Sova vs. HireVue & TestGorilla: Which Platform Wins for 2026 Graduate Hiring?

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Your CEO asks why a significant portion of last year's graduate hires left within their first year. Your Legal team wants proof you can defend your selection process under UK equality legislation. You face hundreds of applications for limited positions but your CV screening has near-zero predictive validity.

You face an assessment strategy crisis. Traditional CV screening wastes 80+ hours per graduate intake while predicting nothing about actual job performance. Off-the-shelf psychometric tests cost £30-50 per candidate but lack job-specific validation, and your Legal team questions whether you can defend them under UK equality legislation. Video interview platforms promise efficiency but create legal exposure when algorithms lack transparency. Meanwhile, your completion rates sit below 40% because Gen Z candidates abandon assessment experiences that feel impersonal or excessive, and every abandoned application represents wasted cost-per-hire and narrowed talent pools.

You do not need another vendor claiming the "best" tests. You need a platform that screens thousands of applicants fairly, efficiently, and legally while delivering the candidate experience this generation expects,and you need evidence those capabilities actually reduce your expensive failures.

I compare three platforms, Sova, HireVue, and TestGorilla, on the operational realities that determine success for UK and EU graduate programmes: total cost of ownership, evidence-based validation approaches, Virtual Assessment Centre capability, and candidate completion rates.

Terminology: The language of defensible hiring

Before comparing platforms, you need a shared vocabulary. These terms appear throughout vendor discussions and legal reviews.

Quality of hire: Metric combining 12-month retention, performance ratings, and time-to-productivity for new hires.

Regrettable attrition: Good performers leaving within year one. Research shows replacement costs range from 50% to 200% of annual salary.

Adverse impact: Hiring practice disproportionately affecting protected groups. Effective platforms monitor selection rates across demographics to identify potential disparities.

Virtual Assessment Centre (VAC): Multi-candidate online evaluation with group exercises, presentations, and role-plays using standardised rubrics.

ATS integration: Connection between assessment platform and Applicant Tracking System determining whether scores flow automatically.

Predictive validity: Evidence-based validation demonstrating meaningful relationships between assessment scores and subsequent job performance.

Sova Assessment: A comprehensive overview for early careers

We built Sova as a unified platform combining psychometric assessments, video interviews, and Virtual Assessment Centres in a single system. This eliminates the need to manage separate vendors for testing, video, and assessment centre coordination.

We solve three core problems in graduate hiring:

1. Fragmented tools creating admin chaos: Teams typically juggle separate systems for psychometric tests, video interviews, and assessment centre scheduling. We consolidate these into one interface where candidates receive a single link and complete all evaluations.
2. Volume limitations with traditional models: Legacy assessment approaches often create budget pressure at scale. Our flexible pricing model accommodates high-volume graduate programmes (subject to fair-use applicant-to-hire ratios).
3. Compliance risk from indefensible methods: We maintain ISO 27001 certification and provide adverse impact studies monitoring fairness across demographics. Our assessments follow EFPA (European Federation of Psychologists Association) standards used by the British Psychological Society.

Customer outcomes

Our customers report significant measurable improvements. Sky achieved a 69% increase in completion rates (rising from 51% to 86%), meaning thousands more qualified candidates stayed in their pipeline instead of abandoning mid-process. They also saw an 80% video interview uplift (31% to 56%), giving hiring managers dramatically better signal quality for selection decisions. Their programme processed 55,975 applications and won Gold at the Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Awards for Best Talent Acquisition Process.

"The platform itself is amazing and the potential it hosts is also remarkable. The online assessments, the managing of applicants as well as assessors is smooth." - Palak G review of Sova

TUI reported 86% of candidates who started assessments completed them, with 85% giving NPS scores of 9 or 10. Key drivers included our Virtual Assessment Centre functionality with self-service candidate booking.

Sova vs. key competitors: A comparative analysis

The following comparison evaluates each platform against the specific requirements of high-volume graduate hiring programmes.

