How to Use Assessments to Hire Effectively
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Business -> subcategory Other.
How to Use Assessments to Hire Effectively
Choosing the right personality test for hiring is no small task. With around 2,500 cognitive and personality tests available today, making an informed decision is crucial.
The Importance of Proper Test Selection
Neglecting due diligence in selecting a test can put your organization at legal risk, especially since the assessment industry lacks regulation. Understanding the history of these tools can help guide your choice.
A Brief History of Personality Tests
Our journey begins during World War II at a mental hospital in Minnesota, where the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was developed to diagnose mental illnesses. To introduce more scientific methods into hiring, companies began using this test, which had yes-or-no questions like "I feel sure there is only one true religion," which many found intrusive.
Simultaneously, Harvard psychologist Raymond Cattell created tests for the military and then moved to the University of Illinois. There, he used the Illiac I, an early electronic computer, to conduct large-scale factor analyses on personality traits. This led to the creation of the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) questionnaire, first published in 1949, which measures personality using traits such as:
- Warmth: Reserved to attentive
- Reasoning: Concrete to conceptual thinker
- Emotional Stability: Changeable to stable
- Dominance: Cooperative to assertive
- Liveliness: Restrained to spontaneous
- Rule Consciousness: Non-conforming to dutiful
- Social Boldness: Timid to bold
- Sensitivity: Unsentimental to sentimental
- Vigilance: Trusting to suspicious
- Abstractedness: Practical to imaginative
- Privateness: Open to discreet
- Apprehension: Self-assured to apprehensive
- Openness to Change: Traditional to open
- Self Reliance: Affiliative to individualistic
- Perfectionism: Tolerant to perfectionistic
- Tension: Relaxed to tense
The Rise of the "Big Five" Model
In 1963, W.T. Norman simplified Cattell's work by focusing on five core factors shaping personality: extraversion, independence, self-control, anxiety, and tough-mindedness. This "Big Five" approach is now the foundation of many modern tests. Here’s what managers typically assess:
- Extraversion: Introvert or extravert?
- Independence: Accommodation or independence?
- Self-Control: Lack of restraint or self-control?
- Anxiety: Low or high anxiety?
- Tough-Mindedness: Receptivity or tough-mindedness?
Why Understanding These Assessments Matters
Decades of research within industrial and organizational psychology have built robust frameworks for personality assessments. Yet, many companies overlook this knowledge when making hiring decisions. Investing in a suitable personality test can help identify candidates who best fit your company’s needs.
By understanding and leveraging these assessments, you can enhance the effectiveness of your hiring process and select candidates who align with your organizational goals.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: How to Use Assessments to Hire Effectively.
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