The use of personality tests isn’t something new. Recently, however, more companies sell “personality tests” as a recruitment method. The real question here is, are personality tests really an effective tool for hiring?
Nowadays, the biggest problem with personality tests, is when companies weaponize them. That is–when the “results” of their tests are used for justification on their progress, whether it’s for hiring or a promotion. This kind of thinking discourages a “growth” mind-set among employees and implicitly encourages blame, leading to a toxic workplace environment. It can discourage employees from trying to improve and grow and sends a message that their “ability” to do something is static, rather than something they can work on.
Think of it this way, a person who expresses a strong desire to take on a particular role is likely to learn new skills and habits that will allow them to succeed in that role, even if their personality characteristics would suggest they are not well-suited for the job. Their internal motivation to succeed is often a stronger force than the motivation provided by personality characteristics.
Thing is, personality tests actually give biased results. When you pose something as an assessment, there’s a very high possibility that applicants will try to lie and “game” the test, which defeats the whole purpose of the actual test. Yes, we know all the right answers on a personality test, it’s not rocket science, but in real life no one goes by the book.
Lastly, businesses often jump to personality tests because they seem like a silver bullet. However, if a company doesn’t take the time to think about what they actually need to create a high-performance culture, they can end up running into more problems than benefits.
