Personality tests were the main topic of the latest issue of the Harvard Business Review magazine. According to HBR, the following tests have had the greatest influence over the 100 years in the industry.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
This test, created by Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers-Briggs, is based on the psychological typology of personalities by Carl Jung. It took 20 years to create, starting in 1917.
It is the most popular personality test of all time. Since the 1960s, at least 50 million people have been tested.
Based on the assumption that people have preferred models of perception and reasoning, as well as approaches to gaining energy and attitudes to the outside world, this model identifies a total of 16 personality types.
Despite its popularity, however, MBTI is a frequent target of criticism. It is criticized for its lack of reliability and inability to predict how to achieve effective individual and team performance.
The Harvard Business Review draws attention to studies that showed that the same people had different results when they retook the MBTI test. The Myers-Briggs Foundation itself warns that the test is not intended for recruitment purposes or decisions on work assignments.
The Five-factor model of personality (FFM)
The so-called "Big Five" defines five global factors which include all individual differences in personality. These factors are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
The model was created in the 1970s in the United States when it was created by two independent research teams. It has become widely used in HR since mid-1990s. It is still the most respected model of personality in the scientific community.
Other recognized personality tests, such as NEO Personality Inventory and Hogan Personality Inventory, are based on FFM.
Studies confirm that, unlike MBTI, FFM can reliably predict work performance. It is also more reliable in assessing which personalities are able (or unable) to work together harmoniously.
Positive psychology models
The most popular example of this type of test is Gallup's StrengthsFinder 2.0. It is based on positive psychology which began to develop in the 1990s.
More than 1.6 million people a year take the test, mostly in large companies. For example, in most companies on the Fortune 500 index.
Other examples of personality tests based on positive psychology include VIA Survey of Character Strengths and the Birkman method.
Personality is evaluated based on the strengths for each individual to further develop and achieve greater satisfaction and productivity.
Critics of these tests argue that strengths development alone is not optimal for performance improvement.
Tailor-made tests
According to the Harvard Business Review, companies are increasingly turning to personality tests tailor-made by their suppliers according to their needs. Academics, however, are skeptical about those tests.
On the other hand, they believe that given the development of neuroscience and statistical analysis, new tools will be able to reliably identify personality traits and help companies have more efficient workers.
What personality tests do you use at work? Why did you choose these tests? Do you have personal experience with a test that you think is not reliable?
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