Anyone looking to grow a business or company knows the importance of employee engagement and collaboration in the workplace. And employers use all kinds of tools to improve these factors and increase productivity, effectiveness, and results. One of the most used tools for HR professionals and business owners are personality tests. But which of all the workplace personality tests available is the best for building an effective team?
The workplace can be an interesting place for employees. In some cases, the office can be an exciting place to participate, especially when team members work well together and trust each other. Then there are times when our workplaces and businesses are extremely stressful places, filled with labor politics, disagreements, gossip, and conflict.
The use of personality tests in the workplace is not a new practice at all. Many of us have grabbed one or two at a team building, strategy planning, or onboarding meeting with your hiring manager in the past. Some experts put the number of professionals who have taken a personality test at around60% of the current workforce
Using personality tests on your team can bring all sorts of amazing benefits:
It helps you pinpoint areas of strength and improvement.
An avenue emergesVulnerability-Based Trust, resulting in more synergistic teams.
It shows employees in the company how they can become more productive.
It's a great way to screen prospective employees for job and company culture before they go through a hiring process.
It helps your team understand each other better and find ways to work together more efficiently.
Esmotivates the employees
The 10 most popular personality tests in the workplace
So let's take a look at some of the most popular workplace personality tests that your team should take to form a more effective team.
1. The Myers-Briggs type indicator
The Myers Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, is a personality typology tool used to show people's psychological preference based on four categories:
Introversion oder Extraversion;
Sensing oder Intuition;
thinking or feeling; And
judge or perceive.
There are 16 personality types that reflect how people respond best to circumstances and other people.
is completed by an introspective questionnaire that gauges people's personalities based on their reactions to hypothetical situations. The assessment is the result of years of study and iteration, although the earliest versions come from itKatharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers.back in 1917. After meeting her future son-in-law, Katharine noticed differences between his personality and that of her family members. The epiphany would begin a journey of discovering temperaments and qualities that define a person.
Where to take the test
The website16 personalitiesoffers both paid and premium MBTI assessment. Alternatively, you can also log into Workstyle.io to discover your MBTI personality and several other assessment results.
2. DiSG
TheDiSC personality testis another popular personality quiz available to teams today. It is used as an employment personality test by measuring four attributes namely dominance, influence, consistency and compliance. The test results from you and your team show the different levels of the four attributes you would have. Most of the time, one result stands out the most and is thus the superior personality attribute.
The DiSC behavioral model first came to life in 1928 after physiological psychologist William Moulton introduced Marston in his book entitled Personality Archetypes"Emotions of normal people.". He wanted to develop a test that outlined directly observable and measurable psychological experiences.
Where to take the test
You can take the online test123Test.Comor on oursEvaluation of the working styleeven as soon as you register with our service.
3. Eysenck personality test
The Eysenck personality test is an assessment by Hans Eysenck, who was one of the pioneers of personality research. He identified three elements that would affect a person's personality - extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism. The latter has been the subject of debate in several schools of thought due to the negative connotations associated with it. But various studies have shown a connection between psychoticism and creativity that could prove useful in jobs that require a certain level of innovation and artistry.
Where to take the test
The test is readily availableHere.
4. Hogan Personality Inventory
The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) is a great option for business test takers. It helps predict a person's ability to "get along and move forward." The inventory quiz is a way of assessing a person's ability to succeed in their career, relationships, education, or life in general.
The way the HPI describes people's personalities measures their strengths, weaknesses, work habits, and leadership skills when they are at their best. The test consists of around 200 questions and has been used by over half a million candidates worldwide. People have used the Hogan Personality Inventory to predict employee performance and growth for the past forty yearsemployee retention rates, and improve the service. It's a great pre-hire testing tool for HR managers and recruiters.
Where to take the test
you can go toPeterBerry.Comto take the assessment.
