Personality assessments and methodologies

Personality is a complex and intriguing aspect of human behavior that has been the subject of study for a long time. It concerns the unique combination of traits, characteristics, and dispositions that shape an individual’s behavior and make a person who they are. It’s the unique combination of traits, characteristics, and dispositions that define an individual’s behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Personality traits describe humans and influence our behavior and decision-making in countless ways. 

Understanding personality is crucial for self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, and for various applications, such as team management, leadership development, and talent acquisition as well as talent development, interpersonal communications, and self-development. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that psychologists, scholars, and researchers have been working hard to better understand personality and develop ways to measure it, both for research and practical purposes – clinical, mental health, military recruiting, as well as everyday occupational psychology and recruitment. That’s why the development of psychometric assessments for personality measurement has been such a valuable tool for psychologists, recruiters and HR professionals. 

Over the years, numerous personality assessment methodologies have been developed, each with its own approach (however, they’re all still fairly close to one another conceptually!). In this blog post, we explore some of the most popular personality assessment methods and compare them to help you understand the different approaches to personality measurement. These methods can be used in the workplace to help companies make better decisions about talent assessments, hiring, and team performance. 

Jungian Personality Assessment, 16 Personality Types, and MBTI

Some of the most well popularized personality assessment methodologies are the Jungian Personality Test, the 16 Personality Types and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Both of these methods are based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung, who proposed that personality can be understood by categorizing people into 16 different types based on their preferences for extraversion vs. introversion, intuition vs. sensing, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving. MBTI is a widely used tool that is based on these 16 types and is used in a variety of settings, including in the workplace.

The 16 personality types and MBTI are similar in many ways, and they share the same basic approach. However, there are some differences between the two methods. For example, the 16 personality types are more focused on categorizing people based on their basic preferences, while MBTI takes a more in-depth look at how these preferences interact and influence behavior. One of the benefits of the MBTI is that it provides individuals with a deeper understanding of themselves, which can be particularly useful for self-discovery and personal development. The MBTI is also a popular tool for team building, as it helps individuals understand each other’s personality types and how to work together effectively. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the MBTI is not a scientifically validated tool, and some researchers have questioned its reliability and validity.

Some of the most popular personality types in the 16 Personality Types and MBTI include:

• ISTJ: The Inspector
• INTP: The Architect
• ESFJ: The Provider
• ENFP: The Champion

DISC

Another popular personality assessment methodology is the DISC. DISC stands for dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness and is a model that assesses behavior in these four areas. The DISC model is based on the idea that people have a natural behavioral style that can be measured and used to better understand their behavior. DISC is often used in organizational settings to help improve communication and teamwork, and to identify areas for development. 

The DISC model categorizes people into four different types based on their behavior in the four areas assessed:

• D: Dominance
• I: Influence
• S: Steadiness
• C: Conscientiousness

Enneagram

The Enneagram is a relatively new personality assessment model that is based on the idea that there are nine basic personality types. Enneagram practitioners believe that these nine types can be used to understand a person’s motivations, desires, and fears. This model has gained popularity in recent years, and is often used as a tool for personal development and self-awareness – it has gained popularity in recent years, and is often used as a tool for personal development and self-awareness. The Enneagram is also a useful tool for team building, as it can help individuals understand how their personality type interacts with others and how to better communicate and collaborate.

The Enneagram categorizes people into nine different types based on their personality. Enneagram practitioners believe that these nine types can be used to understand a person’s motivations, desires, and fears: 

• Type One: The Reformer
• Type Two: The Helper
• Type Three: The Achiever
• Type Four: The Individualist
• Type Five: The Investigator
• Type Six: The Loyalist
• Type Seven: The Enthusiast
• Type Eight: The Challenger
• Type Nine: The Peacemaker 

The Big Five (OCEAN) model 

The Big Five personality assessment, also known as the Five-Factor Model, is considered the most empirically validated personality measurement methodology. This assessment measures five broad dimensions of personality, including Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Each dimension is further broken down into facets, such as creativity, organization, and sociability, to provide a more detailed understanding of an individual’s personality. 

The Big Five personality assessment is considered the most empirically validated methodology of all. It assesses personality based on 5 broad domains: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. The Big Five is based on the idea that there are a limited number of traits that can be used to describe human personality, and that these traits are relatively stable across time and culture. It has been extensively researched and is widely used in both academic and applied settings. It’s considered to be a robust and reliable tool for understanding personality, and has been validated by numerous studies. 

Using personality assessments in the workplace

Personality measures are useful for evaluating candidates in the process of recruitment, and in evaluating team performance. In recruitment personality assessments can be used as a screening tool to identify individuals who are a good fit for the organization’s culture and values. In team performance evaluations, personality assessments can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as to facilitate communication and collaboration between team members. Often, the latter is done with the help of workshops and facilitators who help guide you to understand yourself and others better in order to improve your collaboration and communications. 

Personality tests are a valuable tool in the field of psychology and in the workplace, and can provide valuable insights into an individual’s behavior, motivations, and emotions. Whether you’re seeking personal growth, building a team, or evaluating a candidate, there’s a personality assessment methodology that can meet your needs. We strongly encourage using the Big Five personality tools, ie. the most scientifically validated methodology. You can find our work personality assessment of value in this context.