Psychometric Test from the U.S. Department of Labor

This paper introduces the overview of personality assessment approaches in use currently in society. It proceeds to review the big five personality measures, its validity in prediction of personality types (Archer, 2011). The topic on MIPS questionnaires use in personality measurements and scoring methods used by the system is reviewed. Aspects on the social desirability trait and the distortion produced in responses to evaluation questionnaires, being a significant part of the problems in personality assessment is examined. Social desirability does not have an influence on the predictive validity of personality assessments. It is not related to performance in the job. Various strategies used for reduction of social desirability have been studied. The various tools used in assessments are recapitulated including some methodological aspects (Weiner, 2009). Cultural aspects in evaluation of personality discussed are touched upon. Two case studies are used to show the real life situation of personality assessment.

Psychometrics came as a consequence from the theories in psychology which tried to find out if there was a way to measure a person’s intelligence.The first types of the psychometric tests were developed by Sir Francis Galton in the late 1800’s, and were later modified by psychometricians James McKeen Cattell and Charles Spearman. Today, psychometric tests are usually used by employers in recruitment and selection process in order to measure the abilities of a potential employee in specific skills such as: intelligence, critical reasoning, motivation and personality profile. Psychometric tests play an important role in selection practice: 70 percent of firms use them (Sackleton and Newell, 1991). The fundamental assumption of psychometrics is that people differ from each other, for instance in terms of their friendliness, their ability to use mathematics, or their motivation to gain success could be different and these differences can be measured. A definition offered for a psychometric test is “an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behaviour” (Anastasi, 1990)

These assessments facilitate dramatically the hiring process by identifying the thinking styles, occupational interests and behavioral traits and allow the visualization of the “total person”. To complete the assessment process behavior tendencies play an important role in increasing individual productivity by identifying personal accommodation , assertiveness, attitudes, energy level, independence, objective judgment, sociability, manageability and decisiveness.

The first section of this paper details the elements that a personality type assessment typically measures. The second section contains discussion on the personality type assessment of the author of this paper. In the third and last section, the author shares how his personal assessment outcomes could affect his work relationships with his colleagues.

Recruitment and selection tests “aim to provide a potential employer with an insight into how well you work with other people, how well you handle stress, and whether you will be able to cope with the intellectual demands of the job” (Psychometric Success, 2013). These tests are split into personality tests and aptitude/ability test. LL would benefit from personality tests for all employees to ensure

Human resource practitioners and I/O psychologists have at their disposal a host of personnel assessment techniques. For example, traditional predictive measures used to screen job applicants have included the use of application blanks, job interviews and psychometric measures of personality and cognitive ability. For the most part these instruments attempt to predict an applicant's potential for success by estimating her current level of functioning on some psychological construct that is believed to be related to job performance. Recently, however, personnel professionals have added a unique assessment technique to their arsenal. Unlike traditional predictive measures of job performance- mental and motor functioning and

Allport defines personality as ‘the dynamic organisation within the individual of those psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment’ (Allport, 1937). An individual’s unique personality traits and attributes are a powerful indicator of how he/she will interact with the work environment. The difference between average and outstanding employees can often be solely personality related. As the employee is the most valuable asset to the company, ‘selecting the right employee during the process is critical’ (Carbery and Cross, 2013, pp. 41-53)

May affect how managers make decisions, solve problems, handle conflicts, deal with politics, and cope with stress. Helps us understand how others are different from us, despite similar experiences and situations. The right personality for the job is always a combination of job fit and job attitude that varies with job type and organizational culture. Personality questionnaires help managers to compare individuals on the same criteria and distinguish between them in terms of good and bad. Questionnaires revels the level or abilities of an individual that would be appropriate at the workplace.

Companies have started to use personality tests in the past five years so that they can find a potential employee’s strengths and weaknesses. If questions and answers are quite accurate and test is done properly it can help an employer to find more about person’s advantages and disadvantages. It is very important to know because one of the most important points is that most of personality tests help to recognize unqualified candidates. “Although experts warn that many personality assessments don't deliver what they promise, legitimate scientifically validated tests are helping employers evaluate job candidates to select those best suited for particular positions. Other tests are designed to measure intelligence, honesty, management aptitude and other qualities.”

There are a number of possible actions employers can take to deal with increasing qualifications obtained in the workforce. A greater emphasis can be placed on psychometric testing for mental traits in addition to selecting on credentials. As productivity and efficiency are the ultimate objectives sought by employers, qualities such as motivation have precedence over credentials. While generic abilities may be hard to distinguish due to imperfect information it is these traits possessed by employees that will have a direct bearing on performance. Therefore more psychometric testing such as personality tests attempt to overcome the informational gap that exists prior to employment. In addition it also alleviates the issue of increased qualifications by recruiting and selecting on these terms.

Personality has been inherently defined as possession of a particular set of characteristics possessed by people which influences their behaviour and reactions in different situation along with their motivation level to react to difficulties at the workplace. However, understanding personality traits and their development has been a contentious matter. Nonetheless, various theories have been forwarded to rather contribute to this contentious debate. For example employers set goals and encourage involvement with the company to have a better employee performance, which would result in higher motivation level subsequently leading to increased efficiency. Studies regarding the relationship between personality traits of a particular employee

These days personality trait test is potentially a valuable tool in recruiting and personal evaluation. it is trying to predict possible academic success and work performance in different configurations. Scientists have long been consumed in connections between personality and work performance With the development of personality in the field of psychology, organizations realize that employee personality that impact how individuals think, feel and act on and off the job are difficult to change. Instead of displacing all the current concepts, the Big Five Personality Trait design works multipurpose because it is able to signify various personality feature concepts in the same structure.

Explaining some of the extents personality has on employee performance is an important part in human resource management. This is because it helps to understand different types of people and how they will perform in industry. This also allows us to explore personality types with regards to performance and the different types of performance that each personality depicts. This essay will show a breakdown of a few different personality types and the implications on how they would affect the performance when in a business as an employee.

as the only way to access whether a person is suitable for the job is

Cognitive tests will vary to correlate with the requirement of a position; however, they measure critical thinking and problem solving skills, and a person’s ability to learn, apply and comprehend new information. Personality tests is usually based on a model which describes the different personality dimensions and calculates where an individual stand. For example, a person who wishes to be in law enforcement is screened for traits such as impulse control, stress tolerance, courage, and judgement under pressure. Research supports the use of personality tests in addition to cognitive ability measures where both are valid predictors of job performance (Bobko et. al., 1999; Sackett & Ellingson, 1997; Schmitt et. al.,1997). Psychological evaluations before employment can rationalize the hiring process which results in making more informed decisions.