Whirlpool Plum Assessment: How Whirlpool Uses Plum and How to Prepare
Luca from Candidate Falcon
Editorial Team
If you applied to Whirlpool, for an internship or a full-time role, you may have been asked to complete a "Plum assessment". Unlike most employers, Whirlpool has talked publicly about why it uses Plum. This guide explains what Whirlpool said, what the Plum Discovery Survey involves and how to prepare.
The short answer
- Whirlpool uses Plum to match applicants to roles. It started with its interns and, according to a 2021 HR Executive report, rolled the assessment out to all applicants.
- The survey takes about 25 minutes and mixes puzzles, preference questions and workplace scenarios. It does not test English or maths.
- There are no genuine "Whirlpool Plum assessment answers". Your answers are compared with a profile Whirlpool sets for each job.
Why Whirlpool uses Plum
In September 2021, HR Executive reported a conference session with Whirlpool's vice president of global talent management, Doug Haaland, and Plum's CEO, Caitlin MacGregor. The main points:
- Volume. Whirlpool's recruiters were wading through about 200 applications per job.
- Interns first. Around 2019, Whirlpool asked Plum to assess its 100 interns to judge their fit for full-time roles. After the 12-week internships, it offered full-time roles to nearly 60 of them.
- The results matched managers' views. Haaland said interns who rated higher on Plum were also rated highly by their managers.
- Then everyone. After winning over sceptical hiring managers, Whirlpool rolled the assessment out companywide for all applicants.
That report is from 2021, and we found no recent candidate reports about Whirlpool and Plum, so the process may have changed. Check your invitation: it comes from Plum and names Whirlpool.
What the Plum assessment involves
Plum's CEO described the assessment in the same session: it starts with a series of puzzles, then moves on to personality questions, and "we don't test for English or math skills because of historical biases". Before candidates take it, the employer spends about eight minutes describing what the job needs; the candidate's part takes about 25 minutes.
Today the candidate part is called the Plum Discovery Survey. Prep sites describe five sections in a fixed order:
| Section | What you do | Right answers? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Statements | Choose the statement most like you and the one least like you | No |
| 2. Problem solving | Select the missing piece in a sequence of grids, from several options | Yes |
| 3. Adjectives | Choose three words most like you and three least like you | No |
| 4. Problem solving | A second set of grid puzzles | Yes |
| 5. Scenarios | Choose the most and least effective response to a workplace situation | In part |
Our Plum assessment guide explains every section.
How Whirlpool uses your results
The eight-minute employer step is the key. Whirlpool describes what each role needs, and Plum matches every candidate to it using a profile of 10 Talents, such as Teamwork, Innovation and Execution. That has two consequences:
- You are compared with the role, not with a pass mark. A strong puzzle score helps, but the profile has to fit what the job asks for.
- The same answers can fit one role better than another. Plum's third step, as its CEO described it, matches candidates to the roles where they are likely to thrive.
Plum also says you usually complete the survey once and can link the same profile to other applications, with a retake possible a year after your last attempt.
How to prepare for the Whirlpool Plum assessment
- Read the job description. It tells you what Whirlpool is looking for, even though the Plum profile itself is not public.
- Practise grid-sequence puzzles. They are the only sections with one right answer: check how many squares are shaded, where they are and which way they move.
- Think like a good colleague in the scenarios. Responses that solve the problem, keep people informed and respect others usually beat ones that avoid the issue or escalate straight away.
- Answer the statements and adjectives honestly. Plum's help center says similar statements come back against different ones, so consistency matters more than picking what sounds best.
- Take your time. Plum says the survey is not timed and you can pause and come back, but finish well before the deadline.
Practise the Plum formats
Candidate Falcon has independent Plum-style practice for every section: problem-solving puzzles, social intelligence scenarios, the statement and adjective sections and a full Discovery Survey run. Every item is our own, not Plum's or Whirlpool's, and practice results are not Plum scores. Playing them needs a plan that includes Plum; see pricing.
FAQs
Does Whirlpool use Plum?
Yes, according to a 2021 HR Executive report: Whirlpool used Plum for its interns and then for all applicants. We found no more recent public reports, so check your invitation.
Does the Whirlpool Plum assessment test maths or English?
No. Plum's CEO said in 2021 that the assessment does not test English or maths; it uses puzzles and personality questions instead.
How long is the Whirlpool Plum assessment?
About 25 minutes for the candidate, according to the 2021 report and Plum's help center.
Are there Whirlpool Plum assessment answers?
No genuine ones. The preference sections have no right answers, and your profile is matched to what Whirlpool set for the role.
Sources
- HR Executive, How Whirlpool turned the tide to find the right people (30 September 2021, read October 2026).
- Plum help center: Discovery Survey FAQs, the Plum Talents, retakes and forced choice.
- Prep site: JobTestPrep, Plum assessment (section order).
Candidate Falcon is independent and not affiliated with Whirlpool, Plum, Phenom or any other company named here.
