Hiring Process

Organizations use personality trait theories to determine what traits are useful for a specific job or career. Sales jobs will often have applicants take a self-assessment with questions relating to personality. The scoring for the test will rank applicants on each personality trait. Hiring managers use this information in conjunction with the applicant's credentials and interviews to determine who the best fit for the job is.

Self-Assessment Validity

Tests for hiring and recruiting processes may not always be valid determinants of who the best employee would be. Applicants looking to get hired for a sales job, for example, have every opportunity to lie about their personality to look more desirable to potential employers. Sales jobs will look for extroverts who are ambitious and competitive. An applicant could easily answer the questions on the test to match these personality traits rather than answering truthfully.

Career Assessment

Students use personality trait measurement tests to decide what careers they may be well-suited for. Students who are unsure of what major or career they would like to pursue can use the test results to narrow the options. The test attempts to match the student to potential careers that would be a good fit based on the student's personality. School counselors encourage students to take this test for a greater understanding of strengths and weaknesses when deciding on a major for college.