FeatureSovaHireVueTestGorillaVirtual Assessment CentresGroup exercises, multi-assessor scoring, self-schedulingVirtual Job Tryouts, no group exercisesNot availableWorkday integrationNative connector, auto-score pushSelect Partner, 140+ customers, pre-built certifiedAvailable via integrationAdverse impact reportingAdverse impact monitoring across protected demographicsAvailable, regular internal auditsPeriodic differential item functioning studiesUK/EU complianceISO 27001 (valid Oct 2025), EFPA standardsSOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliantFully GDPR and SOC2 compliant

Sova vs. HireVue: Video assessment methodology approaches

HireVue dominates video interviewing with strong brand recognition and deep integrations with major ATS platforms. The platform offers on-demand video interviews, AI-enabled assessments, and game-based cognitive testing.

HireVue's approach and what it optimizes for:

HireVue's Workday Select Partner status includes 140+ live customers with pre-built certified integration. Emirates Group achieved significant hiring time reductions using the platform.

The company meets SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and is FedRAMP Certified (important for US government contracts). HireVue optimizes for rapid enterprise deployment with established integrations and video interviewing at scale.

Methodology transparency considerations for UK/EU graduate hiring:

Assessment platforms employ fundamentally different scoring approaches with varying levels of methodological transparency. Some use proprietary AI algorithms to analyze candidate responses, including visual and verbal behavioral patterns. Others rely on structured human evaluation using validated psychometric frameworks where scoring criteria and validation evidence are documented and accessible.

The EPIC FTC complaint raised questions about transparency in automated assessment decision-making and alignment with frameworks like the OECD AI Principles. MIT Technology Review notes there are "no strong, peer-reviewed studies proving that analyzing body posture or facial expressions can help pick the best workers."

For UK/EU buyers prioritizing defensible selection under the Equality Act 2010 and upcoming EU AI Act requirements, understanding the methodology behind scoring mechanisms represents an important procurement consideration.

Assessment Centre capability considerations: HireVue offers Virtual Job Tryouts using realistic, job-related scenarios and panel interviews allowing multiple stakeholders to join. Organizations requiring simultaneous multi-candidate group exercises comparable to traditional assessment centres may want to evaluate whether the platform's current capabilities align with their specific assessment centre requirements.

"Sova was an excellent platform to utilise for our graduate recruitment volume hiring. The team were excellent in their delivery and I thoroughly trusted the partnership." - Verified User on G2

Sova vs. TestGorilla: Enterprise graduate programmes vs. rapid skills screening

TestGorilla offers 350+ scientifically validated tests spanning personality, coding, situational judgment, and language. The platform optimizes for rapid skills screening with a focus on small to mid-sized companies.

TestGorilla's approach and what it optimizes for:

The platform implements anti-cheating measures including screenshot tracking, full-screen monitoring, IP tracking, and developer tool detection. Questions cycle from banks numbering in the hundreds, with algorithms ensuring different questions each time.

TestGorilla maintains full GDPR and SOC2 compliance and conducts periodic differential item functioning studies to monitor adverse hiring impacts. The platform optimizes for quick deployment, broad test coverage, and straightforward individual candidate assessment.

Trade-offs for Virtual Assessment Centre requirements:

TestGorilla's platform is designed for individual candidate assessment workflows with up to five tests per candidate. The platform does not currently support Virtual Assessment Centre features required for enterprise graduate programmes: group exercise functionality, multi-assessor coordination across simultaneous exercises, or assessment centre simulation capabilities.

For organizations running graduate programmes requiring 500+ candidates annually with Virtual Assessment Centre requirements - including group exercises, multiple simultaneous assessors, and complex scheduling coordination - the platform's current feature set may not align with these specific enterprise graduate hiring workflows.

Sova vs. legacy publishers (SHL, Pearson): Modern experience vs. traditional rigour

Traditional test publishers like SHL, Pearson TalentLens, and Hogan offer gold-standard scientific validation developed over decades. Their assessments remain the benchmark for predictive validity research.

