"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, and I look forward to hearing back from you on this opportunity." As the candidate hands you an extra copy of his flawless resume and releases you from a strong, confident handshake, you take one last glance over his meticulous attire, and think "This is our guy." However, you can't help but wonder, "Is this all just a façade?" How can you dig slightly deeper to know if he is truly the best match for your position? difficult person test



It is this very scenario that is the catalyst behind the growing popularity of personality testing during the hiring process. Hiring managers are craving more incisive methods of character evaluation than scrutinizing dress and handshakes. Personality tests seem to be the answer to their prayers. These tests often include multiple choice questions designed to identify key indicators of success and longevity for a position. Used in conjunction with other methods of fitness assessment, these tests can be very useful. However, some employers are placing too much weight on such tests, or even using them exclusively in the early stages of the hiring process, and are thus denying themselves opportunities with several potentially fitting candidates that were prematurely "weeded out" by an exam. Before employing the use of personality tests and discarding your previous methods, read the advice below on how to maximize the use of this tool as a complimentary addition to your hiring process arsenal.

The Resurge of the Personality Test
As the economic downturn reduced the number of "workers" and sky-rocketed the number of "job seekers" on a national level, it became an increasingly daunting task for hiring managers to weed through the influx in applications and resumes flooding their desks. Although personality tests have been around for quite a while, there seems to be an increased popularity in using these employment tools to efficiently locate fitting talent for open positions. According to an article on BestCompaniesAZ.com, personality tests have been designed to "determine the probability that the particular applicant will be a) successful and b) long-term;" it does this by "defining personality or behavioral tendencies that are in line with the duties of the position." Such tests are effective in offering an objective opinion, something that is often times difficult for us, as humans, to deliver. We are frequently swayed if it is revealed a person has similar interests or experiences as us, even when we are consciously attempting to stifle our subjectivity. Personality tests are also an effective method to differentiate between applicants. It can be rather difficult to make hiring decisions when looking at two very similar resumes where the qualifications and experience look identical on paper. In these ways, personality tests can be very effective; when their effectiveness is diluted correlates with instances where they are used as the sole discretion in early hiring stages, and when the users do not fully understand the shortcomings. Acknowledging these shortcomings is the only way to truly maximize the use of personality tests.

Understanding the Drawbacks
One key drawback to personality tests is the prevalence of "response distortion." Response Distortion, as outlined in the essay "The Impact of Response Distortion on Pre-employment Personality Testing and Hiring Decisions," is "faking" among job applicants completing personality inventories. For many of the questions, there can be a clear indicator of what answers will be more favorable in the eyes of an employer. For example, when asked to pick traits to describe themselves, candidates can often times tell what descriptors ("energetic," "ambitious," "organized," etc.) are most favorable with employers, and then align themselves with those answers. In this way, it is relatively simple for a candidate to create their own desired perception to get a favorable outcome in the hiring process. This utilization of response distortion can cast skepticism on "what effect this distortion has on the validity, utility, and fairness of pre-employment personality assessments." (Rosse, Stecher, Miller, and Levin).

On the other hand, personality tests can also produce erroneously negative results, depending on the circumstances in which the candidate is taking the test. Their answers may be contingent upon their moods; thus, an individual taking a test while in low spirits may be characterized as the wrong personality type, simply based on their mood at the time. Another area that might negatively affect personality test results is confusion. If the candidate misunderstands the question or context, it can distort the results. One particular issue that tends to resonate throughout the realm of personality tests is confusion whether the questions are directed towards the candidates' behavior at work or at home. People often times are vastly divergent when they are sitting at their desk versus sitting on their couch. Perhaps they are extremely laid back at home, but intensely professional at work. Employing personality tests that are clear and unambiguous both in the wording of their questions and the context in which they are to be answered is key to achieving the most accurate results.