‘Introvert or extrovert?’; ‘organiser or improviser?’; ‘cautious or curious?’…..how can we find out this information about our candidates…and then how can we use this information in recruitment?!
Increasingly, employers are utilising ‘personality profiling’ as part of their screening/interview process. There are a variety of different methods available, two of the most common being DISC profiling and the Myers-Briggs personality test. Asking candidates to complete these deep (and sometimes bizarre!) questionnaires can generate significant information on their personality type, which in turn, can help employers determine whether they are the right fit.
What can you find out?
If we look at DISC profiling as an example, these are the key personality features that it can help to determine:
-Dominance (assertive, direct, confident)
-Influence (charismatic, sociable, energetic)
-Steadiness (calm, nurturing, patient)
-Conscientiousness (focused, methodical, attention-to-detail)
The profiling helps to establish to what degree an individual shows these various personality traits, and in which combination. The final ‘personality type’ that each individual is awarded can help employers to understand and predict workplace behaviours and styles.
The different profiles alter slightly in how they categorise personality but are all fundamentally similar.
For example, people who score highly in the ‘dominance’ and ‘influence’ traits may be categorized as personality type ‘Di’. These individuals typically make excellent leaders/CEOs as they display confidence and assertiveness combined with sociability and charisma.
Conversely, someone who scores highly in ‘conscientiousness’ and ‘steadiness’ (branded a ‘CS’ personality type), may be much better suited to a role in research or data analysis. They are focused, thorough and prefer a quiet and calm way of working. A behind-the-scenes, slow and steady approach will be much preferred by these individuals.
Personality profiling is typically quick and easy to complete, usually in the form of an online questionnaire. In some cases the employer might request the profile as part of the interview process; or in others the profile might be used after a job offer has been made, to assist in incorporating the new employee into the team in the most optimal way.
Why is this information useful?
The results of these personality profiles provide somewhat different data to that obtained in a standard interview. The information gleaned from these tests is much more of an insight into the intrinsic nature of an individual, as opposed to a snapshot summary of their past behaviours.
To put it bluntly: an interview will tell you whether they’ve got the skills for the job, but a personality profile will tell you whether they’re likely to fit in with the team culture, and how to enhance their working conditions. Knowing what makes a person tick (and equally knowing what makes them want to curl up into a ball and hide!) can truly help to place the right people in the right roles within the right companies- ultimately this leads to better productivity.
Another benefit of personality profiles is that, compared to standard interview questions, it’s very difficult to lie when answering the questions!
They are designed such that it isn’t always obvious what they are trying to assess, so it’s easier just to answer honestly and not overthink it. It’s therefore a good, unbiased way of getting to know a candidate and predict what they will be like in certain situations.
Conclusion
When used alongside standard interview techniques, personality profiling can help employers/recruiters to understand their candidates in greater depth. It provides a much more detailed overview of their character and the way in which they work, and this in turn means that productivity can be optimised.
It can even go a long way to improving mental health in the workplace- different personalities will value different types of help when the going gets tough. For example, with reference to our earlier ‘CS’ personality type: if they’re having a difficult time, perhaps allowing them some time for remote home working may be just the remedy they need to feel more in control.
On the other hand, if you suggested remote home working as a tonic for a ‘Di’ personality type, they’d probably be starting to lose the plot after a few hours alone- achieving quite the opposite effect!
Here at Elite Staffing Solutions, we have utilised personality profiling within our team to better understand one another and our ways of working. We’d love to chat to you about how incorporating it could help your team and your recruitment needs.
