Hiring for fit and performance is hard when resumes look the same. Personality tests add signal, but only when used the right way. The goal is fair, job-related insight that improves decisions. You need valid tools, clear scoring, and a mixed-method process.
Jackson Advisory Group helps owners build compliant, practical hiring systems that balance fit with performance data.
This article explains how to use personality tests effectively, ethically, and as one part of a stronger selection process.
What Is a Personality Test for Hiring Employees?
Personality tests help you learn about how a person behaves, thinks, and reacts. They give you insight beyond a resume or interview.
These tests focus on traits like teamwork, dependability, and communication. They are different from skills tests because they measure how someone fits with your company’s culture and job role.
Knowing this helps you hire people who will work well with your team and stay longer.
Definition of Personality Tests
A personality test is a tool to understand a candidate’s character traits. It looks at how an employee handles stress, makes decisions, or works with others.
These tests usually consist of questions where candidates pick answers that best describe them. The results show patterns in their behavior and mindset.
You can use tests like DISC or the Big Five to get information on things like openness, conscientiousness, or extroversion. This helps predict how someone might perform or fit into your company.
Purpose in Recruitment
Personality tests improve hiring decisions. They help you see the qualities that matter for your specific job or team environment.
For example, if you need someone who stays calm under pressure or works well with others, the test can highlight these traits. This lowers the risk of hiring someone who might cause problems later.
How Personality Tests Differ from Other Assessments
Personality tests are about who the person is, not what they know. Skills tests measure job-related knowledge or abilities, like math skills or technical know-how.
Interviews can be subjective, but personality tests give structured, objective data. You can compare candidates fairly using this data.
Unlike background checks or reference calls, personality tests focus on internal traits—how people think and act. They do not focus only on past work history.
Benefits of Using Personality Tests in Recruitment
Using personality tests during hiring helps you find candidates who fit the job and the team better. It also boosts teamwork and lowers the chances of losing employees soon after they start.
These benefits make your hiring process smarter and your team stronger.
Improved Candidate Matching
Personality tests give you clear insights into how a candidate’s traits line up with the job’s needs. You can see if they are a good fit for the role’s tasks and the work environment.
For example, if you need a dependable person for a detailed job, tests can highlight candidates who show high responsibility and focus. This saves you time and effort by cutting down on bad hires.
Enhanced Team Dynamics
Knowing each person’s personality helps you build a team that works well together. You can spot strengths and weaknesses and balance different styles.
This makes day-to-day collaboration smoother and communication clearer. Personality data helps you place people where they thrive.
It also supports managing conflicts or misunderstandings before they grow. Using tests this way supports a healthier, more productive work atmosphere.
Reduced Employee Turnover
When new hires fit well with the job and the team, they are more likely to stay longer. Personality tests help you avoid mismatches that cause early job changes.
By hiring the right people from the start, you keep your workforce stable. That reduces downtime and keeps your projects moving forward. Using personality tests helps cut turnover rates and improve job satisfaction in key roles.
Types of Personality Tests for Hiring
Personality tests help you understand how candidates may behave, solve problems, and fit with your team. Different tests focus on traits, personality types, or real-life situations. They give you clear insights into candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
Trait-Based Assessments
Trait-based assessments measure specific qualities like honesty, dependability, or social skills. These tests break down behavior into clear traits you want in an employee.
For example, if you need someone reliable and hardworking, a trait test will show if they score high on those points. These tests often use rating scales or direct questions.
You can compare results against the job’s key traits to see who fits best. Many HR teams find that trait assessments help reduce turnover by spotting potential issues early.
Type-Based Assessments
Type-based assessments put people into distinct personality categories, such as introvert vs. extrovert or thinker vs. feeler. They simplify complex behaviors into easy-to-understand types.
This type of test gives a straightforward summary of how someone acts or processes information. It can show your employee’s likely work style and how they’ll respond to challenges.
Knowing someone's personality type lets you assign roles where they’ll thrive. A 'thinker' may work better with data, while a 'feeler' excels in customer service.
