The Most Popular Personality Tests for People-Oriented Founders and Talent Leaders

Personality assessments have become essential tools for people-first organizations. Forward-thinking founders and talent managers use personality tests to foster connection, build psychological safety, and develop their people. Learn which personality tests best align with your people strategy, how to choose the right one for your culture, and how to implement them in ways that build trust rather than categorize your team members.

In this article:

• Comparing the 10 Most Popular Workplace Personality Tests:
• 1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• 2. DISC Assessment
• 3. 16PF
• 4. Big Five Personality Traits
• 5. StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths)
• 6. 16Personalities
• 7. Hogan Assessments
• 8. Belbin Team Roles
• 9. Enneagram
• 10. Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment
• How to Implement Personality Tests in a People-First Organization

If you’re a founder who believes your people are your greatest asset or a talent manager passionate about building high-performance teams, you’ve possibly considered how personality assessment tools might help your team thrive.

Imagine a workplace where team members genuinely understand each other’s communication needs, where differences in working styles are celebrated rather than tolerated, and where psychological safety is the foundation of every interaction. This is what truly understanding the humans on your team can achieve.

Personality tests aren’t HR tools — they help people understand themselves better while creating a common language for discussing differences within teams. From improving empathy to deliberately designing teams with complementary thinking styles, these assessments are changing how people-first organizations approach human connection.

Let’s explore how personality insights can become your foundation for building a culture of trust, empathy, and psychological safety—one where each team member feels truly seen and valued.

Why Personality Tests Matter for Human-Centered Teams

Why are forward-thinking organizations making personality tests central to their people strategy? Because they create a framework for mutual understanding that goes beyond surface-level interactions. Think of these assessments as conversation catalysts that help build the bedrock of high-performing teams: psychological safety.

• Strengthening Leadership: for people-oriented founders and talent managers, leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about inspiration. Personality assessments help leaders understand the unique needs of each team member, allowing them to tailor their approach to bring out the best in everyone. This personalized leadership style fosters trust and creates deeper connections across the organization.
• Turning Differences into Strengths: unique perspectives are essential for innovation, but they can also lead to friction when misunderstood. Personality tests reframe differences as complementary strengths rather than sources of conflict. When a deliberative, detail-oriented team member understands the value of working with a quick-thinking, big-picture colleague (and vice versa), magic happens.
• Nurturing Growth Mindsets: when employees see personality traits as starting points rather than fixed labels, it nurtures a growth mindset throughout the organization. The best personality tests help people understand their natural tendencies while encouraging development in areas that might not come as naturally—fostering continuous personal and professional growth.

The power of personality tests for human-centered organizations lies in their ability to make the invisible visible. They bring unspoken needs, preferences, and perspectives to the surface, creating a foundation for authentic connection. As we explore the 10 most valuable personality assessments in the following sections, you’ll discover how each can help you build a workplace where people truly understand, appreciate, and bring out the best in each other.

The 10 Most Popular Personality Tests for People-First Leaders

Let’s explore the top 10 personality assessments that people-oriented founders and talent managers are using to build more connected, understanding, and psychologically safe teams.

#1. Myers-Briggs (MBTI)

The MBTI categorizes personalities into 16 types based on four dichotomies: Extraversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving. It helps team members understand each other’s energy sources, information-gathering preferences, decision-making approaches, and lifestyle orientations.

Format: Forced Choice (choosing between two options that represent opposite preferences)
Primary Use Case: Most commonly used for talent development, team building, and improving communication rather than recruitment. It excels in helping teammates understand different communication needs and working styles.

For people-oriented leaders, MBTI offers a common language to discuss differences without judgment. It helps introverts explain why they need processing time before meetings, while extraverts can share why they think best through verbal discussion. This mutual understanding builds empathy and creates space for different working styles to thrive side by side.

#2. DISC Assessment

DISC measures four primary behavioral dimensions: Dominance (how one responds to challenges), Influence (how one interacts with others), Steadiness (one’s pace and consistency), and Conscientiousness (how one responds to rules and procedures).

Format: Likert Scale (rating statements on scales of agreement/frequency)
Primary Use Case: Widely used in leadership development, sales team optimization, and conflict resolution. Many organizations use DISC to help teams communicate more effectively and reduce interpersonal friction.

People-first leaders appreciate DISC for its straightforward, accessible nature. It helps team members quickly understand how to adapt their communication style when working with different colleagues. For example, high-D colleagues appreciate direct communication and quick decisions, while high-S teammates value patience and consistency. This awareness helps reduce unintentional friction and creates more meaningful connections.

