There was a time when all recruiters needed to see was skills. But things have changed over the years, and now personality test is important in hiring process. But “what is meant by a personality test?”
Personality Test
When we talk about personality test, we simply mean the way, with which we can access how the person will react in different situations.
Technically, personality assessments measure the pattern of traits that the person reflects in different situations. But the question arises, as to how these tests help in recruitment process?
Importance of personality test in hiring process
At the time of recruitment, Recruiters access candidates to get familiar with their strengths. But this alone is not enough. They strengthen their recruitment process, by assessing the candidates to know where they can best use the talent they are hiring.
Do they really help?
Certainly, these tests are statistically proven to be beneficial in the recruitment process. So, there is no point of questioning their authenticity in recruitment drives.
They can definitely help the team in assessing the candidate. Consider the below mentioned points as for its value adds in the hiring process.
- Personality test is important in hiring process as it helps recruiters identify if the candidate is a good fit for the company.
- These tests can help recruiter assess if the candidate can adapt with the company’s work culture and can follow the code of conduct.
- It can help identify the dark personality traits of candidates.
Advantages of using Personality tests
These tests can help recruiters analyse, the impact of a candidate’s personality at the workplace. It also helps in understanding the candidate’s coordination with others, prior to having him.
Here are some of the advantages displaying why personality test is important in hiring process-
1. Better understanding of candidates-
Personality assessment helps recruiter best identify the suitable personality traits in the required candidate.
They can understand the behavioural characteristics of the person, they are about to hire.
Recruiters can filter candidates on the basis of their personality traits.
- Speeds up the recruitment process-
Personality tests are usually conducted online. This online mode of assessment can help filter candidates, reducing the number of interviews need to be scheduled. This, increases efficiency of the process.
- Eliminates Bias-
It helps recruiters make a fair decision about candidates, by eliminating the unconscious bias in hiring.
Recruiters can proceed with fair decisions, considering the scores of candidates in required personality traits.
- Spot dark personality traits-
Negative behavioural characteristics, like self-obsession, opportunism, temperamental, insensitivity and impulsiveness are considered as dark personality traits.
Personality tests helps recruiters know about these traits prior to being hired.
- Cost-effective-
Personality tests can be implemented easily, in a cost-effective way. These tests are easily performed online, and can provide behavioural information within hours, if not minutes.
It extensively reduces the chances of hiring wrong candidates. Bad hires can impact the productivity of the team as well as can hamper other employees as well.
- Insight of candidate’s potential-
This a major plus point that personality test plays in employee development.
Having insight of the candidate’s potential, HR’s can figure out, how they can groom the person for the future or desired role. It helps in highlighting the potential of the candidate.
Drawbacks of personality test
Below mentioned are some of the drawbacks of personality test-
- There are many tools available in the market claiming their effectiveness, but not all tools are genuine.
- Personality test requires job specific customizations.
Every positive comes with some negative. But in the case of personality tests, positives are much greater than that of negatives.
Conclusion
Core aspects of the candidate’s personality, like the bright side, work style, values and dark side can be revealed using the personality test. Personality tests help recruiters analyse if the candidate is fit for specific roles. Recruiters can predict the behaviour and the job performance of the candidate beforehand. Data generated by personality tests, helps in filtering, hiring and can improve the coordination between team members.
Below mentioned are some of the major advantages of using personality test–
1. Better understanding of candidates
2. Speeds up the recruitment process
3. Eliminates Bias
4. Spot the dark personality traits
5. Cost-effective
6. Insight of candidate’s potential
