Personality

W H I T E PA P E R / PAG E 1

Personality Assessment in

Personnel Selection

Michael G. Anderson, PhD

Personality assessments can be a strong predictor of job performance and oftentimes are superior

to job interviews.1 They can also demonstrate less potential for adverse impact than cognitive ability tests.2 Therefore, it is not surprising that the use of personality assessment for personnel selection is becoming increasingly popular among organizations. In fact, 75 percent of recently surveyed

organizations are currently using, or have considered using, personality assessments for executive

selection and development.3 Appropriate validated personality assessments are attractive selection

tools because they provide a data-based, nonsubjective method for identifying high-potential

employees who will also fit well within a particular work environment. It is critically important to

note that while the term personality assessment is used generically, not all personality assessments are suited for personnel selection.4 Personality assessments that measure traits are appropriate for selection purposes; measures of psychological type are not designed for, and should not

be used in, selection applications. This paper will offer brief answers to questions like this that are

often asked when personality assessments are used in personnel selection decisions, including

•

What is personality?

•

How is personality measured?

•

How is personality related to job performance?

•

How accurate is personality assessment in predicting job performance?

•

What are the advantages of using personality assessments?

•

How are personality assessments implemented in selection systems?

W H AT I S P E R S O N A L I T Y ?

Personality has been defined by N. Brody and H. Ehrlichman as “those thoughts, feelings, desires,

intentions, and action tendencies that contribute to important aspects of individuality. 5 Think of

”

some people you know well....