Are Human Resource Personality Tests Effective?

One of the most important assets of an organization is its employees. The personalities of those employees can often contribute to the success or failure of a business, or of an individual employee in his or her role at work. Everyone has a different personality, and in addition to having different personalities, we also have different values in our lives.

In today’s market, most companies are not looking for people to work in a job; instead, they are looking to hire long-term employees who will grow and succeed along with the organization. Traditionally, companies look for candidates who have the skills, education and ability to perform a job. However, one of the most important factors in hiring a new person is making sure they have the right personality traits to successfully perform in their new position. You are not only looking for job fit, but you also want to be sure that they will fit into the environment, get along with the leaders and employees, and embrace the mission and values of the culture. Employees with the right personality for your work environment are those who have traits that will allow them to grow and develop in your organization, as well as get along with others.

How do you accomplish hiring the right individuals when you are typically interviewing applicants who are virtually strangers? Many experienced hiring managers and recruiters have the ability to determine a candidate’s personality traits in a 30-minute to one-hour interview. However, numerous companies are now welcoming the added information provided by personality assessments to help make this determination.

There are multitudes of assessments available for employers to use to help assess the personality needed in the firm or organization, and fill the vacant position. When selecting a personality assessment tool, you must first determine what personality traits are needed in the job and which ones fit in best with your organization.

Many personality assessment tools have a component that will help employers to determine which personality is best suited for the job and the culture. Some of the traits measured by personality assessments include:

• Detail orientation
• Assertiveness
• Creativity
• Agreeableness
• How a person deals with conflict and time pressures
• Social interaction skills

These are the traits that describe a candidate’s behaviors that will, indeed, carry over into their role at work. Personality assessment tools should have an on-staff contact person who is available to help you understand the role of their assessment in your organization. The assessment tool you select should be affordable for your organization and approved for use in the workplace. Not all personality assessments measure workplace behaviors, so it is important to do your research before selecting the tool that is right for your company.

While personality assessment results are not used as stand-alone decision-making tools in the interview process, they do help you to better understand how and why an applicant behaves and thinks in work situations. It is extremely important to ensure that candidates are qualified for the job with their experience, skill and education. It is equally important to place employees in work roles and situations that best fit their personalities. Selecting the right candidates for the right role will not only give your firm a competitive long-term advantage, but also lead to more engaged employees who are satisfied with the business and will stay for many years to come.

Editor’s note: Want more tips on hiring the right employees? Check out the ProConnect™ Tax Pro Center article “How to Find the Right Tax Talent to Build Your Growing Firm.”