Goldman Sachs to start using ‘personality test’

NEW YORK: Goldman Sachs Group Inc plans to begin using a “personality test” as part of the hiring process for positions in its banking, trading and finance and risk divisions, said a senior executive on Wednesday.

The bank would begin piloting the test in the United States on summer intern candidates who would be starting next year, said Matt Jahansouz, Goldman’s global head of recruiting.

He said future job candidates would be given the test before their second round of interviews at the bank. Their answers would be compared with current employees who exhibited traits that marked high performance such as teamwork, analytical thinking and judgment, said Jahansouz.

Candidates’ results on the test would be just one factor in the final hiring decision, which would also include interviews, said Jahansouz.

Banks like Goldman are turning to non-traditional ways of evaluating new hires at a time when they are under pressure to lure and retain top talent. Reuters