By now you know that you should look beyond the resume when hiring a person. One of the directions you can explore to understand your candidates better is personality tests. Please note, I’m not saying that they are a perfect way to learn about the person. But they can be helpful, so you shouldn’t miss an opportunity.
Personally, I’m fond of such tests and think that taking them can be great fun. However, once you start looking for what test to give your candidates, you can get overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. And the tricky part is that each option can be good, so it all boils down to your personal preferences.
Here are the personality tests I use most often.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The MBTI is one of the oldest and most detailed personality assessment systems available today. I suggest you use it to assess your team or, perhaps, even make it a part of the application process for candidates.
It’s not only details that make this test so effective but also the amount of information on each type. As the system has existed for a while, there was a lot of research about it and now you’ll have a lot of resources to help you understand which types of MBTI personalities can make up the best team.
5 Minute Personality Test
I love that the 5 Minute Test literally takes five minutes. It doesn’t provide a lot of details, more like a general perception of personal strengths and weaknesses in the workplace.
It’s a great test to use when you need to “break the ice” as it will help you see how best to approach different candidates. It will also help you see what kind of value they can bring to your team and where they will require more guidance.
5 Love Languages
Surprised? This very much “not professional” test can be useful as well. But you should use it after you actually build the team. It’ll help you understand what kind of feedback will be most effective for your new employees.
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