Unmasking the Personality Assessment Craze: A Deeper Look into the 'Science'
Why are we so obsessed with personality assessments? Myers Briggs, Enneagrams, astrological signs, and even lighthearted Buzzfeed quizzes that tell us “what soup we are” – there’s something about the human psyche that loves to be told what box we fit into.
Personality testing is a $2bn industry, growing at around 15% each year. Beyond the whimsical Facebook surveys, companies often use these personality assessments as a way of categorizing our work style, and even our potential for success. But are all these assessments equally reliable and valid? Well, no – not always.
The Personality Brokers: A Window into the Obsession
"The Personality Brokers," is a compelling book by Oxford University professor Merve Emre, which has recently been developed into a fascinating HBO documentary called “Persona”. It focuses on one of the most well-known personality assessments, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
Emre's exploration of the MBTI's origins sheds light on the curious evolution of personality assessments. The system was originally developed by a mother-daughter duo and based on Carl Jung's theories about personality, categorizing users into one of 16 archetypes. This system was later commercialized, resulting in it becoming the most recognizable personality test in the world.
Myers-Briggs, and many other personality quizzes, can be useful tools for introspection. They can give us a new perspective on ourselves and help us recognize our possible strengths and weaknesses. But they are far from an exact science.
Personality Tests in Hiring
The widespread use and popularity of personality tests have led to them being used extensively in the hiring process. In fact, in a previous position of mine, we used to complete a Caliper Profile on every candidate - it wasn’t ever a decision-maker, but it definitely played a role in the process, and I always felt it odd how much this was normalized.
If you are hiring for a job that requires a particular aptitude in certain aspects, like organization or customer service, then you want someone who will fit that personality. But these tests, often created without any credible scientific basis, can be discriminatory, ableist, classist, and sexist without even realizing it.
The Myers-Briggs test, for example, has no grounding in clinical psychology and is based on works by Jung that were never drawn from controlled experiments or data. MBTI results are very poorly correlated to job performance and can drive significant discrimination when used as a hiring tool.
Assessments: Not Created Equal
So, what should we think about when navigating the maze of personality assessments? As Emre's book implies, you have to understand how and why the test was created. Let’s have a look at some important considerations.
Origin Matters
Who created it the test? Why did they create the test? How did they create the test? These are all questions you should be thinking about before leaning on the results. Historical clues and contexts can help us fully understand the strengths and biases of a test.
Norming Population
Cultures differ, and people within cultures differ. The “normal” is often seen as a straight white male working in a corporate job in the USA. Which isn’t a problem at all, if you are a straight white male working in a corporate job in the USA. But personality results can differ immensely in other populations and cultures. Who is this test made for?
Reliability
A reliable assessment consistently measures individuals, not moments. Inconsistent results may not provide a stable picture of someone's personality. To put it simply, if you took the same assessment twice, your results should be fairly consistent.
Validity
The assessment's validity is about whether it measures what it's supposed to measure. Does the personality test genuinely capture an individual's personality traits, or is it just an illusion?
How I Use Personality Assessments
In the article above, it might seem that I’m being pretty critical of personality tests. But guess what? I use them all the time in executive coaching. The trick is in how you approach them, and what you do with the results. First and foremost, they should be tools of introspection.
Whenever I introduce a personality assessment, the first thing I do is preface the above. I encourage clients to think about the results, and consider what resonates with them – what do you recognize in the answers?
The last thing that these personality tests should do is limit us, and when used as a hiring tool or “diagnosis”, that is exactly what they do. In some ways, it goes against the classic coaching concept of having a growth mindset. By telling us who we are, the test doesn’t consider who we can be.
Use Tests Thoughtfully
The next time you encounter a personality assessment, remember the mantra: not all assessments are created equal. Consider where they come from, how accurate and valid they are, and what they are being used for – and take the results with a grain of salt. Oh, and if you were wondering what kind of soup I am, it’s “chicken noodle soup”, apparently.
Meridith Marshall is the CEO and Founder of Uncharted Way and has seen firsthand how people and organizations can navigate the most difficult of circumstances with clarity and openness to improve employee experience and culture in their workplace. She is an industry-recognized expert in using a data-driven approach, and is an Interaction Associates trained facilitator and certified Co-Active coach.