Personality Assessment
Using personality assessment to complement traditional selection methodologies is increasingly seen as the smart way to recruit. All quality recruitment processes incorporate competency based interviews (C.B.I), most use behavioural based interviews. At Bullet we integrate various forms of candidate assessment into our offering to assist the matching process.
Why use personality tests?
We believe that exploring an individuals EQ (emotional intelligence quotient) is as crucial as exploring their IQ and skill history in assessing a good fit for our clients. As well as using C.B.I techniques, we take the time to get to know our candidates in a relaxed manner. We want to understand what makes them tick, what interests them and what turns them off.
Everyone wants good candidates. The added-value that we provide is in assessing whether a candidate is a good fit for a particular client and role.
Its common sense, but the better we know about an organisations culture and the personalities in a team, the more robust our candidate assessment can be. We choose to work with clients that are happy to invest the time communicating these intangibles to us so that we can work efficiently together.
What personality test does Bullet offer for candidate assessment?
A personality assessment report can be prepared for an assignment using a thorough analysis of the responses given by a candidate to the chosen personality questionnaire. At Bullet we use the NEO Personality Inventory questionnaire (NEO PI-R) which is recognised internationally as a gold standard for personality assessment. The candidates responses will then be benchmarked against the responses of those in the chosen norm group, to the same questionnaire. The client can chose the norm group, but we recommend using the norm group of 500 Working Professionals in the UK as a standard quality benchmark.
The 5-personality domains explored in the NEO PI-R are:
- Neuroticism: An individuals propensity to experience negative emotions. You could also call this Emotional Stability
- Extraversion: The energy an individual gives and receives through interaction with others & the environment
- Openness: Openness to new ideas, beliefs and values
- Agreeableness: How an individual gets along with others or an individuals preferred style of relating
- Conscientiousness: The will and drive to succeed
Points to consider when using personality assessment:
1 - Personality tests assess a candidates perception of their
own personality and therefore, in this way, they are
subjective.
2 - It is the role of the test assessor to make objective
statements using the subjective data. The aim in comparing their
personality profile against the Norm Group is to objectively assess
where they fall on the low average high scale. For example,
compared to the Norm Group, this candidate is more likely to
experience anger and frustration in our analysis of their
personality.
3 - One of the most interesting aspects of human behaviour is the
ability to change! We all have a primary and secondary style, and
an individuals ability to switch between styles relies upon their
own self-awareness, their motivation and interest in doing so, and
whether they are either high or low in a particular personality
trait. Lets take the trait of open mindedness as an example. If an
individual is very open to exploring new ways of thinking or doing
things, coupled with a desire to get along with others, they may be
more likely to adapt their personal style to suit a new
situation. The benefit in exploring 30 individual
personality traits (under 5 core domains) is that we can compare
more thoroughly and draw richer conclusions.
4 - Personality assessments should always be used to support the
competency based interview findings and to provide an indication of
those areas which should be probed further with behavioural
examples.
Further information
Were always delighted to discuss how we can work with our clients to find the best possible match in prospective candidates.
For further information about the personality assessments that Bullet can provide please Contact Us
