Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality
- Erich Fromm

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DISC Personality Profiling Assessment, Work Style Profile, True Colors Personality System…

Personality profiling is a process that most of us have gone through either when applying for a position or after hire as part of a team building process.  And even though many organizations refer to this process as a “personality test” in actuality it is not a test – you cannot pass or fail, there are no “good” or “bad” responses or “good” or “bad” personality styles. The idea behind  these assessment tools is to identify what work style each candidate brings to the table in order to determine cultural and team fit.

A profile looks at the individual’s preferences based on their own perception and may uncover how a person solves a problem, responds to challenges or change, or influences others. It lays the groundwork for understanding how an individual will relate to and work with others and provides a manager with information that will assist in coaching each employee.

So what are the pluses and minuses of personality profiling?

Everyone has they’re opinion; however, over the years what I’ve discovered is that there is good news and bad news when utilizing assessments.

First, they can be expensive running into the thousands of dollars. However, if you offset that by the monies you save in hiring correctly thereby reducing turnover, you can understand why many companies utilize personality profiling.

Next, some people have indicated that they are able to manipulate their responses to fit the needs of the organization. Of course, they are only doing themselves and the company a disservice. That being said, personality profiling is just one more possible tool to enhance the outcome of the hiring process.

Finally, employers need to remember not to place all their emphasis on the outcome. As I mentioned in a previous blog, assessments are designed to be used in conjunction with other hiring information such as employment history, interview outcome, and background checks.

Recently, I talked with a client who was searching for a Finance Director to replace the person who had held the job – very successfully – for five years. What we found out about the CFO this position reported to is that he was somewhat aloof, relatively hands off, yet someone who felt more comfortable when he controlled things.

By conducting an assessment on the top three candidates only after we had completed all other hiring steps, we actually identified and hired the one we felt would be the most compatible.

So if you decide to utilize personality profiling for your organization, take time to understand the variations available in the market today and how each can best serve your organization.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 at 10:30 am and is filed under Recruiting, Testing, Hiring. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will appear immediately, but I reserve the right to delete innapropriate comments.