#3. 16PF – 16 Personality Factors

The 16PF assessment measures 16 primary personality traits and 5 global factors, providing a comprehensive and nuanced picture of an individual’s whole personality rather than just workplace behaviors.

Format: Likert Scale (rating statements on a scale from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”)
Primary Use Case: Widely used in leadership development, career counseling, and clinical settings. Unlike tests developed specifically for workplace use, 16PF has deeper psychological roots and can uncover motivations beyond surface-level behaviors.

People-oriented leaders value 16PF for its depth and research-backed approach. By exploring both surface traits and underlying dynamics, it helps team members develop more profound empathy for each other’s natural tendencies. The assessment’s non-judgmental, dimensional approach (measuring traits on a spectrum rather than as types) creates space for authentic self-expression and growth conversations. Organizations focused on long-term development particularly appreciate how 16PF identifies both strengths and potential development areas without labeling either as inherently “good” or “bad.”

#4. Big Five Personality Traits

This scientifically-validated framework measures five core dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (emotional stability). It provides a comprehensive view of personality across a spectrum rather than distinct types.

Format: Likert Scale (rating statements on agreement scales)
Primary Use Case: Favored in research-oriented organizations and for leadership development. Its scientific validity makes it valuable for understanding behavioral tendencies without the categorization of other assessments.

People-oriented leaders appreciate the Big Five for its nuanced, non-categorical approach. Rather than placing people in boxes, it recognizes that everyone exists on a spectrum for each trait. This approach helps teams see personality as fluid rather than fixed, encouraging growth and adaptability while still honoring natural tendencies.

#5. StrengthsFinder /CliftonStrengths

StrengthsFinder identifies an individual’s top 5 strengths from 34 talent themes, focusing on what people naturally do best rather than trying to fix weaknesses.

Format: Forced Choice (timed assessment where participants choose between pairs of statements)
Primary Use Case: Primarily used for talent development, career coaching, and creating strengths-based teams. It’s particularly valuable for employee engagement initiatives and performance development conversations.

This assessment resonates deeply with people-first organizations because of its appreciative approach. Rather than focusing on weaknesses or development areas, StrengthsFinder celebrates what makes each person uniquely valuable. This strengths-based philosophy helps team members focus their energy on work that energizes them while finding complementary partnerships that compensate for areas of lesser strength.

#6. 16 Personalities

Combining elements of MBTI and Big Five theories, 16Personalities categorizes people into role groups (Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers) and adds a fifth dimension of Identity (Assertive vs. Turbulent).

Format: Likert Scale (rating agreement with statements)
Primary Use Case: Often used as an accessible introduction to personality assessments for team building and self-awareness. Its modern interface and approachable language make it particularly popular in startups and tech organizations.

Human-centered leaders value 16Personalities for its accessibility and engaging presentation. The colorful archetypes and relatable descriptions make personality conversations approachable even for teams new to psychological assessments. This creates an entry point for deeper discussions about working preferences and communication styles.

#7. Hogan Assessments

Hogan offers a suite of assessments measuring bright-side personality characteristics, potential derailers under pressure, and core values/motivations that drive behavior.

Format: Forced Choice (agree/disagree with statements)
Primary Use Case: Primarily used for leadership development, executive coaching, and high-stakes hiring. Its predictive power around derailment behaviors makes it particularly valuable for senior leadership positions.

People-first organizations appreciate Hogan for its ability to address the elephant in the room: how people behave under pressure. By making potential derailers explicit, it creates psychological safety to discuss challenging behaviors before they become problematic. This transparency builds trust and creates opportunities for mutual support during stressful periods.

#8. Belbin Team Roles

Belbin identifies nine key team roles that individuals naturally gravitate toward, such as Coordinator, Implementer, or Plant (creative problem-solver), helping create balanced teams where all essential functions are covered.

Format: Hybrid (self-assessment plus observer assessments from colleagues)
Primary Use Case: Specifically designed for team composition and development. Organizations use Belbin to ensure project teams have the right mix of complementary roles and to help individuals understand their natural team contributions.

Human-centered leaders value Belbin for its focus on how individuals contribute to team success. Unlike assessments that focus solely on personality traits, Belbin emphasizes functional roles that help teams accomplish goals. This practical approach helps teammates appreciate each other’s contributions and build partnerships that leverage complementary strengths.

#9. Enneagram

The Enneagram identifies nine interconnected personality types, each driven by different core motivations and fears. It goes beyond behavior to explore the underlying drives that shape how people see and interact with the world.

