Career Management Skills / Career Advice

Personality Tests in Psychology and Employment




Understanding personality tests is crucial for personal growth, career development, and recruitment processes. These assessments reveal individual traits, work styles, and compatibility with work environments.

What Are Personality Tests?

  • Definition: Tools used to evaluate personality traits, preferences, and behaviors.
  • Uses:
  • Psychological diagnoses
  • Personal development
  • Pre-employment assessments

History of Personality Tests

  • Origins: Traced back to Wilhelm Wundt in the 19th century, the “Father of Psychology.”
  • Evolution: The first test, the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet (post-WWI), aimed to assess psychological trauma in soldiers.
  • Rorschach Inkblot Test: Introduced for psychoanalytic purposes and still in use.

Common Personality Tests Used by Employers

  1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
  2. Purpose: Places individuals into 16 personality types based on 4 dichotomies:
    • Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)
    • Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
    • Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
    • Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
  3. Usage: Recruitment and team-building.

  4. Length: 93 questions.

  5. Caliper Profile

  6. Purpose: Assesses how traits align with job performance.
  7. Format: Multiple-choice, true/false, and degree of agreement.

  8. Customizable: Tailored for specific job requirements.

  9. 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF)

  10. Developed by: Raymond Cattell.
  11. Measures: Traits like emotional stability, perfectionism, and openness to change.

  12. Application: Career development and employee progression.

  13. SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32)

  14. Focus Areas:
    • Emotions
    • Thinking style
    • Relationships
  15. Length: 104 questions.

  16. Output: Customized reports for strengths and weaknesses.

  17. HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised

  18. Dimensions: Honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.

  19. Versions: Full (200 questions), half-length (100), or HEXACO-60.

  20. Revised NEO Personality Inventory

  21. Framework: The Five-Factor Model (Big Five):
    • Neuroticism
    • Extraversion
    • Openness
    • Agreeableness
    • Conscientiousness

  22. Uses: Employment screening.

  23. Eysenck Personality Inventory

  24. Dimensions:
    • Neuroticism vs. Stability
    • Extroversion vs. Introversion

  25. Format: 100 questions or a short version with 57 yes/no items.

  26. DISC Personality Test

  27. Categories: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance.
  28. Output: 12 personality types to guide team dynamics and leadership styles.

Why Personality Testing Matters in Workplaces

  1. Self-awareness:
  2. Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

  3. Highlight traits for resumes and interviews.

  4. Job Fit:

  5. Helps employers match roles to personalities.

  6. Reduces turnover by ensuring compatibility.

  7. Improvement:

  8. Understand challenges and strategize for personal growth.

Tips for Taking Personality Tests

  • Stay Honest: Avoid answering to achieve specific results.
  • Be Focused: Read questions carefully.
  • Stay Aware: Mood and environment can influence results.

Limitations

  • Subjectivity: Influenced by emotions or context.
  • Not Predictive: Often less effective in assessing actual job performance compared to cognitive tests.

Personality tests, while not flawless, are valuable tools when combined with other evaluation methods for hiring and self-development.

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