There are many personality traits that can be measured, but the most common one is the "Big Five" or the "Five Factor Model. These five dimensions are the most consistent ones in empirical research. The idea of personality "traits", which is now quite widely accepted, is replacing an older paradigm about personality "types" that was created by Carl Jung. It based on a view regarding personality that categorised people as either introverts or extraverts, thinkers or feelers, Type B or Type A. The traits model is becoming more accepted in personality research due to growing evidence that does not adequately reflect the subtleties of human personality.
Personality tests will answer the question, "Will the candidate be comfortable in this situation?" What behavioral traits are necessary to be successful in this position? Personality tests don't have an answer. These tests evaluate the degree to which people exhibit relatively long-lasting behavioral traits. These traits can be used to help employers determine if candidates will fit the company's culture and job requirements.
Research shows that certain personality characteristics are predictive of job performance for both sales and customer services jobs. Most importantly, top-performing salespeople in all industries tend to have high levels of competitiveness, motivation, assertiveness, and outgoing personalities. The other side of the coin is that successful salespeople score lower in traits such as cooperation and patience.
The Big Five traits can be applied to the hiring process as there is ample evidence linking these traits to job performance in a variety of roles. The measure of a person's reliability, organizational, perseverance, and responsibility has been shown not to be a reliable predictor of success for many types. This is especially true for entry-level job positions, where the importance of punctuality and reliability can outweigh creativity.
Figure 2 shows that the traits model is being accepted by personality researchers. There is increasing evidence to suggest that a rigid dichotomy among two types of traits does not accurately describe the nuances and personalities of humans.
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There are many personality traits that can be measured, but the most common one is the "Big Five" or the "Five Factor Model. These are the five dimensions which consistently emerge in empirical studies: Agreeableness. The concept of personality traits has become quite popular. This replaces an older view of personality that was developed by Carl Jung. It centered on the idea that people could be classified into two distinct types. Types A or B were either introverts or extroverts. The growing evidence proving that the personality traits model doesn't adequately reflect the complexity of human personality is leading to more acceptance of the traits model in personality research.
The popularity of personality tests is growing among HR professionals. However, there are still some misconceptions regarding what personality tests can be and how they should work.