When I am asked which superpower I would like to possess, I always pick the ability to read and influence peoples minds. I have always found people so interesting- how they are sometimes similar in their behavior and other times so completely different. One of the ways to understand people better, is to do a personality test.
What type of personality tests are there?
There are many different personality tests. Created by different people with a different aim and a different professionality level. One of the ways to categorize the personality tests is that there are tests that aim to find similarities in groups of people and then there are tests that focus on differences of different persons.
A few examples of tests that focus on similarities, are DISC and Tripod. So you find people that act and behave similarly and form a group. And then you compare this group of people to other groups and draw conclusions.
Examples of the tests that focus on differences, are WOPI and OPQ. You find the individual strengths and weaknesses, or that is actually not even how you would call it. You would say individual scales of the spectrums and you compare these with a target group. You can find really useful factors that influence for example motivation or burnout. You can also find out if the individual has natural defiance against the stressors.
Why do some say the personality tests are bad?
There can be many reasons. Some of the tests, for example, are not based on science. You can also say there is too much of generalization. Every test has a certain framework or a built in logic. But with all the exceptions, not all people fit into that framework. So a bit of the generalization happens. What is also making people suspicious, is that you usually get the result after you do a test where you answer to questions. But the person answering the questionnaire can be influenced by a certain mood or a place or other factors. It can also be a problem if a company creates a job profile and connects to personality profile. Now lets say you recruit accordingly. You might leave a very interesting person out of consideration. A person that would have added so much to the job profile.
When I took my first personality test, I had the following fears:
- Who will see my result? I wasn´t sure I knew myself very well, now it felt scary that someone else knows me better than I do myself.
- What if I change in time? I was afraid I would be classified in a certain box. And in future, although I develop and grow, I could be left out of consideration for a promotion or a new career step.
- With most tests, only a certified trained professional is allowed to read and make conclusions as well as explain you the results. I was afraid if my non-certified Boss would look at the results and possibly draw incorrect conclusions.
Although the mentioned aspects can be of concerns, you can still get so much positive value of personality tests, when they are processed by trained certified professionals, that in addition to the test results, will ALWAYS consider the personal contact with an individual.
For me, the personality tests have been useful. From the company point of view the tests can speed up the recruitment process and help to prepare for an interview as well as for giving an appropriate homework to the candidate. Also, the tests help when creating individual development plans. The test also help to create well-functioning teams where the members are a great fit and the manager knows the best ways to increase motivation and avoid burnout.
From my personal point of view, thanks to the tests, I can connect to people faster. I can also adapt myself to be able to have a more meaningful conversation and to help people more.
Giving feedback
It was briefly already mentioned that I find it an issue if firstly, no feedback is given at all and the result is sent via email. Or when the feedback is given by a non-certified person. No wonder that the person that took the test, doesn´t recognize oneself from the result, is unable to accept the feedback and as the result, does no believe in these tests at all.
When giving feedback, both should be considered- the test results as well as the potential exceptions. Often a suggestion is made to additionally conduct and interview and discuss a few real life scenarios and only then make a conclusion. Also, a trained professional is able to analyze the profile and plan the feedback discussion considering the profile.
In conclusion, I find people extremely interesting. Even when combining test, there will always be something more to discover about a person. Considering my 20 years of experience with the tests, I do not think they should be avoided. Just like any tool, you need to use it smartly and always leave in the exciting element of a surprise.