Great article… Besides referring candidates for almost forty years as a head hunter, I have also been an observer of the hiring practices of hundreds of brokers, nationwide.
Guess what, I’ll bet the turn-over is almost the same for those who test and those who don’t.
I believe what a person has done in the past is a good indicator of what he or she will do in the future. How a company does what they do… HAS to compliment how a person does what they do! Companies need to understand this important statement.
Two producers could switch companies and begin to fail, just because of culture differences. What good is it to hire someone used to certain “back-up” or “tools” and expect them to succeed without them?
If a company knows what it takes to succeed at THEIR company…they don’t need to do a personality test!
If managers DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DECISIONS, then test! The best managers are always talking to perspective candidates and KNOW what they are looking for.
HR loves to test, why? Because most of them (not all) don’t really know your business…now do they? !
But, what about head hunters? You can’t trust them? Any headhunter?… then don’t use them. It might become a lot harder, but hey, give it a go and rely on tests. Head hunters are like good canidates… you have to find one that knows your business and has the experience to partner with you.
Barry, very true. I’ve worked for people that based how they reacted to people on the other’s personality test and didn’t get along very well in the company. Those of us who never saw the results just acted normally and got along much better.
Had an interview a few years back. I had enjoyed excellent relationships with a few of the underwriters for more than 15 years. Had been highly recommended by two people already on staff.
Evidently I flunked the Star Test.
Two weeks after the interview I received a rejection letter, a form letter, not even addressed to me personally – qualifications do not meet out needs.
They knew my qualifications when I sent my resume!
I remember one question: you are at the finish line of a foot race. You observe one contestant trip another and win the race. What do you do? I answered that I would take the winner aside and let him know what I saw. I think the right answer was I would report him to the judge….
I failed my test. I was told I didn’t have a sales personality. That was before I started my agency from scratch, broke 3 million in revenue and hired 20 employees. Don’t read the test, read the person.
Companies/employers still insist on attempting to quantify/assign a numerical value to everything. There are still some things that defy “measurement” and the human condition is certainly one.
Like you folks, I also question the validity of these tests in relation to job performance.
However, if an employer insists on their use, I think it should go both ways.
I want to test the personality of my supervisor because maybe I don’t want to work for someone who has certain traits!
What do you think HR would think about that?
How many times have one of you accepted a job at a company that seemed like a great place to work, only to be placed under a supervisor with major “personality” issues?
Thankfully that’s not my situation now, but it has been a couple of times before and unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing those things before you accept a position. It isn’t like the candidate can survey current employees and ask “What is it like working under so-and-so? Am I going to hate it? Is he/she a moody micro-manager with the attention span of a sand flea and a memory like swiss cheese?”
For better or worse, we humans seem to want to quantify everything. Are you a Gen-Xer or a Baby Boomer; Catholic or Evangelical;Genius or mentaly retarded. It gives people comfort to categorize the world; to create structure in our lives regardless of whether or not the guidelines used to create these structures are rational.
What does this mean? Fairly or unfairly, Personality tests give us yet another tool to place people into categories.
I had to take a personality test for a summer job at a retail store once. I swear, at least 20% of the questions were some variant of “Is it okay to steal from your employer?”
Ratemaker, that is because they are trying to determine whether or not you are telling the truth. When a personality test is developed, many questions are asked multiple times using different wording. The reasoning is…if you answer these same questions differently each time, you may be lying.
Just another cop out for un-skilled and un-qualified managers to avoid having to make an objective hiring decision. They don’t know how to interview and don’t know what to look for. Leave it to a questionnaire and if the hire tanks you can say “it wasn’t my fault”.
Now there is a PERFECT example of what I describe in my first post. It is so easier for people to lump others into groups such as “un-skilled” and “un-qualified” than to admit, although some may fit this category, others may not. And, never mind that some of these managers may be very adept at what they do.
I have taken several and have given several of these tests. They are nothing more than a tool or indicator. They should never be used as a deciding factor for any position. History, face to face interviews should always be weighted more than a test
We have used personality tests as one step in the hiring process for 8 years. We have found them to be very accurate predictors of how an applicant will perform.
