Selecting and recruiting an employee for a job position in an organization can be a difficult task. One has to go through thousands of CV’s, resumes and interview sessions in order to find a single but perfect candidate for the organization. Moreover, candidates appearing for the interviews cannot be sure of getting selected due to tough competition which makes the hiring process even more difficult and intimidating. Therefore, organizations have started using other methods of analysing and screening prospective candidates which ensures success in the long term.

Personality Testing Tools - Altering the Recruitment Process for Better

Finding a candidate with the required skills and traits requires the need for innovating new methods of assessment. Organizations have started using pre-employment personality tests as a method of revealing certain hidden traits and behavioural patterns of the prospective candidates. This, in turn, helps the organization analyse whether the candidate is the right fit for the job or not. It gives a deep insight into the candidate’s mind which in turn helps in deciding whether the candidate will be able to cope up with responsibilities of the job position and work within the organizational culture.

Personality testing tool, as a method of assessing a candidate’s suitability for a job position, has proven itself to be more successful and accurate than other traditional methods of assessment. Researchers have substantial proof that personality can serve as a basis of predicting one’s future performance in an organization. Every organization must use personality tests as a method of assessment because of the following reasons:

1. Better hiring decisions by the organization:

Using personality tests as a method of assessing prospective candidates helps the organization make better decisions for hiring the most suitable candidate for the job. The organization can get information regarding certain traits like leadership qualities, communication skills, self-confidence, creativity, social skills and agreeableness to perform various tasks through personality tests. This helps in identifying whether an individual is suitable for the job or not.

2. Reducing burden:

Business organizations have to go through terabytes of data and thousands of CV’s in order to select a single candidate which increases the overall cost of hiring. Using personality tests helps the organization to screen the candidates before they move further with the interview stage. Redundant candidates who are not able to fulfil certain necessary criteria are screened out which helps the organization to focus on the most talented and individuals.

3. Comparison and selection:

There are certain individuals during a selection process who are equally talented and educated which makes the comparison and eventual selection very difficult. Personality of two individuals can never be similar. Such tests help an organization to compare the individual of similar skills by using their behaviour and inclination towards performing a task as a basis for selection. This, in turn, ensures the best candidate is selected.

4. Legal benefit:

Using authentic personality tests delivered through online portals who are engaged in providing such services also saves the organization from any potential lawsuit from the candidates. Candidates also feel satisfied with the basis of selection and try to overcome their drawbacks which increase their future hiring potential.

Organizations use different kind of personality testing tools like:

  1. DISC assessment:

This method uses 4 traits as a basis for understanding an individual reaction to a particular situation and his/her behavioural patterns. These include Dominance, Influences, Support and Control. These traits help the organization to put an indoor on a scale where one who is suitable for a particular job position is ranked higher and vice versa. Presence or absence of such traits reveals an individual’s behaviour at work and his/her ability to work well with others.

  1. Winslow Personality Test:

This test is used to understand individual behaviour and reactions to a particular situation or work assigned to him/her. 24 personality traits are used for assessment purposes, which reveal certain important characteristics of a successful individual:

  1. Interpersonal skills – how well an individual works, communicates and socializes with others in an organization.
  2. Decision-making skills in a situation of complex problem and the ability to think creatively and uniquely.
  3. Organizations skills of performing the best of one’s abilities to ensure the success of the organization.
  4. Degree of Control over one’s emotions and using it for the betterment of the organization and self.
  5. Process communication model:

This method analyses an individual on the basis of certain personality traits like thinker vs doers, harmonizers vs. fighters, working hard vs. givers, etc. These tests help in the assessment of one’s strengths and weaknesses which helps in better assessment by the organization. Moreover, weaknesses can further be improved upon realization.

5. Neo Pi-R

This revised method of personality inventory ranks a Candidate on the basis of Five Basic traits necessary for employment:

  1. Openness
  2. Conscientiousness
  3. Extroversion
  4. Agreeableness
  5. Neuroticism

Characteristics and traits related to above ensures an organization that the candidate who is being selected has all the necessary qualities and personality.

6. Rorschach Test

This test uses inkblots on a piece of paper for the identification of certain personality traits of the individual. These inkblots are made on a piece of paper by dropping ink and folding it to create certain symmetric designs. This test according to researchers can help in identifying certain unconscious traits and personalities which an individual exhibits in certain situations like during stress.

These personality tests can be used by any businesses enterprise or company but according to researchers they can bring maximum benefits and results for the following industries:

  1. Information technology
  2. Healthcare
  3. Banking
  4. Manufacturing and retail
  5. Insurance
  6. Fast-moving consumer goods companies

Active participation and interest from both the companies and candidates is essential to make the recruitment process a success. A candidate can use various online study material and courses in order to prepare well for the personality tests.

Apart from using a personality test for screening prospective candidates, it can also be used after the employees have been selected. Organizations can integrate into their regular functioning and use it for improving the future performance of the employees. Moreover, an organization can use it for identifying future leaders who can take up essential positions in an organization.