5. Keirsey-Temperamentsortierer
The Keirsey Assessment is one of the most popular career tests today. It encompasses over seventy years of research into human behavior. The model first appeared in Dr. David Keirsey's bestseller,"Please understand me®.". This assessment is designed to help professionals understand their temperament, character, and intelligence and how they affect their own leadership, work environment, team dynamics, learning, career, and relationships.
The four temperament types according to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter are as follows:
Artisan - You have a natural ability to excel in the "art" of an industry. You are optimistic, adventurous, brave, unconventional and spontaneous. Her creativity doesn't just stop at visual arts like painting, sculpture or music. They can also be crafty in their approach to business, politics, sports or any field that fuels their passion.
Guardians - They are considered the cornerstone of a society driven by service and social responsibility. They have a natural talent for leading and overseeing projects, whether in the context of their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.
Idealists - They are obsessed with personal growth and development. Idealists like to discover how to become the best version of themselves. In its most mature form, this temperament also seeks self-development for others and finds means to be a part of that growth.
Reason - You love to think and solve problems. Rationals are not afraid of complexity and uncertainty. They actually thrive in it because they always discover a system or process to bring order to what seems chaotic. Rationalists love to analyze how things work and try to improve the way things work.
To date, over 50 million people from over 140 countries and 18 languages have taken the Keirsey assessments.
Where to take the test
To take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter with you, visit this [website.](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-keirsey-temperament-sorter-5199761
6. Enneagramm
The Enneagram test is another typology system that has become widely known today. It is a system that describes human personalities based on interconnected personality types. The Enneagram assessment is most popular in the fields of spirituality and business.
There are nine Enneagram types, namely:
Reformer – Very principled, but judgmental at times
Helper – Generous and sometimes denies his own needs in favor of others
High Achievers - Successful, adaptable, and high achievers who can sometimes become workaholics
(Video) HOW TO PASS PERSONALITY TESTS! (Career Personality Test Questions & Answers!)Individualist - Innovative and forward-thinking who can feel self-centered at times
Investigators - Empathetic and logical people who can become emotionless at times
Loyalist - Committed to long term relationships but tends to worry
Enthusiast - fun-loving and outgoing, but has trouble concentrating
Challenger - Brave, dominating and confrontational, but struggles with being overly aggressive
Peacemaker – Seeks harmony, sometimes at the expense of one's own peace
Where to take the test
The Enneagram can be found belowTruth.
7. Emotional intelligence test
The emotional intelligence test, as the name suggests, is a way of measuring one's emotional stability, especially in high-stress and group situations. It asks a series of questions that rate how high or low your EQ is.
Emotional intelligence has become one of the biggest battle cries in professional development. A study shows that59% of employerswouldn't hire someone with high IQ but low EQ. So a review like this would be a great way to vet job seekers.
Where to take the test
Emotional intelligence is made available to our customers as part of the 8 Workstyle personality tests. You can take this assessment and some others throughheading here.
8. True colors
The True Colors personality test assigns test-takers a color that best describes their temperament. There are four main colors in this review –
Orange for energetic and charming people
Yellow for punctual and organized people
Green for analytical and visionary team members
Blue for compassionate and empathetic people
The test was developed by Don Lowry in 1978 to identify four basic learning styles for at-risk youth based on their personality. The unique idea behind the True Colors test is that it doesn't just put individuals into one category and takes into account the impact that environments and communities have on people's personalities. It's more than just a way to study people's personalities, it's also a way to understand and understand motivators one may need to support in interpersonal conflict at home, at work, or in other group situations.
Where to take the test
You can take the free True Colors assessmentvisit this site.
9. Big 5 personality test
The Big 5 personality test is the result of an extensive study by various independent researchers. It is based on data-driven research that has brought to life five common traits that align people's personalities according to the level of those traits in them.
The first model was designed by Ernest Tupes and Raymond Christal based on their work at the U.S. Air Force Personnel Laboratory created in the late 1950s. Later, J.M. Digman and Goldberg took the score to where the Big 5 personality test is today.