We are a small (10 emplolyee) agency but we believe in them.
It’s too bad nobody from HR bothers to read industry publications, it would be nice to get an insider’s perspective on why they continue to use these personality tests to screen out all of the qualified applicants and let through all of the nuts!
I once applied for a position at an insurance company that my niece worked for. I was never contacted or told why I was rejected. I found out through my niece that I did not pass the personality test. My niece passed hers–she’s bipolar, manic-depressive, and at that time she had an addiction to pain pills.
She has been married 4 times, in and out of jail for bad checks, and is now currently unemployed. I have been married to the same man for almost 19 yrs and never been to jail and I love to work.
A few weeks after failing the
“personality profile assessment”,
I went to work with a different insurance company. I have been successful in the field since that date (Sept of 2000).
I can’t help but to wander what kind of personality that company was looking for.
Or perhaps tests are not such a great indicator for personality profiling.
And besides the dishonest answers, many things can influence the results of a written test. Too hot, too cold, headache, trouble or stress at home, sickness, test anxiety, lack of sleep, and many more factors too numerous to list. It may be a starting point, but it shouldn’t determine one’s employment.
I have taken countless personality tests, to get a job and also for team building activities. i always take the test again on my own personal time because i answer differently when I’m at work. I have my “work personality” and my “real life personality”….to be honest, anymore, i’m suprised people have trouble getting past that round of the interview process…it’s the easiest part!
it’s complete BS i know, but hey, if that’s what they want to hear, then i’m willing to tell them that. i know i’m a hard worker and would never promise anything above what i can deliver.
I hate generic testing like that. i hate when people tell you what letters they are on some test they took…i don’t live in a box sorry.
but i understand it’s all office politics…so from 9-5 i play along.
AMEN, KLS! and i think when the company is getting ready to hire a new manager, the employees most directly effected by the hire should get to ask questions during the interview process!
Nebraskan,
How do you answer a question that has no correct answer? I remember one, if you see a dog in the middle of the street, and a truck is approaching from the right, and you are on the opposite side of the road, do you… a)call the dog
b)try to scare the dog away c)try to stop the truck or d)do nothing?
Now, in high school and college I was the reigning “Queen of the BS”. No one could answer essay questions or write a paper about something they knew nothing about,and managed to get an A from pure BS, as well as I. But what has a dog in the middle of the street got to do with my ability to sell or service insurance?
Or get along with others?
The dog is a metaphor for your colleagues and your career. If you a) call the dog you are a good leader, if you b) scare the dog you should be in management, c) try to stop the truck you are an idiot, and d) do nothing, you should run the agency!
Personality tests have about as much usefulness as judging a person soley on whether they have a college degree or not. Particularly if a person is older and has been in the workforce for awhile. http://www.phoenix-life-insurance.com
Thanks Dustin,
That one has haunted me for years. No wander I did not show them what they were looking for–I would have put them out of a job! [I really wasn’t sure how to choose one item–I wrote in First I’d try a), then if that didn’t work I’d try b), if that didn’t work I’d go with d).]
You are right, there is no RIGHT answer, but there is an answer the company is wanting you to give. and usually it’s “say something.” in your example, an ideal employee would do something…not just let the dog get hit. so odds are. a, b, or c would bode well for you…but not d. i always think of the question, (and i’m paraphrasing), “your coworker clocks in and then goes to the breakroom for 15 minutes before going to work, do you a)say something to the employee, b)say something to superviser, c)don’t say anything d)warn the employee and if you catch them doing it again you will report him/her?” we all know d would be the BEST answer….if you put a or b, it would be acceptable, and c would make you unhireable.
see what i mean…? there isn’t a right answer, but there is a better answer…
About 10 years ago I took a version of the Omhnia and later was hired for the job. A year of so after, my bosses secretary whom he and I shared for work purposes showed me a copy of the results of the tesst. It pegged me to a tee-even to the point where it had me under stress-at the time I was splitting up from my ex-it was incredible how it was an accurate reflection of me. Now at the same time it really didn’t indicate how well or poorly I would fare in my role, so I really wondered about what its purpose was and never figured out how it was worth the $1k or so we paid for each one. And by the way, it ended up being the tipping point of our analysis in hiring others into the office. If their Omnia was good, they were hired. If however, it was poor or marginal, then it was more than enough to offset a great interview.
