Personality Testing

1. Personality Testing Heather Bell Kate Campbell Jon Hachmeister Danielle Harchelroad Andrew Odlaug Dalenna Thanh

2. Background • Early tests developed by gathering items and comparing normal to groups of mentally ill. • Later tests of personality focused on aspects of personality relevant to everybody • 1940’s, Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs used this test to screen female factory applicants

3. Uses • Employment type personality assessments are used for various purposes such as: • Training and development • Customer service testing • Career assessment • Reducing employee turnover • Leadership development • Applicant screening (Hiring) • And as a supplement to commercially provided background  checks

4. Why & When They’re Used • To use as one of their selection methods • Beginning of hiring process when only candidates who achieve a certain score will be interviewed • As one of the elements of the final selection activity • Often the behaviors outlined in the testing can be confirmed through background screening reports or subsequent reference checks • Structured interviews and/or behavioral interviewing is a very subjective process.  • Assist you in assessing your suitability for particular careers or occupations

5. Test Form Number 1 Aptitude tests (cognitive, ability or intelligence tests): used to help employers identify relative strengths and abilities • Right or wrong answers • Verbal and numerical reasoningmost common • Others test abstract or diagrammatic reasoning abilities

6. Test Form Number 2 Personality questionnaires: used by employers to see how you respond to different questions There are no right or wrong answers Do not try to become the identity of what qualities you think the selectors are looking for there is unlikely to be one exact 'profile the tests are usually designed to identify when someone is giving a false picture of themselves

7. Tests Used • Types of personality tests used as hiring tool • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator • Keirsey Character Sorter • Social Styles Inventory • Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) • Comprehensive Personality Analysis (CPA) • Emergenetics

8. What do you think? • What are some other arguments for or against personality testing • Do you feel your results were accurate? • Would you administer a test like this? Why or why not? • When is it appropriate to use?

9. Pros • Ability to place people in an environment that they can excel in • Able to give an idea of the kind of person and worker a prospective employee is • “Negligent Hiring” Cases • Ability to gear interview to areas that test revealed

10. Cons • Testing and accepting applicants based on scores can be seen as discrimination • If there is no BFOQ • Personality tests do not predict capabilities. There are better ways to “test” applicants and receive valid information • Aptitude tests, Face to face interview, background checks • Easily manipulated by the test taker • Answer questions with what they think is right, not relating to personal information

11. Is it a Violation Against Employee Rights? • No violations have been proven: • Title VII (allows it if no discrimination) • Disparate Treatment • Disparate Impact (prima facie has not been proven, but there have been complaints) • ADA • May be used so long as the test is not a “medical test” that could reveal mental illness

12. Questions? • Sources: • www.employment-testing.com • www.hiresuccess.com • www.psych.ubc.ca/ • http://crilly.ncl.ac.uk/cems/careers/students/pages/helpTests2.asp?nav=page&nav2=helpTests.asp