The personality traits of the Big Five form the acronym O.C.E.A.N. Here is an explanation of each of these properties:
Openness is the willingness and ability to have new experiences and to learn new and insightful things.
Conscientiousness measures one's own reliability and speed. These qualities can be measured by thoroughness and organizational skills.
Extraversion is how to gain energy. An extrovert gains energy from the presence of others and an introvert gains energy from themselves.
Agreeableness is the kind, cooperative, and compassionate nature in people. It examines the ability to empathize with others and then gain their trust and sympathy.
Neuroticism can also be viewed as emotional stability. It is someone's ability to control their negative emotions.
Where to take the test
There are many places where you can take the Big 5 personality test. Luckily, it's also one of the reviews that comes with youWorkStyle License.
10. CliftonStrengths
Gallup Group's CliftonStrengths, formerly known as StrengthsFinder, is another well-known personality test. The rating helps determine the ranking of 34 different themes that describe a particular personality type. The test shows that these themes can either be strengths or fundamental qualities that one can either develop or improve in order to access one's greater potential.
One of the things that makes ClifonStrengths such a force in the typology space is its coaching certification program, which helps streamline team and individual coaching and mentoring programs –The Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaching Program.Strengths Coaches also make themselves available to people and teams who want to understand how the synergy of their issues impacts both the group and the individual.
Where to take the test
You can purchase the CliftonStrengths assessment thereofficial site.
What is the purpose of personality tests in the workplace?
Now that we know some of the most common workplace personality tests available to teams today, what do we use them for? There is a world of use cases for personality testing in the workplace. Let's look at some of the most common purposes of personality testing and how they can bring amazing benefits to your organization.
- Evaluation of an applicant before hiring
In recruitment processes, hiring managers typically consider things like previous experience, education, and references, to name just a few of the most common hiring decision factors. But how about if a hired company fits culturally and with the personality of the employee?
At work, animosity often does not arise in the workplace because some colleagues are not competent enough, but because there is a lack of chemistry in the workplace. Determine if a person is a good fit for the current team.
- Build empathy and trust in the team
In his book"The Advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in business",Management and team expert Patrick Lencioni shares how he once used the Myers Briggs Assessment with a team. At that time there was one employee that some people in the organization had problems with because of his perfectionism. But during the team building assessment, this colleague shared his type and explained his personality type. One person on the team said in profound revelation, "I thought you were just being disrespectful to me when you didn't turn things around until the last minute."
What happened at that moment? Everyone on the team had a better awareness of their colleagues' personalities. As a result, it broke down preconceived notions and gave them a reason to trust that person.
Another way personality tests build trust is that they help identify specific soft skills and strengths that their peers can draw on in certain situations. When we see people what they can do for us and the team, we have more reason to trust them. A personality test can do that for your team.
- assessment of job performance
Personality tests are a great way to assess personality traits, strengths and weaknesses of a team or employee. This means that they can be good subjective and objective benchmarks for evaluating employee job performance.
For example, let's say your company or management team has hired someone for a sales role. Certain tests like the DISC Score, Strengthsfinder, and Myers Briggs can identify traits and themes they should use to become more effective at their jobs. So if you ask them questions like these, you can take a good look at yourself and the teamwork:
How can you use your personality type to be more effective in your role?
In which weak areas do you need more support from your superiors or colleagues?
Which of your team members do you need the most help from to make up for your weaknesses?
- Organizational restructuring
There may be times when your existing team is not realizing its full potential. It could be because you have the right people in the wrong positions. Personality assessments in the workplace can reveal which individuals are best suited to which roles. That could lead to organizational restructuring that will make the company more efficient in the long term. This might not always be the best practice, but in contexts where it's applicable, it could be the big game changer in helping your business achieve better results.
How to use personality tests in the workplace
One60% of professionalsare asked to take an ability test today. But is it enough to just have your team take a personality test? As with any other practice in business, the more precise we are in implementing this workflow, the better the results will be.
