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MQi & Sherpa

MQi + Sherpa

Unlock Motivation. Transform Performance.

TalentMotives offers a next-generation workforce intelligence solution built on over 30 years of motivation science. At its core is MQi (Motivational Quotient integration)—a framework rooted in validated psychological research that decodes the 30 intrinsic drivers that shape human behavior. Paired with Sherpa, our AI-powered interface, this system provides real-time, personalized, and actionable guidance for leaders, managers, and employees.

Sherpa empowers HR teams with powerful, motivation-based tools that drive smarter decisions across the employee lifecycle. With MQi + Sherpa, you can:

🔍 Hire and Onboard with Motivational Precision

Invite your job candidates to take the MQi assessment, and Sherpa will instantly analyze motivation alignment, identify potential role mismatches, and generate a ranked list of candidates based on their fit with both the role and team culture. Sherpa also provides AI-generated behavioral interview guides, onboarding plans tailored to each candidate’s top motivators, and development roadmaps to help new hires succeed from day one.

🎯 Keep Employees Engaged—By Tapping into What Truly Drives Them

Sherpa helps HR and managers go beyond surface-level perks and connect with what actually motivates people to stay energized at work. By using each employee’s unique motivation profile, Sherpa recommends personalized engagement strategies—from how to recognize achievements to how to structure work, assign roles, and support growth. The result? Higher motivation, deeper commitment, and fewer signs of disengagement or burnout.

🌍 Source Talent Where It Works Best

Looking to expand or hire regionally? Sherpa combines motivation profiles with labor market data to support location-based hiring. Discover where your ideal candidates are, what motivates them, and how to attract them with tailored messaging, job design, and motivator-aligned role positioning.

🧭 Find and Develop the Right Leaders

Use MQi and Sherpa to uncover emerging leaders based on their motivational DNA—not just tenure or title. Identify readiness signals, develop leadership based on individual motivators, and coach with context. Sherpa even supports leaders in-the-moment with AI-guided responses to team challenges, feedback, and conflict resolution.

📈 Assess Motivation Maturity Across Your Organization

Evaluate where your company stands across critical motivation-focused dimensions like Engagement, Retention Risk, Leadership Depth, and Culture Alignment. Sherpa guides HR through a self-assessment process and delivers action plans rooted in motivation science—not generic benchmarks.

TM - Products - How is Works

How It Works

1. Each employee completes a 20-minute MQi experience
Not just an “assessment,” MQi is a science-backed discovery process that maps individual motivational DNA—revealing what energizes, engages, and drives each person at work.
2. Sherpa translates data into leadership action
Sherpa is your always-on AI advisor. Drawing from your team's MQi profiles, it delivers in-the-moment recommendations to support:

  • Task delegation based on intrinsic motivators

  • Personalized development planning

  • Role alignment and team configuration

  • Conflict resolution and communication strategies

  • Goal setting and engagement monitoring

Sherpa answers real-world prompts like:
  • “Who on my team would thrive in a high-pressure project?”
  • “How do I re-engage an underperforming employee?”
  • “What motivates our new hire—and how can I retain them?”
See it in Action

What You Get

For Executives & HR Leaders
  • Motivation-based predictive insights into retention risk, performance potential, and cultural fit
  • Tools to shape hiring, onboarding, and workforce strategy
  • Continuous engagement data for better-informed decision-making
For Managers
  • A digital coach for daily leadership moments
  • Guidance on how to structure teams, deliver feedback, and boost productivity
  • Conflict management advice rooted in individual motivator mismatches
For Employees
  • A clear view of what drives them—and how to succeed
  • Ongoing recommendations for task optimization, team collaboration, and personal growth

Why it Works

Why it TalentMotives Sherpa works
Backed by Science

Built on more than 30+ years of research, validated across hundreds of thousands of academic and enterprise applications

R.A.G. AI architecture.

Sherpa uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to provide hyper-personalized, context-aware insights

Powered by big data

Nearly 500,000 individuals have completed the MQi process, making our dataset one of the largest and most reliable in the world

Immediate Value, Zero Disruption

No integrations required. No steep learning curves. Launch in 1 week. Full onboarding and support included

One System. Infinite Human Potential.

One System. Infinite Human Potential.

With Sherpa + MQi, you finally have the tools to motivate your people from the inside out—driving better engagement, stronger performance, and long-term retention.

👉 Ready to see what drives your team? 

Book a Demo Today!

Frequently asked questions

What is MQi, and how is it different from personality or engagement assessments?

MQi (Motivation Quotient integration) measures the intrinsic motivations that drive behavior, performance, and fulfillment at work. Unlike personality tests that describe traits or styles, MQi focuses on what energizes or drains a person in the workplace—enabling managers to take action on real-time data. It’s also more predictive than traditional engagement surveys, which capture sentiment after problems arise.

How does Sherpa actually help managers day to day?

Sherpa is an AI assistant that turns MQi data into real-time coaching prompts, retention alerts, and leadership support. It helps managers with:

  • Delegating tasks based on motivators

  • Giving feedback in ways that energize people

  • Identifying early signs of disengagement or burnout

  • Resolving team conflict through motivational insights
    Sherpa is designed to save time—not add work—by integrating directly into daily leadership moments.

How long does it take to implement MQi + Sherpa in our organization?

Most teams are up and running in under one week. MQi takes about 20 minutes per employee to complete, and Sherpa requires no platform integrations to begin generating insights. We provide full onboarding, including training, profile reviews, and success planning for HR and team leads.

Is the MQi assessment scientifically valid and reliable?

Yes. MQi is grounded in more than 30 years of psychological research, primarily based on the work of Dr. Steven Reiss and validated through hundreds of academic and corporate applications. Nearly 500,000 individuals have taken the MQi, giving Sherpa access to one of the largest motivational datasets in the world. Results are consistent across industries, age groups, and roles.

Is Sherpa really AI? What kind of AI does it use?

Yes—Sherpa uses R.A.G. AI (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) to provide context-aware, personalized insights for managers and HR teams. This means Sherpa doesn't just generate generic answers—it combines each user's motivation data with large-scale best practices and expert knowledge to deliver precise, high-trust recommendations. It's explainable, auditable, and aligned with your company’s actual talent data.