Your job applicant describes himself as a "people person." But what does that really mean?
Susanne Hite, who runs the nine-person PR department at NewSouth Communications, had never met Chris Villines, an applicant for a manager's position on her staff earlier this
year. But Hite still knew an awful lot about him - that he was "gregarious and sociable," that he "tries to please," that he likes working for a "participative" boss and that he
"often will become friends with his customers or clients."
All that information was gleaned from a personality test administered to Villines, which he filled out when he submitted his resume to NewSouth, a 1,500-person
telecommunications firm based in Greenville, S.C. The so-called DISC test (because it is designed to measure drive, influence, steadiness and compliance) is administered by Target
Training International at $12 a pop. A 24-question test yields a chart and an essay-style result sheet.
"The test helps me identify who is going to be a good fit with me," Hite explains. "For example, Chris said he likes working with managers who make quick decisions. I make fast
decisions if you need me to. I might be wrong, but I'll fire one back at you."
Test of Time
Because of the labor shortage (and the resulting pressure to make quick hires) the use of personality measurements as part of the recruiting process has waned in recent years,
according to the American Management Association. The AMA's 2000 survey shows that 14.6% of employers required applicants to take a personality test this year, down from 15.1% in
1999 and 25.3% in 1998. And yet, the study finds, personality testing is still the second-most widely used psychological measurement in the hiring process, behind cognitive
ability tests, which measure spatial, verbal and math skills. Nearly half of all companies use some type of psychological measurement.
In fact, today's employers can choose from some 2,500 different tests that are produced by the $400 million personality assessment industry, according to Margaret Talbot, a
fellow at the New American Foundation, a DC-based public policy think tank.
NewSouth, which is growing rapidly, continues to use the test because "we made some bad hiring decisions" early on, says Hite, who became the company's 53rd hire two years ago.
The PR team started 2000 staffed only by Hite and one other person. Using the DISC test, Hite says she has been able to eliminate about 10% of the 50 applicants she gets for each
opening.
While there have long been legal concerns over using psychological tests in the hiring process, the newest crop of lawsuits are finding employers negligent for not
scrutinizing applicants thoroughly enough. This trend has prompted increasing acceptance of testing, according to a recent report from the Society for Human Resource
Management. "Although there are legal reasons for exercising caution in using personality testing in employment, there are also countervailing trends that argue strongly for the
most extensive use of such tests," the report states.
Nevertheless, the report's authors, David J. Shaffer and Ronald A. Schmidt, advise employers to proceed with caution. "Although there are real benefits to using personality or
integrity tests in employment, employers should carefully weigh the risks and benefits," they write. Hiring managers are advised to consult with industrial psychologists to
determine a test's validity and utility before administering it.
PR Types Not All the Same
Beyond the hiring process, many companies are finding personality tests to be worthwhile exercises in improving internal communication among existing staff. The PR department
at Southwest Airlines, for example, administers the well-known Meyers-Briggs test on occasion. Beth Harbin, a spokeswoman and project manager for the airline, says test results
help co-workers understand one another better. As a result, teamwork improves, she says.
But Southwest eschews the practice of testing job applicants, "because we're looking for something else when we're hiring," Harbin says, noting that while personality tests can
discern varied traits, this information is essentially useless in the early stages of staffing, given that the airline needs a variety of skills.
"Some people are better on the phone and some people are shyer and are better with written communication, but we need both," she says. Southwest's PR team includes 14 staffers
- only nine of whom are spokespeople. (American Management Association, 212/586-8100; Harbin, Southwest, 214/792-5452; Hite, New South Communications, 864/672-5000;
New America Foundation, 202/986-2700; Society for Human Resource Management, 703/548-3440) -Jeff Goldfarb