Situational Judgment Tests
Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) show candidates real work scenarios to see how they respond. These tests focus on decision-making and problem-solving.
You present multiple-choice questions based on work tasks. Candidates pick how they’d act.
Their answers reveal practical skills and judgment, not just personality. SJTs give you a clear picture of how someone handles pressure, teamwork, or conflict.
Using SJTs helps managers spot hires who stay calm and solve problems quickly. This test type is especially helpful for roles that require quick thinking and customer interaction.
Popular Personality Tests for Employee Selection
Personality tests help you understand how a potential employee might fit into your team. Some tests show how people handle tasks, communicate, or deal with stress.
Using these tools can make hiring clearer and help you avoid costly mistakes.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) sorts people into 16 personality types based on four traits: Introversion vs. Extraversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving.
This test helps you see if someone is more logical or empathetic, or whether they prefer routine or flexibility. For hiring, MBTI can show if a candidate’s style fits your company culture or job demands.
An introverted person may work well alone, while an extroverted person might thrive in sales. MBTI doesn’t measure skills or intelligence. It’s a tool to add insight, not a sole hiring decision. Companies use it alongside other methods.
The Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five measures five key traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. This test is popular because research shows these traits relate closely to job performance and work behavior.
Conscientiousness, meaning how organized and responsible someone is, often predicts success across many jobs. Agreeableness shows teamwork skills, while neuroticism indicates emotional stability.
You can use this test to match candidates to roles. A high openness score fits creative jobs, while low neuroticism suits high-pressure roles. The Big Five offers well-rounded info to balance your hiring choices.
The DiSC Assessment
DiSC focuses on four personality types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. It reveals how people solve problems, communicate, and respond to workplace tasks.
In hiring, DiSC helps you pick candidates who sync with your team’s communication style and work pace. Someone with high Dominance might take the lead naturally.
Those with Steadiness are consistent and patient—good for support roles. Companies use DiSC to build strong teams by reducing conflicts and boosting clarity. It’s simple and practical for everyday use in hiring and team building.
How to Integrate Personality Tests into Your Hiring Process
Adding personality tests to your hiring means choosing the right timing, clear communication, and using test results alongside interviews. Each step helps you make better hiring decisions.
Determining the Right Stage for Testing
Decide when to give the personality test. Usually, it's best after the initial resume screening but before the in-person interview. This helps you filter candidates who fit your team’s culture and job demands.
If you test too early, it might waste time on unqualified candidates. Too late, and it won’t impact your choice much. Many companies find testing works well right after phone screens.
Make sure the test matches the role. A customer service job might focus on communication traits, while a tech role looks at problem-solving skills.
Communicating With Candidates
Be honest and clear when asking candidates to take a personality test. Explain why they’re completing it and how it fits into your hiring process.
Tell them it’s not a pass or fail but a way to understand their working style. This reduces anxiety and encourages effort.
Use email or your applicant tracking system to share test links with clear deadlines. Follow up politely if they don’t complete it on time.
Keep test results confidential. Share outcomes only with the hiring team to maintain trust.
Combining Results With Interviews
Use personality test results to guide interview questions and discussions. If a candidate scores high on teamwork, ask for examples of team projects.
Don’t rely on the test alone. Balance insights with what you learn from resumes, references, and face-to-face talks.
Create a simple chart or checklist for scoring both test results and interview performance side by side. This helps you compare candidates fairly.
Use personality data with structured interviews, work samples, or integrity tests for better prediction and fairness. Decades of meta-analysis show combinations like structured interviews plus other validated tools outperform any single method.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
When using personality tests for hiring, you need to be careful about fairness, privacy, and following the law. These points ensure you treat candidates rightly and avoid problems.
Ensuring Fairness in Assessment
You must make sure the test treats all candidates equally. That means no bias based on race, gender, age, or other protected traits.
Use tests that have been proven reliable and valid for the job you’re hiring for. Avoid using personality tests as the only hiring tool.