having worked for a “moody micro-manager” or two in my life…I had to chuckle at this post. I believe the use of these Personality Profiles is highly over-rated. My funniest experience with one of these was a test in which I had “faked” a lot of my answers, which resulted in a score that apparently identified me as some kind of “Super Salesman”. The hiring manager literally hounded me to come work for them…but I had already decided I did not want to work for this organization and steadfastly turned them down. Unlike this scenario that I just described…I think it is more likely that very good people are not hired based on over-reliance on these dubious tests.
I do not understand the correlation between personality and performance. I DO however understand that when building a team, communication or social styles should be considered. TRACOM Group has a test that is self-administered but also includes surveys about the employee or potential employee filled out by 3-5 professional associates. The surveys are used for style prediction, achieved with input from the individual and more importantly, with input from those he or she interacts with professionally. Personality is often described as how a person relates to his or her environment, determined through self-evaluation of likes, dislikes, and feelings. Styles, however, are determined as levels of assertiveness and emotiveness that influence how a person relates/communicates with others, determined by analyzing observed, physical behaviors. The TRACOM model describes evaluatees as amiable, expressive, analytical, or driving style – information important for teambuilding and for determining a propensity for specific types of work, e.g. someone with a driving style may be a better sales closer. Identifying a person’s style is only the jumping off point. For more information check out TRACOM’s website at http://www.tracomcorp.com/ (I am not affiliated with this organization) or contact me, ffirari@yahoo.com, if you are interested in more information.
Great article… Besides referring candidates for almost forty years as a head hunter, I have also been an observer of the hiring practices of hundreds of brokers, nationwide.
Guess what, I’ll bet the turn-over is almost the same for those who test and those who don’t.
I believe what a person has done in the past is a good indicator of what he or she will do in the future. How a company does what they do… HAS to compliment how a person does what they do! Companies need to understand this important statement.
Two producers could switch companies and begin to fail, just because of culture differences. What good is it to hire someone used to certain “back-up” or “tools” and expect them to succeed without them?
If a company knows what it takes to succeed at THEIR company…they don’t need to do a personality test!
If managers DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DECISIONS, then test! The best managers are always talking to perspective candidates and KNOW what they are looking for.
HR loves to test, why? Because most of them (not all) don’t really know your business…now do they? !
But, what about head hunters? You can’t trust them? Any headhunter?… then don’t use them. It might become a lot harder, but hey, give it a go and rely on tests. Head hunters are like good canidates… you have to find one that knows your business and has the experience to partner with you.
Barry, very true. I’ve worked for people that based how they reacted to people on the other’s personality test and didn’t get along very well in the company. Those of us who never saw the results just acted normally and got along much better.
Had an interview a few years back. I had enjoyed excellent relationships with a few of the underwriters for more than 15 years. Had been highly recommended by two people already on staff.
Evidently I flunked the Star Test.
Two weeks after the interview I received a rejection letter, a form letter, not even addressed to me personally – qualifications do not meet out needs.
They knew my qualifications when I sent my resume!
I remember one question: you are at the finish line of a foot race. You observe one contestant trip another and win the race. What do you do? I answered that I would take the winner aside and let him know what I saw. I think the right answer was I would report him to the judge….
I failed my test. I was told I didn’t have a sales personality. That was before I started my agency from scratch, broke 3 million in revenue and hired 20 employees. Don’t read the test, read the person.
Companies/employers still insist on attempting to quantify/assign a numerical value to everything. There are still some things that defy “measurement” and the human condition is certainly one.
I remember one test I took when applying for a job that asked the question, “Would you rather (a) look at a pornographic magazine or (b) read a book”
Who in their right mind is going to answer (a) in that situation?
What happens if you have no personality, do you automatically fail?
Like you folks, I also question the validity of these tests in relation to job performance.
