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Personality tests are increasingly utilised by businesses around the world to support job application reviews. These tests are often used as part of the initial stages of hiring processes, with the aim of shortlisting candidates for the role and they provide hiring managers insights beyond the traditional evaluation of qualifications and experience. As organisations strive to build high-performing teams and identify candidates who not only possess the necessary skills but also align with the company culture, personality assessments have emerged as valuable tools in the hiring process.
The Five Factor Model (FFM) is a widely accepted framework in psychology that categorises personality traits into five broad dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. These dimensions capture the most fundamental aspects of personality and HR teams can analyse each one to gain a comprehensive understanding of an individual's behavioural tendencies and characteristics. Past research has concluded that conscientiousness and extraversion predict job performance better in roles requiring strong communication, networking, and leadership skills, while agreeableness and openness is related to performance requiring teamwork, empathy and a number of other interpersonal skills. Personality tests which highlight these traits can enable hiring managers to make decisions according to where candidates scored highest. For example, a hiring manager in sales would look for a candidate that scored high in extraversion. Shortlisting the candidates with personalities that fit their role requirements will mean anyone selected is statistically more likely to excel in their future job, as they would experience a greater sense of comfort and confidence in completing daily tasks. This model is a key factor that has determined the suitability of personality tests for all organisations, as it allows to separate the above-mentioned group of candidates from employees who would regularly find themselves working outside their comfort zone after a successful application.
Another reason why personality tests are widely regarded as a great way to select new employees and predict performance on jobs is the correlation with turnover rates (the number of employees who leave their job in a given time period). A business may look to minimise its turnover rates in order to create a better and more friendly working environment where all employees are part of the firm’s culture and values. To develop on the point, conscientiousness and agreeableness are stated to be the two members of the FFM that correlate most with turnover. Essentially, filtering these attributes in a personality test will help a firm select candidates who are considered as ‘least likely to leave’. By undergoing such a selection process, benefits regarding job performance may become apparent. This is because prolonged employees are more likely to have developed a higher level of proficiency required to complete their tasks and stronger relationships with clients/senior management- they are seen as a long-term investment by the firm.
On the contrary, it is important to note that personality tests may not be extremely reliable as job candidates may ‘fake’ their responses- meaning they are making an effort to respond to questions in a manner which they believe a hiring manager will view as desirable. In theory, faking would only benefit the candidate provided that the hiring firm only has one stage to their application processes (which is often not the case)- a personality test. Applicants who partake in ‘faking’ can be spotted with a variety of challenging competency questions asked in an in-person interview, where hiring managers can undertake a ‘second round’ of personality testing. With this in mind, by employing a multifaceted approach to interviewing, organisations can better identify candidates who genuinely possess the competencies and qualities required for success in the role, while mitigating the risk of hiring individuals who may have misrepresented themselves during the application process.
Overall, businesses have clearly benefited from the growth of technology and AI systems globally. Personality testing is an example of firms adapting to innovation and it showcases the importance of using technological developments to your advantage. It’s not surprising that personality testing can be a strong predictor of job performance in certain cases however, it's essential to use these assessments in conjunction with other methods and to recognise their limitations. Ultimately, the use of personality tests should be seen as a part of a comprehensive hiring strategy rather than a standalone solution.
Links to Additional Reading:
Should Personality Assessments Be Used In Hiring? By Sherrie Haynie, Forbes
The Problem with Using Personality Tests for Hiring By Whitney Martin, HBR
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