Should Personality Tests Be Used For Hiring?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In short, no.

Personality assessments can play a helpful, objective role in the hiring process

, provided that 1) the proper assessment is used, 2) insights are applied correctly and 3) it’s not the only way you’re determining who to hire.

Are personality tests beneficial as part of the hiring process?

Personality assessment provides you with standardised,

useful

insights regarding how candidates behave in a work context and predict job performance and company fit. By using this data to identify and hire the right candidate you’ll also improve the overall productivity and effectiveness of your teams.

Why personality tests are good for jobs?

When to Try a Personality Test

It

can show you whether you need more training or experience

. It can reveal what skills you have that make you a strong candidate for a specific job. At the very least, they can help you to write a more effective resume and cover letter.

Why personality tests are bad for hiring?

These tools may be useful in making the hiring process more efficient and allowing companies to hire at scale. But they also run the risk of

leaving people with disabilities out

in the cold, screening them for attributes that have nothing to do with how they would perform their jobs.

Can personality tests be used for hiring?

In short, no.

Personality assessments can play a helpful, objective role in the hiring process

, provided that 1) the proper assessment is used, 2) insights are applied correctly and 3) it’s not the only way you’re determining who to hire.

What is the 4 personality types?

Everyone is born with a distinct personality type and unique characteristics. The four personality types according to Hippocrates are

choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic.

What are personality assessments for hiring?

Personality tests for hiring. In hiring, personality assessments are

used to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for the job

, in terms of their preferred working environment, disposition, work ethic, and overall nature.

Why are personality tests flawed?

It is

unreliable because a person’s type may change from day to day

. It gives false information (“bogus stuff,” one researcher puts it). The questions are confusing and poorly worded. Vazire sums it up as “shockingly bad.”

Should you hire for personality or skill?

It is best for employers who need to gather a lot of information efficiently. Character traits are not something you can teach, so when you need candidates with certain soft skills, your best bet is to

hire based on personality

and then teach the hard skills.

What personality tests do employers use?

  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. …
  • Caliper Profile. …
  • 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire. …
  • SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire. …
  • HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised. …
  • Revised NEO Personality Inventory. …
  • Eysenck Personality Inventory. …
  • DISC personality test.

What is the most commonly used personality test?

Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers were the first kind, and the test they invented based on that belief,

the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI

, is the most popular personality test in the world. More than two million people take it every year.

Can you discriminate against personality?

As an initial recognition, personality is not a protected class. … So,

if the employer is screening for a personality trait it connects with a protected class and makes its decisions based

on that trait (possibly as a proxy or substitute for that class), that can constitute discrimination.

What are the disadvantages of personality tests?

  • They can be expensive. These tests can be costly to conduct. …
  • They may be inaccurate. …
  • It could result in a lack of diversity in the workplace. …
  • They can be off-putting. …
  • This could create a false sense of confidence in a candidate.

Is personality related to job performance?

Smarter people were considered more likely to succeed on the job. But intelligence is only part of the story. Other important factors in job performance—creativity, leadership, integrity, attendance, and cooperation—are related

to personality, not intelligence

.

What are the pros and cons of personality assessments?

  • Pro: Test what candidates will do, rather than what they say they’ve done.
  • Con: Companies use the wrong tests in the wrong situations.
  • Pro: Tests avoid unconscious biases.
  • Con: The test itself may be biased — or worse.
  • Pro: Tests may improve candidate experience.

What is the rarest personality type?

If you happened to fall into the

INFJ personality type

, you’re a rare breed; only 1.5 percent of the general population fits into that category, making it the rarest personality type in the world.

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.