Recruiters often wish that there was a way to gain more insight into the minds of candidates. Would this person really be a good fit for the position and do they have a nature that can withstand the challenges of the role? Asking candidates to take a personality profile test can solve this issue by providing you with more information and a score that assesses the individual’s fit for the position.

What are Personality Profile Tests?

One tool that you can use to determine what characteristics someone possesses is a personality profile test. These tests are created specifically to measure the types of traits individuals may exhibit in certain situations, such as at work or at home.

These assessments may be used for existing teams or individuals in your organization, but they are also often implemented in the hiring process to assess candidates’ personalities. Culture fit is crucial when you are employing for a role in your organization. Personality assessments can determine how well someone may fit in with others in the company and whether the person has the right type of personality to achieve success in the position.

Generally, a personality profile will be undertaken by applicants after resume screening. The results of the tests will be used to determine who the best candidates are, and these people will then be interviewed. It’s a great way to cut down your shortlist when you have many viable applicants.

Why Use Personality Profile Tests for Hiring?

When personality profile tests are used for hiring, the idea is to discover how an individual interacts and responds in the workplace environment. This can uncover helpful information about what they may be like as an employee. Here are some of the reasons why you may consider implementing personality profile testing during your next recruitment process.

Assess Job Fit

Personality tests are an excellent option if you are seeking to determine whether the person is the right fit for the position you are hiring for. Some roles require specific types of personalities to achieve success in that job. For example, a data analyst must be highly detail-oriented and process-driven. They must also be able to effectively problem-solve and analyze information.

Assess Team Fit

Another crucial consideration when you are looking to recruit is who the successful candidate will be working with. Teams function best when there is a range of different personalities in the group. Diversity, including diversity in ways of thinking, can foster innovation, creativity, and increase productivity as well. However, this will also depend on the roles within the team – if all positions require people with similar personalities, then this will likely take precedence over having a variety of types of people in the group.

Learn What Motivates Your New Staff Member

If you use personality profile tests during recruitment, when you make a hire, you will have a deeper understanding of what motivates your new staff member. This can speed up the learning curve that occurs when a hiring manager learns more about their recruit and how to get the best out of them in the workplace. You will already know far more about your new employee and how they function, and you can use this information to motivate and inspire them.

How to Objectively Assess Behavioral Patterns with Personality Profile Tests

To gain an accurate picture of behavioral patterns, you must select the correct type of test that is going to measure factors that are useful for recruitment. Here’s what to look for in a personality profile test.

Ensure it is Job Appropriate

The first thing that you need to know about implementing any pre-employment test is that for it to be accurate, it must be related to the work required of the position. This stands true for cognitive tests as well as personality profile tests. Testing applicants on a trait that is not useful in the job will produce invalid results.

If you want to objectively assess behavioral patterns, you must choose characteristics related to the position. For example, if you are hiring a salesperson, then you may want to test how extraverted they are, how well they get on with others, how persuasive they are, and so on. That way, you can accurately use a personality profile test to figure out how the individual is likely to behave in the future.

Find one Related to the Workplace

Keep in mind that some personality profile tests are intended more for personal use and don’t consider how someone behaves in a work environment. For example, someone may be a huge procrastinator in their home life but not at work. There is a significant difference between how some people approach tasks at home and how they would approach them in the workplace.

That’s why you need to seek out a personality profile assessment that is specifically intended to find out how an individual may act at work and has acted in the past. That is how you can make sure that you are objectively identifying behavioral patterns that will be relevant to your hiring process.

Test Stable Traits

Some characteristics will change over time, and that’s why you need a personality profile assessment that looks only at stable traits. This will offer you insight into the qualities that will remain the same for years to come, should you employ this applicant. Some examples of characteristics that are seen as stable include risk-aversion and social values. Other attributes may change dependent on the circumstances; for example, someone may be far less agreeable when placed in situations of extreme stress. However, their values will likely remain largely the same no matter what else is going on.

If you want to figure out how job applicants may behave should they successfully gain a position in your company, personality profile tests can offer additional insight to employers. Use them to find out which candidates may have the characteristics making them best suited to the role. Predict how your applicants will behave in future to hire for team fit and make better hiring decisions.