Many businesses use personality assessments to decide which positions are best for their employees and whether job candidates would be a good fit. The purpose is to assist hiring managers in better understanding how candidates would fit with their existing culture and to assist employers in learning what types of work environments each individual would thrive in.
History of the personality test
The development of psychology as a respected science is intertwined with the origins of personality assessments. The origins of psychology can be traced to Withelm Wundt, the “Father of Psychology,” who in the 19th century was the first to distinguish between the human personality and the human body. However, the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet, developed in the 1900s after World War I to measure psychological trauma in returning soldiers, was the first personality test.
The inkblot test developed by psychoanalyst Herman Rorschach, better known as the Rorschach test and still utilized occasionally in psychology today, also gained popularity at that time.
What is a personality test?
Psychologists have used personality tests to better understand character traits in a variety of contexts, including, if not particularly, the workplace. Otherwise, they can be helpful for personal growth, fostering positive relationships with others, and psychological diagnoses by mental health professionals. Numerous personality tests have gained popularity over the years, and many of them are still in use or readily available online.
8 top personality tests used by employers
Nowadays, taking a personality test while looking for a job is fairly common. Numerous personality tests are frequently used by employers to determine the character traits of their workforce. Preemployment personality tests can also be used to predict a job applicant’s chance of success. Some of the more common of these personality tests include: .
1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, also referred to as the MBTI, is frequently used by businesses during the hiring process. The questionnaire’s questions determine a candidate’s placement within four major categories: extraversion vs introversion, judging vs. perceiving, intuition vs. sensing and thinking vs. feeling. Test takers are classified into one of 16 personality types as a result of these groupings. The test is fairly lengthy, totaling 93 questions.
2. Caliper Profile
The Caliper Profile evaluates how an applicant’s or employee’s personality traits relate to their performance in their job role. This personality test is frequently used during employment screenings. You will respond to questions on this test in a variety of ways, but the most typical one asks you to select the statement that most closely matches your viewpoint from a list of possible answers. True or false, multiple-choice, and degree of agreement scale are some additional question types.
This evaluation considers both a candidate’s potentially negative and positive traits in order to give a more complete picture of how they would perform in a role. Additionally, it can be tailored to focus on particular conduct that is crucial for a given position or function.
3. 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire
In 1949, Raymond B. The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire, also known as 16PF, was first published by Cattell, Maurice Tatsuoka, and Herbert Eber, though it has since undergone revisions. It aids in assessing people’s behavior and has a variety of uses, such as career advancement and employee advancement Dominance, rule-consciousness, sensitivity, emotional stability, perfectionism, self-reliance, and openness to change are some of the personality traits it assesses.
4. SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire
The SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire, also known as the OPQ32, sheds light on how a person’s character traits and behavior may affect their performance at work. It has 104 questions that assess 32 essential traits in three key areas that affect how someone behaves at work: emotions, thinking and feeling patterns, and interpersonal relationships. The respondent chooses the statement that best describes them and the one that describes them least for each of the multiple-choice questions.
The outcomes are provided in the form of a tailored report for each test-taker that thoroughly outlines their strengths and weaknesses as well as a graphical summary that allows for applicant comparison.
5. HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised
To evaluate a person’s personality and how they apply their own theoretical interpretations to different situations, researchers created the HEXACO Personality Inventory more than 20 years ago.
Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, honesty/humility, and openness to experience are its six primary personality dimensions. Three assessment length options are available in the revised version: the full length (200 questions), the half length (100 questions), and the HEXACO 60 (60 questions).
6. Revised NEO Personality Inventory
The Revised NEO Personality Inventory’s most recent version was completed in 2005. The five-factor personality model’s five main traits—neuroticism, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion—as well as each of those five traits’ subcategories are measured and tested. The neuroticism trait, for instance, makes a person more susceptible to stress, anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and self-consciousness. Its use as a tool for employment screening has increased as a result of the fact that many of the characteristics it measures are significant in the workplace.
7. Eysenck Personality Inventory
Using the neuroticism vs. conscientiousness scale, the Eysenck Personality Inventory evaluates a person’s personality. stability and extroversion vs. introversion. Three main scores are included in the results: “E” (extroversion level), “N” (neuroticism level), and “lie,” which gauges sincerity in the assessment in an effort to achieve higher scores. Although there is a condensed version with only 57 yes/no questions, the full assessment has 100 questions.
8. DISC personality test
This test is divided into 28 statements based on the DISC categories of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance (DISC), each with four options for the test-taker to rate how they identify with the statement. The result is one of 12 different personality types.
Why personality testing is useful in the workplace
Knowing your own personality traits can be a useful tool when choosing a career. Additionally, this self-awareness may give you an edge when potential employers evaluate you. Taking a personality test could help you to:
Myers Briggs Personality Types Explained – Which One Are You?
FAQ
What are the 4 types of personality tests?
- Key Takeaways:
- Why You Should Take a Personality Test.
- Types of Personality Tests.
- DISC.
- Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI)
- Enneagram.
- CliftonStrengths.
- The Big Five.
What are the main types of personality tests?
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire are three popular personality assessments.
How many personality test are there?
There are about 2,500 personality tests available in the US alone. The MBTI, also known as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is one of the most well-known.
