One of the most necessary lessons we learn as children is not to place too much value on what people think of us. The truth is, however, that in business image and first impressions do matter, they create the foundations upon which we are judged. Personality in business gives your prospects something to connect to, that connection is more important than credentials or experience and once people feel that bond to you, it is hard to break it.
HR Magazine recently went along to a seminar organised by Profile search & selection, with guest speaker Kate Woodley, Director, Facet5 sharing from her research on psychometric testing and how businesses can harness personality assessment tools to ensure better talent management.
Avoidable risks
Woodley opened the seminar by highlighting how absurd ideologies have previously influenced society in our decision-making abilities, with concepts such as; phrenology (skull size) to determine an individual’s psychological attributes, recruiting based on blood type, facial characteristics and body language, or making judgements on the basis of a horoscope. Additionally, many of us carry personal stereotypes, misconceptions, and pre-determined perceptions which affect our reactions when we make decisions. However, when it comes to recruiting new employees, is it worth leaving such costly decisions to your gut feelings? According to Woodley, “Every time you hire someone you take a risk. Using a good assessment tool can help businesses minimise that risk, and make better decisions about the talent they have and the talent they are looking for.” A comprehensive character assessment is as important as assessing previous qualifications or experience. She highlighted that good psychometrics will test the following:
- IQ;
- EQ;
- big 5 personality instruments;
- four-factor personality measures;
- type instruments; and
- competencies.
Woodley emphasised the importance of seeking reliability and validity when choosing a psychometric test. All good psychometrics will publish results and therefore ask your vendor for the results before investing. Does the test measure what it says it measures? In terms of reliability, there should always be a measure of consistency. One way of testing this is to split the results in half, which—in essence—should still give you the same overall outcome. Ensure that the quantitative results produced have valid and tangible support and are not based on changeable outcomes. Take the ‘lie question’ for example, commonly used in more dated psychometric testing, ‘do you lie?’ This is essentially an invalid question and this style of questioning should not be used to measure psychometrics.
Psychometrics should:
- describe, explain and predict behaviour;
- provide a common language and a framework; and
- provide management information, not ‘psychometrics’.
Psychometrics should not:
- be confusing;
- concentrate expert power;
- overuse numbers, graphs and colours; or
- be used in isolation.
Woodley explained that having psychometric knowledge will help with effective team integration. To illustrate; if an individual is high in control, the benefits are that they will be organised, reliable, conscientious and responsible. The risks, however, involve being perceived as too authoritarian, inhibited, intolerant and rigid. On the other hand the benefits of an individual having low control are creativity, free thinking, radical and uninhibited at the risk of being perceived as irresponsible, unreliable, unfocused and unplanned. Having this knowledge will support in terms of preempting how team interactions will unfold.
Do countries have personalities?
Another aspect of the research looked at whether or not countries have personalities. The results were based on over 100,000 data sets, sorted into country of origin and then compared with other research data including; Gini Index (wealth), Reporters Without Borders (freedom of the press) and Human Development Index (HDI). Interestingly the results came out as follows:
Will, drive and determination
Germany, the Netherlands and the US are highest in will power. Whereas Hong Kong, Japan and Korea are more accommodating and less fixed.
Energy, outgoing, fun-loving, exuberant
Norway and Ireland are top in terms of their energy, closely followed by Brazil, the Aussies, and then the Dutch. Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea on the other hand tend to be more reserved and private.
Affection, altruistic, helpful and trusting
China is the most affectionate based on the results, closely followed by Australia, Canada and Ireland. The tough, pragmatic group includes, Germany, the Netherlands and Hungary.
Control, conservative
India, Greece and Malaysia were the most controlled. Whereas the Scandinavians are more free-wheeling, liberal and likely to question the rules. The Dutch on the other hand don’t know there are any rules!
Emotional, confident, self-assured
The Dutch, Norwegians, Germans and Aussies are top followed by the Irish in terms of confidence. Koreans, Japanese and Hong Kongers on the other hand are less so and tend to be unemotional and less self assured.
Avoidable misunderstandings
When doing business internationally or with internationals, being mindful of particular characteristics and how you might be perceived in other countries can prevent you from making a cultural faux pas, avoiding preventable misunderstandings. When it comes to the business impact, having someone with character and drive will inevitably bring benefits and move the business forward. At the same time though, being aware of the risks involved in hiring someone that may be high in a particular characteristic will enable you to better deal with situations, preempting how relationships will pan out.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou.
Essentially, the idea is to develop a personality that best suits your professional disposition, you don't want to pretend to be someone you're not, as your true colours will eventually overshadow the façade.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
