Should We Rely on Personality Assessments to Make Talent Decisions?

For decades, psychologists have tried to design assessments that predict behavior. Imagine the potential benefits in terms of hiring, training and development if we could assess how an individual will feel and behave in various circumstances!

The implications in the workplace are huge. Such assessments could be of enormous help: you could hire applicants with the “right” attitudes, assign employees to jobs where they are most likely to succeed and, for current employees, measure what behaviors need to change for success on the job. However, the big question is whether such effectively predictive assessments actually exist. 

There are hundreds of assessments available. Some are very well marketed and have recognizable names. But effective branding should not be the primary criterion for selection. As a talent leader, you need a useful assessment that was designed according to the highest professional standards and based on as much relevant data as possible. Once an employee is onboard, you want a training needs assessment that identifies critical skill gaps and provides the information you need to help them fulfill their potential and succeed in their current and future roles.

After over two decades in the field of training assessment, here are our recommendations for assessing training needs:

1. Choose a proven assessment.
You want to be sure that the design you select is reliable and valid. Do not be swayed by the claims of marketing but by the proof that comes with many years of validated research in building the tests and of testing for valid, reliable, predictable, predictive and consistent results.  Some, like the very popular MBTI have not performed well in scientific studies while others have shined for decades.

2. Look for results across five personality factors.
Test for competencies of course. But also look for information on an employee’s big five personality factors in the areas of openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.  Known as the five factor model, there is a significant body of literature supporting these traits. We believe that the unique combination of these five data points can better guide you in talent selection, job assignment, professional development needs, and effective performance management.

3. Apply the information.
The information you glean on individuals is not just there to satisfy your curiosity; it is to be applied to the decisions you make on hiring, promotions, job assignments and development. Share the results with employees so that, together, you can create a targeted plan for their future. Handling useful test results this way will help you identify top performers, aid managers in coaching effectively and should be a major factor in raising employee engagement and retention.

Overall, training assessments can be valuable tools in the workplace…when well chosen, thoughtfully administered and effectively applied.

Learn more at: http://www.lsaglobal.com/training-needs-assessment/