I’ve always been grateful for the things I’ve learned when I worked in the telemarketing industry throughout college. First, never sign up for anything over the phone (duh). More importantly, since we were continually hiring (I know it’s shocking that the telemarketing industry would experience high turnover), I learned diversity, uniqueness, and trainability were more important than skill. Granted, there are some jobs out there where skill is of primary importance. Generally, I’m more concerned about my surgeon’s skill levels than their bedside manner.
But most jobs require a better balance of skill and personality. The main reason a candidate leaves a company is not because of skill issues, but because of a bad personality fit. So, we know that it’s helpful to assess personality, but is personality testing the answer? Some have success in this area, many others don’t.
Personality testing can take a wrong turn in many ways. It is a legitimate screening tool according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as long as the test questions do not lead to discrimination. For instance, for a technical position in a male-dominated environment, are the questions intentionally trying to screen women out of the selection process? (Vetting for male-dominant personality traits such as confidence as self-assurance over female-dominant traits such as communication and teamwork).
Perhaps it’s better to adjust the language – it’s an assessment and not a test. The results aren’t pass or fail, but rather, provide information to help with your assessment of the candidate. Outside of testing, what’s the best way to include personality assessments in your hiring process? You could add the line “Jerks need not apply” to your job listing. Or you could simply make personality assessment an ongoing part of your natural hiring process.
Check out a candidate’s online profile. Read the candidate’s self-descriptions. Jot down some impressions that you have and add them to the notes. If the self-description made you roll your eyes, don’t ignore that. Impressions are important, and it starts with the online profile.
Search a candidate’s online presence. Social media might tell you everything you need to know or nothing you need to know. Unless the candidate has posted legally incriminating video or pictures, this option is not a make or break in the hiring process. Again, just jot down your impressions on anything that comes up in this search. See if those impressions line up with anything you’ve previously noted.
Read between the emails. Email can be a great way to assess the candidate’s soft skills. How quickly does the candidate follow up with you? How many typos are there? How courteous is the candidate?
Make the most of interviews. Make sure your interview process is robust enough to give multiple opportunities to gauge a candidate’s personality. The interview process is obviously about verifying skills and background, but it is also about understanding the unique personality a candidate could bring to the organization. Many eyes and ears are needed at this point in the process. But make sure all the eyes and ears that are involved know what they are looking for in the candidate. You might need to train your organization on how to be a valuable member of the hiring team.
The goal of understanding a candidate’s personality isn’t just to weed out the jerks, although that can be a benefit. It’s really about finding the candidate that is the best organizational fit. While a personality test may give you a good one-time self assessment, you’re generally better off trusting your employer instincts. How does this person fit in with your culture? Does he or she embody the principles of the organization, whether that’s community involvement, professionalism, communication, or something completely different? Look for ways to identify these traits within your organic hiring process, whether it’s keywords on a resume, tone in phone calls and email, or answers to personality-revealing questions in the interview process.
