Using Personality Tests at Work to Build Self-Awareness & Collaboration

Personality tests are commonplace, found everywhere from social sites to the business world. As a tool to gain insight into employees’ minds, they can be useful. But some applications are more promising than others.

Who doesn’t love a light-hearted personality test? The proliferation of quizzes online is a testament to our infatuation with discovering how we measure up. What Disney princess am I?  What type of dog energy do I exude? What color’s my aura?

Organizations, seek a more scientific version of the personality test for their measuring, and their applications fall into two basic categories: pre- and post-hire. 

As a tool for post-hire, personality tests are given to current employees and offer tremendous value for self-discovery, team building, coaching, and stronger communication. They make a valuable addition to onboarding, employee development, and can even help guide interactions with managers or team members.

A more common practice is using personality assessments as a pre-hire tool. Around 75% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests as part of hiring decisions, according to Human Performance Technology. Experts point to a less reliable track record for this use. Identifying an employee’s strengths and weaknesses along with feedback about how those traits impact job performance has shown only a slight relevance to actual job success. Let’s take a closer look.

 

3 flaws in personality assessments that make them questionable for hiring decisions

First, it’s difficult for hiring managers to accurately determine the qualities that make someone successful at a job. For example, Julia is an amazing customer service pro. She’s outgoing, calm and empathetic. Jody is also good. She’s been with the company for over a decade. She’s quiet, knowledgeable, and efficient. Although very different, both individuals are successful. If you can’t pinpoint the common factors (or combination of factors), what personality traits will you measure in job candidates?

Second, assessment takers can easily game the system. Honesty could get you weeded out. For example, if a candidate is asked to rate their agreement with a statement such as “I am always confident,” most people would realize the need to say “yes” to this question. However, if you’re honest (which seems like a good quality) and admit to occasional faltering confidence, you’ll be screened out. Same with “I am always cheerful” or “I strive to understand what others are feeling.” 

Third, most individuals are a work in progress. Our personalities evolve. We learn from every new situation and experience, thereby making today’s assessment inaccurate tomorrow. And this growth potential is something organizations should be looking for in employees. They’re hiring imperfect people who they hope will continue to learn.

 

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3 merits of using personality tests as a development tool at work

Despite the limitations of using personality tests for hiring, there’s no question that they do help test takers reflect on their attitudes, behaviors, characteristics and the drivers behind their decision-making, according to People Development Magazine. For this reason, they’re a valuable tool to use with your current employees, helping to improve team interaction and develop managers. Here’s a closer look.

1. Self-awareness makes everyone a better employee.

   Most people think they’re self-aware but, in fact, psychologists have found that only 10 to 15 percent of people are actually self-aware. Why does this matter? By understanding your strengths, your weaknesses, and your motivations, you’re better able to identify tasks that suit you, as well as blind spots or emotions that may be impacting your decisions. You’re also more open to feedback and growth.

2. Self-aware managers make better leaders.

   Self-awareness is the first component of emotional intelligence. It’s also a necessary part of self-control and understanding. Self-aware managers are open to feedback, better able to think about how their actions affect those around them, better able to make objective decisions, and better able to keep their own emotions in check. All these qualities together help build trust with the employees they lead as well as with those they report to – leading to higher engagement and retention.

3. Understanding personality types improves teamwork.

   It’s not an accident that certain people just seem to “click”. If you’re an organized, driven individual, you might prefer others with similar tendencies. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t need to work well with an occasional creative, seemingly disorganized colleague with knowledge or experience you don’t have. Using personality assessments with current employees and sharing results with them leads to better understanding each other. Educating employees about the strengths of various personalities and thinking styles encourages a more open-minded approach to teamwork or leadership.

 

Understanding personalities in the context of work is beneficial. But, they are not evaluation tools. Instead, when used to focus on what makes us tick – our preferences, emotions, interests and motivations – we gain an understanding of ourselves and those around us.

What does that mean for your day-to-day interactions? There is no right or wrong with a personality test. Taking them helps make us more aware that our differences are normal. As we explore personality differences,  we also begin to understand the value of our differences and why it’s necessary to adapt to one another.

Related reading: Self-Awareness is the Strongest Predictor of Leadership Success