Behaviour not personality test matters

Can a personality test predict job performance? No, it cannot. Yet the psychometric testing industry is a billion dollar one. We do not have any other tools to measure or “see” identity i.e. the things about you that simply do not show up on resumes and school transcripts.

How many times have you given a personality test to a new employee or even taken one yourself? Has it ever matched perfectly with the reality of how you or that employee behaves? Think about it.

Let me give you an example: personality test for a woman says, “She is very persuasive.” It is a great quality for a sales team member. Yet at work place sales for this woman could be the lowest. Why?

What the personality test fails to tell you is that her persuasive behaviour is different when men are around due to her cultural upbringing. She has been told and witnessed her entire life women sitting back and allowing males to lead. It’s her blind spot and she simply does not speak up or take the lead when males are around.

What is one to use then to accurately gauge who is before them and how they will act in various situations in the workplace?

Your best bet is to start with a behavioural test. Notice I said start. Behavioural tests do not capture our situational judgments like the example above. Behaviour and personality tests are different. There are different factors that influence our behaviour and personality is only one element. Others include skills and abilities, values and motivations, and experiences and external influences. While personality may not be immediately apparent to others, the behaviour is — it’s the outward manifestation of all the factors, working together and acting.

Sadly, many HR practitioners are using psychometrics incorrectly to predict performance during the recruitment process i.e. personality tests that focus on an individual’s personality traits. Whilst this information may be edifying for the individual concerned, it is not necessarily the most useful form of feedback for any organisation.

what is a personality test?

Sadly, many HR practitioners are using psychometrics incorrectly to predict performance during recruitments.

There are many tests that focus on an individual’s personality such as extroversion/ introversion, thinking/feeling etc. Most consider personality relatively fixed. It can help an individual understand who they are. However, it has no bearing on the individual’s performance in the workplace.

what’s a behavioural test?

A behavioural test investigates propensities towards certain kinds of behaviour and styles of interaction with others, rather than measuring personality traits. Behaviour is regarded as more changeable than personality i.e. we can adapt our behaviour depending on what is required of us in a given situation or role. We can even change our behaviour with focused daily practice.

Behaviour is also observable. It affects, and is affected by, those around us. This makes the process of understanding and adapting our actions a democratic one: whilst we wouldn’t ask others to tell us about our personalities, we often remark on one another’s behaviour.

Finally, behavioural tests can provide constructive feedback which directly informs the way an individual behaves in the workplace.

Some of my favorite behavioural tests you can find from companies such as: GLEAC, Mettle, and Belkin.

what makes a good psychometric test?

Whether you are taking a personality or a behaviour test, here are some basics you want to ensure are in place with the test:

1. Is it registered with the American Psychology Institute, British Psychology Institute or similar governing body? This means the test has gone through rigorous testing.

2. The test valid and reliable. Reliable scores reproducible and consistent from one testing occasion to another. Valid means the tests measures what it claims to measure.

3. The test guards against social desirability i.e. cheating and use ipsative format and built-in audit.

Do not let a test pigeonhole you into some stagnant spot on a shelf. Take them all with ten grains of salt. Always stop and ask “is this a personality or behavioural test?”

You know now the difference and it is way better to focus on areas where changes can be made i.e. your behavior.