Research Paper Example: Use of Personality Testing in the Recruitment Process

📌Category: Business, Human resource management
📌Words: 984
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 07 June 2022

Evaluate the use of personality testing in the recruitment process at Insure-You and Re-Call.  What are the advantages and risks of this type of testing and how could the use of the tests be improved? 

There was a use of personality testing in the recruitment process at Insure-You and Re-Call. Firstly from the Insure-You case study, there was personality testing. “fast and simple”, “automated online personality test and a short application form". This showed it was fast and simple to find out personality testing. However, it was an automated online personality test which was a short application. Secondly, an online test is not accurate and people could lie about themselves, so they get the job. An automated online personality test also helps us to understand people better, understanding the way they behave and what their personality traits are. A short application may not process all the information, just pick the best traits about the employee. 

However, John Holland made it very clear that work interests are an expression of personality. He found evidence of links between the measures of personality and vocational interests. John Holland also said, “personality assessments reflected on the individual viewed from the perspective of an observer, an individual’s reputation and interests which reflected the individual’s identity.”.  In this case personality testing measured and reflected on the individual’s reputation and identity which showed us the real them. 

Vocational interest was a personality factor whereas Hansen (1984) argued personality and behaviour are linked. Darley and Hagenah (1985) described vocational interest as a special case in personality theory.

However, there were many problems cited Guion and Gottiers (1995) measured the board of personality traits which were low and personality tests were used in organisations that were poorly used. There were links between personality and jobs which were poorly understood. This showed that doing personality tests proved nothing as they were poorly used and people didn’t understand them. The advantage of using a personality test would allow us to see people’s personality traits, this may not be accurate. On the other hand, the risks of personality testing are that people may find it long and annoying, whereas some are fast and simple to use. This can be improved by giving fewer questions and observing people instead of taking personality tests. 

In the Re-Call case study, personality testing is used to identify extrovert personalities with the ability to be helpful, friendly and empathetic. This shows personality testing identifies personalities which is helpful and allow us to see the way people behave. 

However, the economist examined personality as a form of academic and behavioural ability. There are consequences for individuals when making decisions. Personality has generated interest in personality change. Almuld et al argue that there is a comparison between cognitive ability and personality traits. However, Heineck and Anger (2010), Muller and Plug (2006), Nyhus and Pons (2005) assume that adult personality traits are fixed. 

From the Re-Call case study, there was personality testing and successful applicants would undertake a week of induction training. However, personality testing did show personality traits whereas applicants didn’t have to undertake a week-long induction because it would make it longer for them and only the successful applicants got to do it which wasn’t fair for the rest of the employees.  

From the stability of big-five personality traits, there was the following information about personality and behaviour. The understanding of this measured personality over time and how people unfolded. Personality traits appeared to be stable in working-age adults, there was a level change in some groups. The personality change was also linked to employment, health, family events and individual experiences. 

The advantages of personality testing were if it was done properly it would help to choose which employer to recruit. Personality testing would allow us to see the performance of an employee. Allowing us to find out employees’ personality traits and see if the test was reliable based on the statistics of what they achieved. However the test was not focused and only picked out the best skills, either way the test could have been biased as we wouldn’t know the factors of age, gender or ethnicity as the test online can be done anonymously. This showed that we wouldn’t know would’ve taken the test but still get results from the findings of what people selected online. 

This test should be used as part of the process when recruiting new employees and it is equal and important to know who you hire.  Fairly looking who the best employee is as everyone has personality traits it doesn’t matter who you choose, long as you have prior experience it is fine. 

References

Hogon, R., & Blake, R. (2002, May 25). John Holland's Vocational Typology and Personality Theory. Journal of Vocational Behavior - ScienceDirect. Vol 55, Issue 1 (pp. 41-45) available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001879199916962.  [accessed 03 Nov 2021]

Hansen, J. C. (1984). The measurement of vocational interests: Issues and future directions. In S. D [accessed 03 Nov 2021]

Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.) Handbook of counselling psychology (pp. 99–136). New York: Wiley [accessed 03 Nov 2021]

Darley, J. B., & Hagenah, T. (1955). Vocational interest measurement: Theory and practice [accessed 04 Nov 2021]

Kevin, R. Murphy and Jessica L. Dzieweczynski. Why don’t measures of broad dimensions of personality perform better as predictors of job performance  [accessed 04 Nov 2021]

Guion, R. M., & Gottier, R. F. (1965). Validity of personality measures in personnel selection. Personnel Psychology, 18, (pp. 135–164) [accessed 04 Nov 2021]

Almlund, M., Duckworth, A.L., Heckman, J.J., Kautz, T., Personality psychology and economics. In: E. Hanushek, S. Machin, L. Wößmann (Eds.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, Elsevier, Amsterdam (in press). [accessed 05 Nov 2021]  

Heineck, G., Anger, S., 2010. The returns to cognitive abilities and personality traits in Germany. Labour Economics 17, (pp. 535–546) available at: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/68593/1/Heineck_2010_Returns-Cognitive-Abilitie.pdf  [accessed 05 Nov 2021] 

Nyhus, E.K., Pons, E., 2005. The effects of personality on earnings. Journal of Economic Psychology 26, (pp. 363–384) [accessed 05 Nov 2021]    

Mueller, G., Plug, E., 2006. Estimating the effects of personality on male and female earnings. Industrial and Labor Relations Review 60, (pp. 3–22) available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25067572  [accessed 05 Nov 2021]

Cobb-Clark, D., Schurer, S., 2011. Two economists’ musings on the stability of locus of control. IZA DP 5630. Available at: https://ftp.iza.org/dp5630.pdf  [accessed 06 Nov 2021]

Eisenbraun, G.A. (2006) The pros and cons of personality testing in the workplace, LawNow, 30(4), 17+, available: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A160104861/ITOF?u=derby&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bf93f573 [accessed 06 Nov 2021]

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