More Related Content Similar to Employers Relying More On Personality (20) More from David Lahey (16) Employers Relying More On Personality1. PORTLAND, OREGON BUSINESS NEWS FROM THE FOUR-COUNTY REGION AUGUST 12, 2005
HUMAN RESOURCES
H I R I N G A N D E M P L O Y M E N T L AW
A glimpse at personality
Employers
increasingly rely
on predictive
indices and
personality
surveys to gauge
the suitability of
job applicants
and existing
employees.
CHARLIE KLOPPENBURG / PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
Restaurant manager Linda Addy uses a predictive index to assess job applicants’ personality traits.
Personality tools aid the hiring process
BY JODI HELMER someone who is upbeat and outgoing, has So in order to learn as much as possible about
SPECIAL TO THE BUSINESS JOURNAL excellent customer service skills, takes instruction each applicant before making a hiring decision,
W
well and is a team player. Addy asks them to fill out a Predictive Index, or
hen it comes to hiring servers for Salty’s Addy also knows that it can be difficult to PI, a survey that identifies the personality traits
on the Columbia, Linda Addy knows assess whether an applicant has such skills by and motivating needs of applicants.
exactly what she is looking for: viewing resumes or conducting brief interviews. “It helps us get a better perspective on a
2. TESTS: Managers can find better positions for existing employees
potential employee and gives us an extra look
into their personality that we may not get in a 15-
or 30-minute interview,” says Addy, the general
manager at the landmark local restaurant. “It has
proven time and time again to help us in the
decision we are making.”
Addy is not alone. A growing number of
companies are using personality profiles to help
gain insights into the personalities of prospective
employees. The reported advantages, which
include increased productivity and decreased
turnover, have made companies eager to add
another tool that will aid in the recruitment
process.
Initially developed during World War II to
assess the personality traits of successful
bombardiers, the PI was eventually developed
into a hiring tool that has been used by more than
5,000 companies in 129 countries. Applicants are
asked to check the adjectives that best describe
how they perceive themselves and how they feel
they are expected to act at work. The resulting
personality profile is presented to prospective
employers in report format and outlines various
strengths and motivations. CHARLIE KLOPPENBURG / PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL
“It is one way to help align individual MBank’s Trey Maust finds personality surveys useful for placing employees in the right positions.
preferences with specific business goals,”
explains Keith Emerson, the Pacific Northwest optimize productivity and increase job satisfaction overcome a lack of skills,” says Morgan, founder
consultant for PI Worldwide, the Massachusetts- among its current employees. of the Forté Institute in North Carolina. “But it is
based consulting firm that “It all boils down to putting the right people in one more tool that an organization can use to help
created the Predictive Index. the right positions,” explains Trey Maust, senior make its hiring decisions.”
“The PI helps companies make vice president and CFO of MBank. “We In addition to using personality surveys to
smarter hiring decisions and understand which tendencies are compatible to assess applicants during the hiring process,
once they are hired, it helps each position in the organization and as we companies are also using the results to facilitate
employers motivate their recognize staff with profiles matching those team building, resolve conflict and assess
employees in ways that suit tendencies we discuss potential avenues for employees for promotions.
their personalities.” growth within the company.” Morgan encourages companies to have their
Critics warn against relying Over the past year MBank has talked to several employees share the results of their Forté Survey
too heavily on personality Emerson employees about moving into new positions as a means of learning more about each other.
surveys in the hiring process, based on the results of their PIs. According to According to Morgan, discussing the results will
noting that it is difficult to judge workplace Maust, most have eagerly accepted the new help employees work as a team and develop
performance, motivation and aptitude based on a challenge including an employee who moved solutions to conflict.
short survey. from operations officer to financial analyst. Restaurateur Addy believes that using
Diane Boly, co-founder of staffing firm Boly Another oft-used personality survey, the Forté personality surveys as part of the hiring process
Welch Inc., has seen an increase in the number of Survey, was created by C.D. Morgan III in 1978 and ongoing employee development on the
clients asking applicants to complete a personality to identify individual communication styles. Columbia has made a significant difference in
survey but she warns against putting too much Based again on a list of adjectives that the applicant employee morale and retention at Salty’s, in
stock in the results. checks off, the Forté Survey provides insights addition to improving its bottom line.
“I think that the way an individual fits into the into how people adapt to their environment and “The cost of recruiting and training a new
business culture is almost as important as their how others may perceive them. employee is between $2,000 and $10,000 and
skill set,” she says. “But I think these tools can be Morgan is confident in the accuracy of the having a tool that lets you identify the right person
a little too black and white because there are so results of the Forté Survey, which has been used for the right position really helps you to safeguard
many variables that are not being factored into by more than 6,000 companies worldwide your profit margins,” she says. “A happy
the results.” including Boeing, Sprint and Dell Computers, employee is a good employee and being able to
Another PI Worldwide customer, Portland- but maintains that companies must look beyond play to their strengths gives them an environment
based MBank, began asking applicants to the results of a personality survey when making where they can thrive.”
complete the PI as part of the application process hiring decisions.
in 2004 and immediately began using the tool to “No amount of personality profiling can portland@bizjournals.com | 503-274-8733
Reprinted for web use with permission from the Portland Business Journal. ©2005, all rights reserved. Reprinted by Scoop ReprintSource
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