However, if an employer insists on their use, I think it should go both ways.
I want to test the personality of my supervisor because maybe I don’t want to work for someone who has certain traits!
What do you think HR would think about that?
How many times have one of you accepted a job at a company that seemed like a great place to work, only to be placed under a supervisor with major “personality” issues?
Thankfully that’s not my situation now, but it has been a couple of times before and unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing those things before you accept a position. It isn’t like the candidate can survey current employees and ask “What is it like working under so-and-so? Am I going to hate it? Is he/she a moody micro-manager with the attention span of a sand flea and a memory like swiss cheese?”
For better or worse, we humans seem to want to quantify everything. Are you a Gen-Xer or a Baby Boomer; Catholic or Evangelical;Genius or mentaly retarded. It gives people comfort to categorize the world; to create structure in our lives regardless of whether or not the guidelines used to create these structures are rational.
What does this mean? Fairly or unfairly, Personality tests give us yet another tool to place people into categories.
I had to take a personality test for a summer job at a retail store once. I swear, at least 20% of the questions were some variant of “Is it okay to steal from your employer?”
Ratemaker, that is because they are trying to determine whether or not you are telling the truth. When a personality test is developed, many questions are asked multiple times using different wording. The reasoning is…if you answer these same questions differently each time, you may be lying.
Just another cop out for un-skilled and un-qualified managers to avoid having to make an objective hiring decision. They don’t know how to interview and don’t know what to look for. Leave it to a questionnaire and if the hire tanks you can say “it wasn’t my fault”.
Now there is a PERFECT example of what I describe in my first post. It is so easier for people to lump others into groups such as “un-skilled” and “un-qualified” than to admit, although some may fit this category, others may not. And, never mind that some of these managers may be very adept at what they do.
I have taken several and have given several of these tests. They are nothing more than a tool or indicator. They should never be used as a deciding factor for any position. History, face to face interviews should always be weighted more than a test
We have used personality tests as one step in the hiring process for 8 years. We have found them to be very accurate predictors of how an applicant will perform.
We are a small (10 emplolyee) agency but we believe in them.
It’s too bad nobody from HR bothers to read industry publications, it would be nice to get an insider’s perspective on why they continue to use these personality tests to screen out all of the qualified applicants and let through all of the nuts!
I’m a serial loafer and I still “passed.” oops
I once applied for a position at an insurance company that my niece worked for. I was never contacted or told why I was rejected. I found out through my niece that I did not pass the personality test. My niece passed hers–she’s bipolar, manic-depressive, and at that time she had an addiction to pain pills.
She has been married 4 times, in and out of jail for bad checks, and is now currently unemployed. I have been married to the same man for almost 19 yrs and never been to jail and I love to work.
A few weeks after failing the
“personality profile assessment”,
I went to work with a different insurance company. I have been successful in the field since that date (Sept of 2000).
I can’t help but to wander what kind of personality that company was looking for.
Or perhaps tests are not such a great indicator for personality profiling.
And besides the dishonest answers, many things can influence the results of a written test. Too hot, too cold, headache, trouble or stress at home, sickness, test anxiety, lack of sleep, and many more factors too numerous to list. It may be a starting point, but it shouldn’t determine one’s employment.
Couldn’t be closer to the truth. Our HR Dept tests and some of the people that are hired couldn’t do the job if their life depended on it!
It’s not personality, it’s experience that employers should be looking for.
That’s what you get for being honest, reject! :)
I have taken countless personality tests, to get a job and also for team building activities. i always take the test again on my own personal time because i answer differently when I’m at work. I have my “work personality” and my “real life personality”….to be honest, anymore, i’m suprised people have trouble getting past that round of the interview process…it’s the easiest part!
it’s complete BS i know, but hey, if that’s what they want to hear, then i’m willing to tell them that. i know i’m a hard worker and would never promise anything above what i can deliver.
I hate generic testing like that. i hate when people tell you what letters they are on some test they took…i don’t live in a box sorry.
but i understand it’s all office politics…so from 9-5 i play along.
