Personality assessments are an effective tool for getting a well-rounded look at a potential candidate. The purpose of a personality assessment is to gauge whether someone will be a good fit, based on the personality points brought up by the assessment. The best personality assessments can be described by the following:
- Measure stable traits that won’t change over time
- Are normative in nature, comparing one’s scores to another
- Provide a candor scale to indicate the likelihood that the results accurately portray the test taker
- Have a high reliability, producing the same results if the same person takes the test again
- Have been shown to be valid predictors of job performance
There are a couple things to keep in mind when using personality tests. First, the assessment could potentially narrow down the applicant pool to an excessive amount. That may be a good or bad thing, depending on how large the applicant pool should be based on what type of candidate(s) you may be looking for. Another point to remember is that, although personality assessments aren’t infallible, they do increase the chances of making a better hire. However, be careful not to cut ties with a possible candidate based solely on their personality assessment scores—the assessment is a helpful guideline, but not a definitive feature that governs all decisions made in the hiring process.
If you’re looking for a tool that gives you insight into a candidate’s personality, thereby helping you make hiring decisions, a personality assessment is the way to go.
