Watch the videos and review the three posts, make a response to each of the posts, do you agree or not agree, why or why not.
It seems very counter-intuitive. Some psychologists claim that personality tests accurately predict the “fit” of the candidate and help in understanding the future performance of the employee. Also, there is an ample amount of evidence in the form of research results, which highlights that personality tests predict nothing about job performance and therefore should not be used. The first video highlights how the majority of fortune 100 companies believe the results of personality tests and actively use these in their selection process. The second video provides us with a context on personality tests accuracy and mentions that 89 out of 100 fortune 100 companies use Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality tests for assessments. The third video highlights that the MBTI test doesn’t predict accurately.
Post 1:
In my opinion, organizations should not use personality tests in their recruitment and selection process. First of all, I think the recruitment and selection process is very formal and serious rather than taking a personality test to pick the right one. Myers Briggs’s personality test is so popular nowadays because there are only positive results after doing the test and neatly put people into categories. This test only shows the good side to people instead of telling them what they need to improve or the drawback. I think this kind of test can be used as entertainment instead of as a method to guide people’s lives. Second, even though the Big Fives’ personalities can put people into five different types, this doesn’t mean people only fit into these categories, which means that every single person in the world is different from each other. In the third video, they use a quote from Carl Jung, who is an influential psychologist “every individual is an exception to the rule.” I understand that companies want to find the best person to fit into the job position as soon as possible by using personality tests, but people are always changing, and the tests are not reliable from time to time. Third, people can lie when they do the test. For example, there is a question about how likely you will be late to a very important appointment, how will applicants respond if they really want that job. It is possible that people lie about themselves in order to show positively than they actually are. Therefore, I don’t think it is a good idea to use personality tests for recruitment and selection.
Post 2:
believe that personality tests should be used in recruitment as a supplement rather than an “end all be all.” When selecting candidates for a new job, organizations are looking for a proper fit between the person and the organization, job, group, and vocation. In my opinion, the most extensive interview processes cannot truly determine or forecast the success of this fit until the candidate begins the job doing hands-on work and experiencing the organization’s culture. However, organizations are on the hunt for the best determiners to most accurately predict the fit (Lepak). Personality tests, specifically the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, seek to allocate 7 billion people into just 16 categories. These tests are not perfect and the gap in human knowledge allows for inaccuracy; however, the test explores how one perceives themselves and the world around them which can indicate a lot to an employer (DNews 2013). Although this could yield positive insight, with this also comes dishonesty and skewed results. For example, the statement such as, “I am always on time to work,” could appear and a candidate would know the “right” way to answer that even if they are late to work often. In addition, studies have found that 50% of people who took the Myers-Briggs Personality test twice within a 5-week span received a different result the second time (Vox 2015). This invalidates test-retest reliability and shows inconsistency in results making them void. Therefore, personality tests don’t seem to produce accurate results, but I believe they can be used to gain an idea of the type of person an organization wants to hire. They should not strictly be used to decline or accept a candidate but used to supplement or support predictions they previously made. An organization could test current employees that hold the sought-out qualities and compare it to the results of the candidates. An organization could also test a candidate twice, once at the beginning of the interview process and another at the end to produce more accurate results. Overall, I am not full against these tests, but they should not be used as an “end all be all” in determining the correct applicant.
DNews (2013). Are personality tests accurate?
Lepak, D. and Gowan, M. (2016). Human resource management: managing employees for competitive advantage. Second edition. United States of American: Chicago Business Press.
Vox (2015). Why the Myers-Briggs test is totally meaningless.
Post 3:
The popularity of standardized tests such as Myers-Briggs among the top companies is easy to understand. When the HR department has to sort through hundreds of resumes to fill one position, interview dozens of candidates and then finally make the best decision, it seems like a helpful tool. It is indeed in our nature itself to seek the structure, to standardize, and to categorize. However, I have questions about the legitimacy of this instrument being used in a hiring process, therefore, stand against it. To begin with, even the MBTI website mentions that it is unethical. The test traps a person into one of the 16 boxes, putting a four-letter label on their candidacy. Just as if the recruiters were allowed to ask about race or age, it seems inappropriate to me. The third video is based on the article from Vox, which further explains the flaws of the test and how the professional psychologist community criticizes it. Carl Jung, whose research was taken as a base and inspiration for creating the test, himself said “there is no such thing as a pure extravert or a pure introvert. Such a man would be in the lunatic asylum.” This means that from the very first letter it can not count as trustworthy. As I took the test myself, there were quite a few questions, I was indefinite about. People may act differently in similar situations but different settings. For instance, one might not enjoy scheduling their chores, but when it comes to working, they are the most responsible and eager planners. But they are being put in a box where different behaviors are not considered. The data from the Myers-Briggs test itself shows that most people are somewhere in the middle for any one category, and just end up being pigeonholed into one or the other. (1) My main argument against the test – let’s consider for the moment, the test results being accurate – is how honest does one answer the questions. For instance, a person is applying for a sales manager position. After reading through the required skills most likely they would want to present themselves as an extrovert and answer the questions “correctly” as if they were one. So now the results are not only inconsistent but also inaccurate.
From a perspective of an HR manager, I see the benefits. As I mentioned before, it certainly makes it easier to choose a candidate. One of the articles in Forbes magazine supports this idea. “Hiring is about more than just raw ability or previous accomplishments. You consider whether someone is likely to stick around for the long-term and how engaged they’ll be while they’re at your company”. (2) If the testing was perfect, it would guarantee a person’s performance, their reliability and would determine how well they fit in. However, I believe it is far from perfect and as many psychologists suggest, can not be relied on.
(1) Joseph Stromberg and Estelle Caswell. 2015. Why the Myers-Briggs test is totally meaningless. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2014/7/15/5881947/myers-briggs-personality-test-meaningless
(2) Sherrie Haynie. 2021. Should Personality Assessments be used in hiring? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/06/03/should-personality-assessments-be-used-in-hiring/?sh=160ff11037c0