Are Personality Tests a Valid Assessment of Employee Fit: Why or Why Not

As a seasoned professional working and recruiting in the United States, this question is akin to asking whether a hammer is a good tool. The answer depends on the specific job and the resources available. Similarly, personality assessments vary widely in their quality and effectiveness.

Understanding Personality Assessments

Personality assessments come in many forms and levels of quality. Some are highly regarded, while others may be less so. A well-known example is the Wonderlic Test, often used to measure intelligence. While I have used this test, I found it unremarkably interesting in my hiring process. On the other hand, I have also used a tool that focuses on identifying a person's personality and priorities, and due to my trust in the source who recommended it, I am confident in its reliability.

Expert Insights and the Importance of Inductive Logic

As someone with experience in professional sports and recruitment, I have seen and participated in the importance of self-assessment tools. At the Harvard Business School, I was taught about the critical principle that never trust any single instrument entirely. No tool is accurate or comprehensive enough to rely solely on it. Instead, converging patterns from multiple tools should be trusted.

Many professionals and consulting firms have built their careers around specific personality assessment tools, such as DISC, MBTI, and the Big 5. However, relying on a single tool can be problematic due to its potential limitations and biases. At HBS, we employed multiple instruments and taught inductive reasoning, scanning various data sources to identify emerging patterns and make high-stakes decisions.

Practical Applications in Recruitment

Effective hiring decisions are crucial for both candidates and employers. Bad hires can have significant negative impacts, while accurate fit between a candidate's characteristics and job requirements can lead to success. The Sociometrix Consulting Assessor Development (SACD) process at HBS involved using up to two dozen instruments, including biographies, life stories, objective tests, MBTI, and various projective tests like the Rorshach Inkblots and Lifestyle Diagrams. These tools provided valuable data, but only if they revealed common patterns.

By employing inductive logic, stakeholders can scan multiple sources of data, both formal and informal, and identify emerging patterns. This process requires patience, wisdom, and a deep understanding of the data. Only about 20% of people are capable of generating multiple pools of data and practicing inductive thinking to see patterns in them.

The Value of Comprehensive Data Collection

Accurate fit decisions between candidate characteristics and job/career/company requirements are vital for both parties. The Goodness of Fit is critical for career success. In my career early on at Wells Fargo Bank, the initial hiring method (a paper and pencil test and a one-on-one psychological interview) was found to be insufficient in retrospect.

Accessing a comprehensive and well-rounded set of data is key to making informed hiring decisions. The entire process, including video clips, instruments, comparative data, and complete texts, is available on my website, which provides a valuable resource for recruiters and hiring managers.

Conclusion

While personality tests can be a useful tool in assessing the fit of potential employees, it is essential to consider their quality and use them in conjunction with other tools. Inductive reasoning and multiple data points provide a more holistic and reliable assessment of a candidate's fit for a role. By understanding and practicing these methods, recruiters and hiring managers can make more informed and effective decisions.

For anyone looking to enhance their hiring process, consider the resources and methodologies available through experts like those I have mentioned. A well-rounded and comprehensive approach ensures that you are making the best possible hire for your organization.