The trade-off:

Legacy publishers provide assessments without integrated video interviewing, Virtual Assessment Centres, or modern ATS connectors. Gen Z candidates experience dated interfaces.

We maintain scientific rigour through partnerships with these publishers (Pearson, Hogan, Talogy) while wrapping their validated content in a modern platform with unified pricing. Vodafone consolidated 60 assessments across 4 platforms into our single solution while maintaining assessment quality.

"Scientifically verified. Differentiation of the profile. Application of behavioral preferences." - Rebecca M on G2

Persona-specific benefits: How Sova addresses your needs

Different stakeholders evaluate assessment platforms against different criteria. Here's how we address specific role requirements.

For the TA Director: ROI and legal defensibility

Your CFO questions the recruitment technology budget. Your Legal team asks whether current processes are defensible under UK equality legislation. You need data proving hiring quality improved while justifying platform costs that can run £50,000+ annually for enterprise volumes.

The budget defense challenge compounds when you're managing multiple point solutions - one for assessments, another for video interviews, a third for scheduling - each with separate contracts, integrations, and vendor relationships that create operational friction and cost layering.

ROI evidence:

Sellafield reported significant cost savings compared to running assessment centres in person after implementing our Virtual Assessment Centres. The organization eliminated venue hire, accommodation, and travel costs while maintaining assessment quality.

Vodafone achieved a significant reduction in technology cost by streamlining from 60 assessments across 4 platforms to our unified system. Administrative time reduced dramatically through automated workflows and candidate self-scheduling.

Compliance protection:

We cover ISO 27001, CyberEssentials, GDPR, DPA, and CCPA standards. Adverse impact studies monitor fairness across demographics, with ongoing analysis to help identify potential disparities.

Contact Centre assessments demonstrated validation through peer-reviewed methodologies showing meaningful alignment between assessment scores and job performance indicators. Research indicates relatively small group differences across demographics, suggesting these assessments may support more equitable outcomes, though individual results vary and multiple factors influence hiring decisions.

One TA Director managing enterprise hiring highlighted the operational advantage:

"The platform is easy to use and user-friendly for Recruiters, Assessors and Candidates. One of the key benefits is being able to set up your assessment processes through one platform rather than multiple tools and vendors." - Verified User on G2

For the Early Careers Manager: Reducing volume costs and abandonment rates

You manage thousands of graduate applications annually while watching completion rates drop as Gen Z candidates abandon processes that aren't mobile-optimized. Your team currently spends 15-20 hours per week sending assessment links, chasing incomplete assessments, and manually updating spreadsheets.

The financial impact extends beyond visible costs: assessment administration time, revenue loss from candidate drop-off due to poor experience, and reputational risk when candidates share negative reviews or assessment answers online. Meanwhile, invasive webcam proctoring creates privacy backlash that damages your employer brand among digitally-savvy applicants.

Cutting administrative overhead:

Assessment centre coordination typically consumes significant recruiter time. Our Virtual Assessment Centre platform handles scheduling, materials distribution, and score collection whether sessions run in-person or via video conferencing. Assessors digitally take notes and enter scores while participants access materials online.

Flexible scheduling allows individuals and sessions to be scheduled via the platform, with participants able to self-schedule onto pre-determined sessions. For organizations managing hundreds of assessment centre participants, this can significantly reduce administration resources.

A Sellafield assessor noted: "I liked the Sova system, it was easy to use and allowed direct inputting of information & scores into the system" and found it "significantly reduced the amount of time taken transcribing notes and inputting scores."

Protecting integrity without surveillance anxiety:

You face competing pressures: preventing answer-sharing while avoiding webcam proctoring that creates privacy concerns and damages candidate experience. The traditional choice between "lock down everything" and "trust everyone" creates either candidate backlash or assessment credibility risk.

Our Integrity Guard, launched Spring 2025, aims to balance security and experience through adaptive testing, randomized questions, AI monitoring for suspicious behavior patterns, and refreshed question banks. Organizations may help protect assessment credibility without treating every candidate like a suspected cheater, though no system can eliminate all integrity risks.

