Personalities are complex. That’s why it might be surprising to a lot of people that most of us fit quite neatly into a certain personality type’s description. Research on different personalities is constantly expanding, and personality types these days go more in depth than simply labelling people as either introverts or extroverts.
Personality tests are used for a variety of different things – they are often used to help determine what someone should study, or simply to help people understand themselves better. That being said, personality tests are most commonly utilized when it comes to hiring new employees. This can be especially handy if you’re hiring your first employee.
But there are so many different personality tests floating out there, so how are you supposed to know which one to pick? In this post, we’ll be going over the six most popular personality tests, as well as their functions, so that you can choose the right fit for you.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI was created by Katharine Cook Briggs alongside her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers. Its purpose is to make Carl Jung’s personality theories more accessible and understandable for people across the world, by having them answer a few self-assessment questions. Using the answers to these questions, the test then categorizes people into one of sixteen different categories.
It uses four factors, namely introversion or extraversion; sensing or intuition; thinking or feeling; judging or perceiving, to then assign a personality type to someone – for example, an ENTP personality type. This test is best for someone wanting to know the basics of their personality. It has been criticized by many renowned psychologists over the years, so it might not be best if you’re looking for a deep-dive into your personality theory. That being said, many people think that the MBTI is shockingly accurate, so it’s definitely worth your time. After all, there’s a reason why it’s one of the most popular personality tests out there.
DiSC Profile
The DiSC profile slots people into four basic personality types. While it’s not a very expansive personality range, it’s great when it comes to reducing workplace conflict and helping people to work as a team. It’s also helpful in other areas in the workplace: it helps improve sales strategies, training, and management of a team that consists of different personality types.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
The MMPI was created by Starke R. Hathaway and J. C. McKinley while they were working at the University of Minnesota. It focuses entirely on the adult personality and psychiatric traits, and its main purpose is to determine whether someone might have any underlying mental health conditions.
It is widely used for research purposes, but is most commonly used to test future employees for possible disorders. Over the years, it had been adapted and many different versions of it currently exist. Click here if you want to learn more about the MMPI.
The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)
The EPQ uses three major dimensions when it comes to personality traits in order to divide people into different personality types. As the name suggests, it’s a simple personality questionnaire that you can fill in and then use for self-assessment. The tree dimensions are extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism, although it does also test lying. There are a lot of traits that fall under each of these dimensions, which can then be used to form a reasonably accurate picture of a person’s personality.
The Caliper Profile
While most personality tests are often used in the workplace, they generally have other uses as well. The Caliper Profile, on the other hand, was entirely creative with a working environment in mind. By using a person’s personality traits, the Caliper Profile is able to predict what a person’s actions and behaviors on a job will be like.
This helps employers when it comes to picking the right employees for a job. A good score on the Caliper Profile is always a benefit when it comes to boosting your chances of getting a job you’ve applied for, which is why there are guides to help employees know what to expect.
Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI)
The HPI measures normal personality, and is once again a helpful tool to rely on during the hiring process. It’s a relatively short test, both in terms of time and questions when compared to similar tests. It’s also less intrusive and available in a variety of different languages, making it a go-to option for employers looking for ways to make the workplace more efficient.