Format: Mixed (typically combines forced choice with Likert scale questions)
Primary Use Case: Popular for personal development, conflict resolution, and deeper team understanding. It’s particularly valued in organizations that emphasize emotional intelligence and personal growth.

People-first organizations are drawn to the Enneagram for its depth and compassion. By exploring core motivations rather than just behaviors, it creates profound empathy between team members. Understanding that a colleague’s perfectionism stems from a desire to feel valuable, for example, transforms potential irritation into genuine compassion and support.

#10. Predictive Index Assessment

The Predictive Index measures four primary drives—Dominance, Extraversion, Patience, and Formality—to predict workplace behaviors and needs.

Format: Forced Choice (selecting adjectives that describe oneself)
Primary Use Case: Widely used in talent acquisition and team alignment. Its brevity (takes just 6 minutes to complete) makes it popular for hiring processes and quick team insights.

Human-centered leaders appreciate PI for its practical application to everyday workplace scenarios. It helps managers understand how to create conditions where each team member can thrive—whether that’s providing clear structures for high-Formality individuals or allowing autonomy for high-Dominance team members. This personalized approach to management helps everyone feel seen and supported.

Comparing 10 Popular Workplace Personality Tests

Which of these assessments will best serve your unique culture? Consider this comparison to find your best options:

Personality Test	Format	Primary Use Case	Best For People-First Organizations
MBTI	Likert Scale, Forced Choice	Talent Development, Team Building	Creating a shared language for differences in thinking and communication styles
DISC Assessment	Likert Scale	Leadership Development, Conflict Resolution	Quick insights for adapting communication approaches to different colleagues
16PF	Likert Scale	Accessible Team Building, Self-Awareness	Engaging introduction to personality for all team members
Big Five Personality Traits	Likert Scale	Research-Based Leadership Development	Science-backed insights into personality without rigid categorization
StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths)	Forced Choice	Talent Development, Employee Engagement	Appreciative approach focusing on natural talents rather than fixing weaknesses
16Personalities	Likert Scale	Accessible Team Building, Self-Awareness	Engaging, approachable introduction to personality discussions for all team members
Hogan Assessments	Forced Choice	Leadership Development, Executive Coaching	Understanding potential derailers under pressure for proactive support
Belbin Team Roles	Hybrid	Team Composition, Project Planning	Ensuring teams have complementary functional roles for optimal collaboration
Enneagram	Mixed	Personal Development, Conflict Resolution	Deep empathy through understanding core motivations and fears beyond behaviors
Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment	Forced Choice	Talent Acquisition, Team Alignment	Quick insights for personalizing management approaches to individual needs

How Gyfted Stands Out for Startups

Among these valuable tools, Gyfted offers unique advantages for people-first founders and talent managers:

1. Science-Focused: individually-oriented assessments form the building blocks toward examining how people interact and function in teams, reinforcing how interpersonal relationships and collaboration are central to workplaces.
2. Psychological Safety: by focusing on individual traits centered around self-development, Gyfted enables authentic self-development through feedback-oriented assessment design.
3. Practical Application: delivers actionable tips for improving how people communicate, share information, make decisions, and execute.

For organizations committed to building cultures where people feel genuinely seen, valued, and connected, Gyfted provides a framework that focuses on understanding individuals as well as nurturing interpersonal dynamics.

How to Implement Personality Tests in a People-First Org

Introducing personality assessments to your team involves more than just distributing tests. Here’s how to implement them in ways that build trust and connection rather than creating boxes or labels:

1. Start with Purpose: Begin by clarifying the people-centered goals behind using personality assessments. Are you looking to improve psychological safety? Help teammates understand each other’s communication needs? Build more balanced project teams? Share this purpose transparently with your team to create buy-in.
2. Frame as Conversation Starters, Not Truth Serum: Emphasize that these tools are meant to spark meaningful dialogue rather than definitively categorize anyone. Explain that personality exists on a spectrum and can evolve over time—these assessments simply capture tendencies at a particular moment.
3. Model Vulnerability: As a leader, share your own results first, including aspects that surprise you or areas where you’re working to grow. This vulnerability sets the tone that it’s safe for everyone to engage authentically without fear of judgment.
4. Create Psychological Safety: Establish ground rules that prevent stereotyping or pigeonholing. Make it clear that these insights are meant to increase understanding and appreciation, not to limit anyone’s potential or create excuses for challenging behaviors.
5. Focus on Application: Move quickly from insights to practical application. For example, after a DISC assessment, create team communication agreements that honor different preferences while meeting collective needs. After StrengthsFinder, restructure responsibilities to align better with natural talents.
6. Integrate Into Regular Rhythms: Rather than treating personality insights as a one-time event, weave them into regular team interactions. Consider adding assessment language to retrospectives (“As a high-C, I’d like us to analyze this more deeply before deciding”) or project kickoffs.
7. Measure Impact on Connection: Track how these tools affect interpersonal dynamics through regular pulse surveys on psychological safety, belonging, and mutual understanding. Look for improvements in how team members describe working together and their sense of being valued for their unique contributions.

