An Evaluation of the Suitability of Holland’s Vpi as a Screening Tool for Job Applicants

An Evaluation of the Suitability of Holland’s VPI as a Screening Tool for Job Applicants

The Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) is the eighth revision of a test that was first developed in 1953 by John Holland for assessment of his six-dimension model of vocational personality characteristics. Among the most widely used instruments in career counselling in the world, its purpose is to assess career interests and personality-job fit, however whilst the VPI is a well developed interest inventory that is based on sound theoretical principles, it’s usefulness in assisting with the selection of psychologists or counsellors for employment at the University of Tasmania, is extremely limited.

The VPI itself consists of 160 occupations, each representing the six personality types in the RIASEC theory of personality, in addition to five other scales. The inventory therefore yields 11 scales: Realistic, Intellectual, Social, Conventional, Enterprising, Artistic, Self-Control, Masculinity, Status, Infrequency, and Acquiescence. The first six scales correspond to Holland’s six personality types and model environments which are the basis of Holland's theory of personality and vocational choice (Holland, 1966). The five remaining scales are specific to the inventory and aid in its interpretation.

The VPI is based on a number of core assumptions about personality-job fit. Holland believed there are six major personality types (Realistic, Intellectual, Social, Conventional, Enterprising, Artistic) and that people and occupations can be categorised according to combinations of these types using the VPI. Congruence, the degree of similarity between an individual’s personality and any work environment can also be determined, and used to predict job satisfaction, performance and stability. Differentiation, the variability among scores representing each of the personality types, can also be assessed and influence the...