Combine them with interviews and skills tests to get a full picture of each candidate. Train your team to understand test results correctly.
Misusing these results can lead to unfair decisions and legal troubles.
Data Privacy Concerns
Personality tests gather personal information. You have to protect this data carefully. Store it securely and only share it with authorized people on your hiring team. Tell candidates how you will use their data before they take the test.
Get their consent clearly and respect their privacy. If you work with a test provider, check that they follow data protection laws too. This reduces risks for your company and keeps candidates’ trust.
Compliance with Regulations
Hiring tests must follow laws like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rules and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if you deal with candidates in Europe.
Make sure your test does not discriminate or screen out protected groups unfairly. Keep records of how you use tests and the decisions you make.
Focus on legal compliance to protect your business and candidates. Following regulations keeps your hiring process clear, fair, and trustworthy.
Best Practices for Interpreting Test Results
When you use personality tests for hiring, keep a few key ideas in mind. Tests help you learn about a candidate, but they don’t tell the whole story.
You’ll want to combine test insights with real-world information. Make sure your hiring team knows how to use these results well.
Understanding Test Limitations
Personality tests measure traits, but they can’t predict everything about how someone will perform. People can change over time or act differently depending on the job or company culture.
Tests don’t capture skills, past experiences, or motivation. Treat these results as part of a bigger picture. Use them to support decisions instead of making them on their own. Pick tests that are proven and fair.
Avoid relying on one test to decide if someone is right for your team.
Using Results to Inform, Not Decide
Use personality test results as guidance, not a final answer. Think of them as one tool among many, such as interviews, references, or sample tasks.
Test scores can highlight strengths and potential challenges, but they should not close the door on someone. When you combine results with other hiring steps, you get a clearer view of fit.
This approach lowers the risk of missing out on valuable hires or making quick judgments. Companies succeed when they use tests to inform rather than decide.
Training for Hiring Managers
Hiring managers need training to interpret test outcomes correctly. Without it, they might overvalue certain traits or misunderstand what scores mean.
Teach managers the limits of the tool and how to balance results with real observations. Training should cover common biases and how to avoid them.
It helps managers ask better questions in interviews based on test data. Well-trained hiring teams can turn test information into stronger hiring decisions and better team fit.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Using personality tests in hiring comes with some hurdles. You’ll need to handle bias, avoid wrong results, and help candidates feel calm during the process. Getting these right makes the test more useful and fair for everyone.
Mitigating Bias
Bias can sneak into personality tests in different ways. If the test favors certain backgrounds or styles, it might unfairly screen out good candidates.
To fight this, use tests that are proven to be fair for all groups. Train your hiring team to recognize their own biases.
Check how candidates score, not just their fit with a single ideal. For example, don’t reject someone just because they answer questions differently.
You can also mix personality test results with other hiring methods. Combine interviews, work samples, or reference checks to get a clearer picture. This balanced approach lowers the chance that bias will mislead your decisions.
Addressing False Positives or Negatives
Sometimes, a personality test shows a candidate as a great fit when they’re not (a false positive). Or it might miss someone who would do well (a false negative). Both can cost time and money. To reduce this, use tests validated for your industry or job type.
Make sure the test matches the roles you’re hiring for, not just popular or generic options. Look at test results as one part of a bigger hiring puzzle.
Use them to guide conversations instead of making final calls. You could also retest periodically and compare performance after hire to improve your hiring rules.
Dealing With Candidate Nervousness
Nervous candidates may answer personality questions in ways that don’t reflect how they truly work. You want to create a relaxed environment so they give honest answers.
Start by explaining why you use the test and how it helps both sides. Assure candidates that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers.
Keep the test short and straightforward to reduce stress. Avoid putting candidates under a strict time limit unless necessary.
If possible, let them take the test in a quiet space or at home. You could also follow up with a casual conversation to confirm the results match what you see in person.
Helping candidates feel comfortable means you get clearer insights and better hires.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Personality Tests in Hiring
To know if your personality test is working, you need clear ways to measure it. Two main points can help: watching how new hires perform over time and checking feedback from the managers who work with them. Both offer useful insights about the value of the test.
