Employee Personality Tests are Only Part of the Hiring Equation

By: Insperity Staff
August 26th, 2011

While employee personality tests can be very helpful when interviewing candidates, they are only one part of what you need to look at when considering a candidate.

“The results are a good indicator. But think of it as one tool in your toolbox,” says Keith Jennings, an Arizona-based HR specialist at Insperity.

You’ll also want to consider any results from a drug test, the interview, references and other ways to assess whether the candidate would fit in.

For example, if a candidate comes back scoring that he is a loner and doesn’t work well in teams, he may not be a good choice for sales, says Jennings.

The tests simply tell you the person’s tendencies, says Paul Connolly, founder of Connecticut-based Performance Programs. For example, it may tell you that a person is rules-driven, and therefore might be good in security or police work, but not in customer service. It can’t be the sole factor when you make a decision, because the person may actually be quite effective in another area.

“If I take an employee personality test, I’m going to test as an introvert,” says Connolly. “Yet I’ve got 20 years experience in sales, I have employees, and it seems to be working. It picks up tendency, but it doesn’t mean that’s what the person actually does.”

That’s where the interviews and references come in.

“The employee personality test results tell you where to dig,” he says.

For example, the test results can point you toward asking natural introverts about their management style.

“People look at them for a magic answer,” Connolly says.

But they may be looking for too much.

“Most employee personality tests don’t look at motive; they look at tendency,” Connolly adds. “I might be introverted, but I’m highly motivated. I have a passion for it.”

Also, interviews and reference checks help you identify if the test was faked, although studies have shown faking personality tests is difficult to do. The best way to ensure that the test is helpful and effective, Connolly says, is to tell the candidate ahead of time that they will be taking it and to have the assessment conducted on site. Then, you simply tell the job applicant that you will use the results to help you during the interview.

“You want to avoid wigging them out, that they think they have to ‘pass the test,’” Connolly says.

Jennings notes that it’s critical that employee personality tests be applied equally and fairly. For example, you might decide that once someone reaches a certain level, such as a supervisory level, the test should be taken. However, it’s important that everyone within that category take the assessment.

The tests are typically used in two ways: for new hires and for management development.

“Once you hire, you find that typically you didn’t get everything you wanted,” Connolly says.

However, using employee personality tests, you can coach managers about their tendencies and what behaviors could be a problem in their work.

“It’s not just personality, it’s also motive,” says Connolly. “With the right motive, they’ll respond to training. You can easily get lost and think the tests are magic.” Instead, it’s like finding a missing piece of an important puzzle, and you need it to form a complete picture.

ing the applicant feel rushed. Keep your tone warm and conversational throughout the entire job interview.

5.   Offer information about your company and give the applicant an opportunity to ask questions.

The job interview is beneficial to both you and the applicant because it gives you a chance to get to know the interviewee while giving him or her a chance to learn more about you and your business. One goal of the job interview is to help candidates determine whether your company is aligned with their values and career goals.

Give the person a chance to ask questions. Be as transparent as possible about your company’s objectives and culture. If it turns out that a candidate is a poor fit for your organization, this information may allow him or her to realize it before you do. Most likely, when that happens, the person will no longer pursue the position and you will avoid a bad hire. On the other hand, sharing this information with the more sought-after candidates can add appeal to your business, increasing the odds that they will decide to choose your company over other job offers.

Conducting job interviews can be simple — and successful — by learning and using these 5 vital interviewing skills.

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