.

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