Tracking Performance Over Time
Look at the key performance metrics for new employees who took the personality test. Compare their job success, attendance, and teamwork to those hired without the test.
This shows if the test predicts a strong job fit. Record this data regularly, such as at 30, 60, and 90 days after hire.
Trends can reveal if the test helps find reliable workers. You might track:
- Quality of work or service provided
- Meeting deadlines or schedules
- Peer and customer feedback scores
Using a simple spreadsheet or HR software makes monitoring easier. If employees hired through the test do better, it’s a strong sign that the test is effective.
Gathering Feedback From Managers
Your managers see daily how well new hires fit in and perform. Ask them to give honest feedback about employees who took the personality test.
Focus on how well the test matched the worker’s real behavior on the job. Create a short questionnaire asking about work habits, attitude, and team interaction.
Keep questions simple, like:
- Does this employee meet performance expectations?
- How well do they get along with the team?
- Is the employee’s personality a good fit for the role?
Collect feedback after three months of work. Use it to adjust or fine-tune your test process. When managers see real effects on team performance, they support using the test to hire.
Emerging Trends in Personality Testing for Recruitment
Personality testing is changing fast. New tools help you find better hires, even when you’re working remotely or need faster, clearer results.
These advances make personality tests more useful and easier to apply in real hiring situations.
AI-Powered Assessments
AI tools now analyze personality test answers faster and more accurately. They pick up on patterns and traits that humans might miss.
This helps you understand how a candidate will fit into your team or handle job tasks. AI can also adjust questions during the test based on responses.
That means each test is more personalized and detailed. Using AI cuts down time spent on screening, so you focus on the best matches.
Businesses are starting to use AI-powered assessments to improve hiring decisions. AI adds a reliable tool to your process.
Remote Testing Innovations
Remote personality tests are becoming easier to use and more secure. Candidates can take tests online from anywhere, saving time and money.
These tests often include video or interactive elements to keep candidates engaged. New software also offers ways to verify identity and reduce cheating.
That keeps your results trustworthy, even when you’re not in the same room. For business owners working with small teams or spread-out hires, remote testing is a practical way to keep hiring efficient and fair.
Tools now integrate well with employee tracking and onboarding systems to make the process smoother.
Make Personality Testing a Strength, Not a Risk
Personality tests can sharpen hiring when you anchor them to the job and pair them with stronger predictors. Used well, they improve team fit and reduce mis-hires.
Jackson Advisory Group helps build selection flows that blend validated assessments, structured interviews, and fair scoring. Our process aligns tools with each role so you hire confidently and stay compliant.
Book a call to map the right assessments for your roles and design a compliant, fair selection process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personality tests can help you find the right fit for your team by measuring traits like teamwork, communication, and work style. Using them smartly can improve hiring, lower turnover, and boost job satisfaction.
What are the best personality tests used for employee recruitment?
Some popular tests include DISC, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Big Five. DISC is often favored in local service businesses because it focuses on communication and behavior at work.
How do personality assessments improve the hiring process?
They give you a clearer picture of how candidates might act in real work situations. This helps identify those whose style fits your company culture and job needs.
Can personality tests reduce turnover and increase employee satisfaction?
Yes. When you match people to roles that suit their natural strengths, they’re more likely to stay and feel happy. This means less cost and effort in replacing employees over time.
What are the legal considerations when using personality tests in hiring?
Tests must be valid, reliable, and not discriminate against any group. Always use them as one part of your hiring decisions and follow workplace laws to avoid legal risks.
How do we ensure a personality test is unbiased and fair for all candidates?
Choose tests that are tested for fairness and avoid questions that could unfairly favor any group. You can also train your team on how to interpret results without bias.
What's the difference between personality tests and skill assessments in recruitment?
Personality tests measure traits like motivation and team style. Skill assessments check if candidates have the specific knowledge or abilities needed for the job.