Creating mobile-first candidate experiences:

Poor candidate experience directly impacts completion rates and offer acceptance. The Candidate Preparation Hub offers practice tests including situational judgment questions, video interview questions, and three types of ability questions.

Candidates can practice on mobile, tablet, or laptop, choosing whichever device they feel most comfortable with. This flexibility tends to improve completion rates among mobile-first Gen Z applicants, though individual preferences vary.

Accessibility features include a one-click toolbar to adjust text, colors, fonts, and backgrounds. Candidates do not need to disclose personal information to activate accessibility settings.

Vodafone reported 83% of candidates agreed the assessment process gave a positive impression, with 74% finding assessments engaging. A Sellafield candidate stated: "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can't commend you enough on the smoothness with which the sessions were delivered."

"Flexibility, communication, product features, expertise, candidate experience. The product roadmap is clear and there are exciting improvements coming soon particularly for self service and updated assessments." - Verified User on G2

Choose your platform based on your requirements

Choose Sova if you:

• Hire 200-5,000+ graduates/apprentices annually
• Need Virtual Assessment Centres with group exercises
• Use Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or enterprise ATS
• Require UK/EU compliance (GDPR, ISO 27001, adverse impact)

Choose HireVue if you:

• Need video interviewing primarily (not full assessment centres)
• Operate primarily in North America
• Require FedRAMP certification (US government contracts)
• Accept AI transparency trade-offs for brand recognition

Choose TestGorilla if you:

• Need quick skills screening without assessment centres
• Use mid-market ATS (Workable, Greenhouse, Lever)
• Can manage without group exercise functionality

Frequently asked questions

Why switch from HireVue to Sova?

Our platform structure removes volume constraints that escalate at scale. Virtual Assessment Centres enable group exercises HireVue does not support. Transparent scoring methodology addresses AI "black box" concerns that create legal risk under UK Equality Act 2010 and EU AI Act requirements.

How does Sova's approach compare to TestGorilla?

We offer comprehensive assessment capabilities including Virtual Assessment Centres and native Workday integration. For organizations running 500+ graduate assessments annually, our platform provides the enterprise infrastructure TestGorilla does not offer.

Is Sova GDPR compliant for UK hiring?

Yes. We maintain ISO 27001 certification (valid through October 2025), GDPR, DPA 2018, and CCPA compliance. Adverse impact reporting monitors selection fairness across protected characteristics

What ATS platforms does Sova integrate with?

We provide native integrations with Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS, SmartRecruiters, SAP SuccessFactors, Oleeo, Taleo, and Avature. Setup takes 1-2 weeks for data mapping. Once configured, assessment scores push automatically to candidate profiles and trigger workflow steps.

Can candidates complete Sova assessments on mobile?

Yes. Assessments are compatible on mobile, tablet, or laptop. Optimal operating systems include iPhone 7+ and Android 8+ with Chrome.

Choose the platform that matches your requirements

For your graduate hiring programme (200-2,000+ applicants annually), choose based on your priorities.

If compliance and volume management matter most: Our combination of ISO 27001 certification, flexible volume handling, and adverse impact reporting answers your CFO's budget questions and Legal's defensibility requirements simultaneously. Sky's 69% completion boost and Vodafone's efficiency gains came from eliminating fragmented tools, not just better assessments.

If video interviewing is your only need: HireVue's brand recognition and Workday Select Partner status may justify the premium for organisations focused purely on video without full assessment centres.

If you need quick skills screening at lower volumes: TestGorilla's credit-based model provides affordable screening without enterprise complexity.

Ready to assess your cohort? Book a demo to see our Virtual Assessment Centre builder, or explore our approach to calculate your specific ROI.

Key terms glossary

EFPA standards: European Federation of Psychologists Association guidelines for psychological test quality. Benchmark for scientifically validated assessments.

ISO 27001: International standard for information security management. Required for enterprise vendor approval in regulated industries.

Virtual Job Tryout: HireVue's realistic job scenario assessment, distinct from multi-candidate group exercise assessment centres.

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