Hiring managers have situations in which candidates nail every step of the interview process and the job seems perfectly suited to them – until some form of testing is requested. Many candidates are caught off-guard by this addition; However, the only unsettling factor is the word “test”.

Personality testing is a valid and fair practice that allows employers to further vet their candidates before employment. And although role-specific tests tend to be an expected part of any interview these days, personality tests are a new addition to the process, providing employers with more targeted insights into the candidate’s behavior, skills, and personality.

A. Personality Test For Recruitment

A personality test is a form of assessment that recruiters utilize as a tool to help screen candidates and find individuals with character traits that perfectly fit into their companies. It is designed to gauge certain aspects of candidates’ personalities and estimate the likelihood of their success in specific positions. 

In recruitment, specialized positions such as computer engineers or data analysts, role-specific tests tend to be an expected part of the interview. However, personality tests have become a new addition to the process for candidates in mid-level and above, as they provide employers with more targeted insights into the candidates’ behaviors, skills, and characteristics. As per the data by Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, approx. 13% of US-based employers include personality tests in the interview process and almost 68% of employers use role-specific skill tests. As businesses around the world are evolving, personality test for hiring is becoming more popular and mainstream.

B. Why Hiring Managers Include Personality Test For Recruitment

The addition of personality tests gives employers a sense of their employee’s capacity to fit into the organization. The better a fit they are, the more likely they would be to remain part of the company for a long time, completely eradicating the time and effort needed to fill the position. As such, the addition of personality tests allows hiring managers and employers to make informed hiring decisions.

1. Cultural Fit

Determining whether a candidate would fit the company’s culture can give employers a general idea of what they have to look forward to down the line. A good cultural fit translates to a compatible workforce that gets along, operates well as a unit, and displays increased productivity levels.

The point of utilizing personality tests is to determine the optimal working environment for the candidate. While some employers believe in the importance of cultural fit, this isn’t a point that a good interview would be thrown out the window for.

2. Role & Team Fit

Personality tests can reveal whether or not the candidate fits the position and the team in more than just capability and skills. It displays whether they are capable of thinking on their feet, how they approach problem-solving, and whether they display leadership skills when necessary or under pressure.

These are all details that are usually revealed over the first few months of employment. However, introducing an in-depth personality test can provide these insights early on in the process.

3. Communication Style & Preference

Communication is perhaps the most important point to consider for new hires. People work in different ways and we all have a process, a recipe for productivity. And it’s important that the environment does not disturb it. 

Communication in terms of style and preference needs to be specific to each individual, catering to the most efficient manner for them to absorb information and relay it.

C. How Can Hiring Managers Use Personality Test

Not all personality tests were made for recruitment. Companies are recommended to proceed with caution when utilizing personality tests for a candidate screening. Should you use a test that is not psychometrically for employee hiring, you might end up making even worse decisions. 

In search of a suitable personality test for recruitment, you must consider its reliability and validity. If an individual takes the test multiple times under similar conditions, the test result should be the same.  Many tests on the market are unable to provide acceptable and reliable results. If a test does not come with certification for its reliability and validity data, we recommend you to run away from it.  Below are the recommended personality tests for recruitment, based on their reliability and results.

1. The Caliper Profile

The Caliper Profile measures candidates’ characteristics and motivations in order to forecast their behaviors on the job as well as their potential to excel. Its efficiency is supported by over sixty years of research, the Caliper Profile is able to assess 22 strong traits of candidates and reveal their motivations that relate to the job positions.

Test results of the Caliper Profile can be used throughout employees’ lifecycle from selection, development, promotion, and team building to replacement planning.

2. Hogan Personality Inventory

The Hogan Personality Inventory or HPI provides data regarding an individual’s normal or positive personality. This will allow employers to see how candidates would interact with others when they are at their best selves.

This test provides you with an insight into how candidates handle their tasks, how they lead their teams, and how successful they can be.

3. HEXACO Personality Inventory

HEXACO Personality Inventory is a tool that estimates six crucial aspects of personality: H- honesty-humility, E-emotionality, X-Extraversion, A-agreeableness (versus anger), C-conscientiousness, and O-openness to experience. 

Like some other tests on this list, this personality test helps recruiters identify the right candidates who can perfectly fit into an organization. 

4. Berke Assessment

The Berke Assessment is a simple questionnaire that estimates an individual’s traits and abilities in problem-solving. This personality test is quite a hit amongst recruiters as it helps over 700 organizations accomplish their hires. 

5. SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ)

SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire or OPQ was established over three decades ago. It is utilized for hiring across the globe. 

The OPQ test determines an individual job performance and suitability for certain job positions based on his/her routine behavior. This personality test can be used for all levels of candidates from entry, to management and up to executives.

D. What Does Personality Tests Reveal About Candidates

1. Information Acquisition

The ability to learn and the eagerness to acquire new knowledge of employees is very important to every business and organization around the world. Should an individual not have the willingness to learn new knowledge, that person might fail to further develop as an employee. Knowing candidates’ process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences, would employers make better decisions in selecting new additions to their company. 

2. Decision-making skills

Decision-making skills are one of the crucial traits that all employees should possess. An individual who can control themselves while analyzing the pros and cons of each decision will certainly be able to drive a company towards its goal. By knowing how candidates would make decisions under hard circumstances, employers would be able to pick the best talents for their companies.   

3. Rational Thought

Employees in an organization will certainly have to exercise their problem-solving skills and rationale along their career paths. Personality tests are able to identify candidates who possess the ability to utilize generic or ad hoc methods to find the best approach to resolve difficulties.

4. Organizational skills & Time management

Personality tests are able to reveal which candidate has the ability to set clear goals while maintaining focus on their tasks, as well as manage their time on a daily basis. Employers will be able to make better decisions on choosing the right candidate, while the selected talents with organizational skills and time management will help companies increase their productivity.