When implemented thoughtfully, personality assessments become more than HR exercises—they become the foundation for a culture where differences are celebrated, needs are honored, and everyone feels seen for who they truly are.

Build Team Connection

Let’s explore how people-first organizations have used personality assessments to create more connected, psychologically safe environments:

• Creating Psychological Safety with DISC: A nonprofit leadership team discovered they were heavily dominated by high-D personalities (direct, results-focused), with their more relationship-oriented high-I and steady high-S members feeling unheard. By making these dynamics explicit through DISC, they created new meeting structures that deliberately created space for different communication styles, resulting in more balanced decision-making and a 28% increase in team members reporting they felt safe to express divergent viewpoints.
• Big Five for Personalized Development: A professional services firm used Big Five assessments to personalize growth plans for their consultants. Rather than pushing everyone through the same development path, they tailored opportunities based on natural tendencies. High-openness individuals took on innovation projects, while high-conscientiousness team members excelled in quality improvement initiatives. This personalized approach increased engagement scores by 25% and reduced turnover by 18%.
• StrengthsFinder for Team Complementarity: A healthcare organization used StrengthsFinder to deliberately compose patient care teams with complementary strengths. By ensuring each team had members with relationship-building, strategic thinking, executing, and influencing talents, they improved both patient satisfaction and caregiver wellbeing metrics by over 30%.
• 16Personalities for Onboarding Connection: A tech company incorporated 16Personalities into their onboarding process, helping new hires quickly understand interpersonal dynamics and find “personality buddies” with similar traits who could support their integration. This practice reduced new hire time-to-productivity by 40% and significantly increased feelings of belonging during the critical first 90 days.
• Hogan Assessments for Leadership Support: An executive team used Hogan Assessments to identify potential derailers during their company’s major transformation initiative. By making these stress responses explicit, they created “backup systems” where team members supported each other during high-pressure periods. This approach maintained leadership effectiveness throughout the transformation and prevented burnout among key leaders.
• Belbin for Innovation Teams: A consumer products company used Belbin Team Roles to compose innovation task forces with balanced representation across all nine roles. This deliberate composition ensured teams had both creative “Plants” to generate ideas and practical “Implementers” to execute them. The result was a 45% increase in concepts that successfully made it to market.
• Enneagram for Conflict Resolution: A professional services partnership introduced the Enneagram specifically to address recurring conflicts between founding partners. Understanding that their clashes stemmed from fundamentally different core motivations—security for one partner (Type 6) versus achievement for another (Type 3)—transformed their interactions from frustration to appreciation, preserving both their business and friendship.
• Predictive Index for Manager-Employee Alignment: A retail organization used Predictive Index to help store managers understand their employees’ core drives and adapt their leadership accordingly. By tailoring communication, task assignment, and recognition practices to individual behavioral patterns, they increased employee satisfaction by 32% and reduced turnover by 27%.

These stories illustrate how personality assessments, when used with a people-first mindset, become powerful tools for creating workplaces where everyone feels understood, valued, and empowered to contribute their unique gifts.

A Culture of Understanding

As we’ve explored the landscape of personality assessments, one truth stands clear: at their best, these tools aren’t about putting people into boxes—they’re about creating connections between hearts and minds in the workplace.

For people-oriented founders and compassionate talent managers, personality tests offer something precious: a framework for seeing beyond surface behaviors to the beautiful complexity that makes each team member unique. They provide a language for discussing differences without judgment and a map for navigating the rich terrain of human diversity.

The most valuable outcome isn’t the categorization of traits but the conversations these tools inspire—moments where team members lean in with curiosity about each other’s experiences, where differences become sources of appreciation rather than friction, and where people feel truly seen for who they are.

As you consider which of these tools might best serve your organization, remember that the most important factor isn’t the assessment itself but the spirit in which you use it. When approached with genuine care for your people’s wellbeing and growth, any of these frameworks can help you create a workplace where understanding flourishes and human connection thrives.

After all, the greatest competitive advantage isn’t found in personality types or team roles—it’s found in creating environments where people feel safe to bring their whole, authentic selves to work each day. That’s the true promise of personality assessments for people-first organizations: not just better understanding, but deeper belonging.