AMEN, KLS! and i think when the company is getting ready to hire a new manager, the employees most directly effected by the hire should get to ask questions during the interview process!
Nebraskan,
How do you answer a question that has no correct answer? I remember one, if you see a dog in the middle of the street, and a truck is approaching from the right, and you are on the opposite side of the road, do you… a)call the dog
b)try to scare the dog away c)try to stop the truck or d)do nothing?
Now, in high school and college I was the reigning “Queen of the BS”. No one could answer essay questions or write a paper about something they knew nothing about,and managed to get an A from pure BS, as well as I. But what has a dog in the middle of the street got to do with my ability to sell or service insurance?
Or get along with others?
The dog is a metaphor for your colleagues and your career. If you a) call the dog you are a good leader, if you b) scare the dog you should be in management, c) try to stop the truck you are an idiot, and d) do nothing, you should run the agency!
Personality tests have about as much usefulness as judging a person soley on whether they have a college degree or not. Particularly if a person is older and has been in the workforce for awhile. http://www.phoenix-life-insurance.com
Thanks Dustin,
That one has haunted me for years. No wander I did not show them what they were looking for–I would have put them out of a job! [I really wasn’t sure how to choose one item–I wrote in First I’d try a), then if that didn’t work I’d try b), if that didn’t work I’d go with d).]
You are right, there is no RIGHT answer, but there is an answer the company is wanting you to give. and usually it’s “say something.” in your example, an ideal employee would do something…not just let the dog get hit. so odds are. a, b, or c would bode well for you…but not d. i always think of the question, (and i’m paraphrasing), “your coworker clocks in and then goes to the breakroom for 15 minutes before going to work, do you a)say something to the employee, b)say something to superviser, c)don’t say anything d)warn the employee and if you catch them doing it again you will report him/her?” we all know d would be the BEST answer….if you put a or b, it would be acceptable, and c would make you unhireable.
see what i mean…? there isn’t a right answer, but there is a better answer…
i hope i explained that well!
About 10 years ago I took a version of the Omhnia and later was hired for the job. A year of so after, my bosses secretary whom he and I shared for work purposes showed me a copy of the results of the tesst. It pegged me to a tee-even to the point where it had me under stress-at the time I was splitting up from my ex-it was incredible how it was an accurate reflection of me. Now at the same time it really didn’t indicate how well or poorly I would fare in my role, so I really wondered about what its purpose was and never figured out how it was worth the $1k or so we paid for each one. And by the way, it ended up being the tipping point of our analysis in hiring others into the office. If their Omnia was good, they were hired. If however, it was poor or marginal, then it was more than enough to offset a great interview.
having worked for a “moody micro-manager” or two in my life…I had to chuckle at this post. I believe the use of these Personality Profiles is highly over-rated. My funniest experience with one of these was a test in which I had “faked” a lot of my answers, which resulted in a score that apparently identified me as some kind of “Super Salesman”. The hiring manager literally hounded me to come work for them…but I had already decided I did not want to work for this organization and steadfastly turned them down. Unlike this scenario that I just described…I think it is more likely that very good people are not hired based on over-reliance on these dubious tests.
I do not understand the correlation between personality and performance. I DO however understand that when building a team, communication or social styles should be considered. TRACOM Group has a test that is self-administered but also includes surveys about the employee or potential employee filled out by 3-5 professional associates. The surveys are used for style prediction, achieved with input from the individual and more importantly, with input from those he or she interacts with professionally. Personality is often described as how a person relates to his or her environment, determined through self-evaluation of likes, dislikes, and feelings. Styles, however, are determined as levels of assertiveness and emotiveness that influence how a person relates/communicates with others, determined by analyzing observed, physical behaviors. The TRACOM model describes evaluatees as amiable, expressive, analytical, or driving style – information important for teambuilding and for determining a propensity for specific types of work, e.g. someone with a driving style may be a better sales closer. Identifying a person’s style is only the jumping off point. For more information check out TRACOM’s website at http://www.tracomcorp.com/ (I am not affiliated with this organization) or contact me, ffirari@yahoo.com, if you are interested in more information.