Here's a step-by-step guide we recommend when using personality testing to increase team effectiveness.
1: Decide on one or more personality tests that you will use
The first step to using personality tests effectively in the workplace is deciding which one to use. One workplace personality assessment might suffice, but using several is also beneficial. Every personality assessment has its own fair share of strengths and weaknesses. Using multiple tests helps cover all the bases and ensures managers have a good understanding of the collective and individual traits of their team members and how they can add value to the team and the organization.
2: Beware of stereotyping
Personality tests are designed to give someone a screenshot of a person's personality, strengths, and traits. But it was never intended to stereotype anyone. Remember that a person is always greater than their personality test scores. Do not limit a person's ability or worth by the results of their evaluations.
For example, if someone shows low extraversion in a job that requires great social skills, remember that these weaknesses can actually be turned into strengths. There is a great article byHubSpotThis demonstrates the core skills an introvert salesperson might have, including great listening skills and a deeper analysis of prospects and markets.
3: Understand how to maximize your traits and raw talents
The results of a team's personality assessment give managers and leaders a better idea of what their teams can really bring to the table. These personality tests can become great coaching points for managers to help their team members be their best.
Take the time to sit down with each team member to coach them on how to use their strengths to be more effective at their jobs. For larger teams, assign supervisors to Coach team members. It doesn't have to be a long conversation. You'd be surprised what fifteen to twenty minutes of solid coaching can do to an employee's efficiency. Some great coaching questions to ask them are the following:
What part or parts of your job do you currently excel at the most, and how do your personalities and traits contribute to that?
How can you use your strengths to achieve better results?
Who on the team can you turn to to help you with your weak points?
The last question leads us to the last step.
4: See how others make you better
At the heart of the personality assessment is the opportunity to understand not only your own strengths, but also the strengths and weaknesses of your colleagues. A largeworkplace cultureHere everyone has the chance to do their best and get support from colleagues in areas where they are struggling.
Schedule team building or appraisal meetings where employees can explore each other's personality traits. Foster a culture of openness and vulnerability. The best way to do this is to put your leaders first and share both their strengths and weaknesses. Do this on a regular basis and note any changes it makes to your team's performance and job satisfaction. Almost always, you will find that killing this process brings massive results.
frequently asked Questions
Are the tests accurate?
To say that personality tests are absolutely accurate would be a serious overstatement, just as any medical or psychological measure will have some margin for error. But they are great assessment tools for assessing a person's ability to perform and grow. The insights these tests give employers and executives, even at rough estimates, can be invaluable. Millions of people have taken these tests and shared that their results touched them deeply. In addition, they have helped a large majority of these people to grow professionally and personally.
Are personality tests fair?
Personality tests are great assessment tools when hiring, appraising or promoting employees. However, it's obviously not the only tool managers should use in these scenarios. Hiring or firing someone solely based on their personality test results is considered cliché and can create all kinds of cultural and legal problems for your company. The best rule of thumb is to always focus on what makes a person great rather than just focusing on their weaknesses.
Can a person's Personalit test scores change over time?
The simple answer is no, but it's not that simple. While people's responses to circumstances can change and their general habits can adapt to meet needs, there are basic wirings that work at the genetic level. However, people can and should change aspects of their personality that they or those around them are struggling with. It makes a person a more versatile person and someone people are better able to work with.
What other personality tests are available?
There is definitely a wider variety of tests and assessments to use with your team. Here are some of our runners-up for this list.
Final Thoughts
Achieving team effectiveness is a major milestone that can help bring many great results to a team, including improving sales, reducing team friction, reducing miscommunication, and improving team and individual satisfaction work. But it's always important to remember that achieving efficiency isn't so much a goal. Because to see it as a goal would mean that it would have an end. Instead, think of it as a moving target, always striving for the next level of effectiveness and productivity after reaching a milestone. There is always room for improvement, and the more your team improves, the more you can achieve together!