Finding the right candidate in the insurance industry is harder than ever. Not only do you need to attract the right applicants, but you must be able to compare each candidate and figure out who will be best in the role. Many companies use assessment tools, such as Myer-Briggs and the DISC test, to help filter candidates. However, relying too heavily on them can backfire. Here are three important things to know about assessment tools if you’re considering implementing personality tests into your hiring process.
1. They Can’t Predict Performance
A personality test can identify traits as well as strengths and weaknesses related to your personality. For example, you can figure out if someone is an introvert or extrovert. However, it can’t predict how a candidate will perform in a specific work environment. The reality is that everybody has strengths and weaknesses. Some individuals use their strengths to compensate for their weaknesses, while others don’t. Assessment tests will help you identify strengths/weaknesses but won’t tell you how they navigate those assets and challenges, which is much more useful information.
2. They Aren’t Foolproof
Another issue is that personality tests aren’t foolproof. For one, people can game the tests. Some candidates will answer questions based on what they think you want them to say. You have no way of knowing who is being honest in the assessment and who isn’t. In addition, it is hard to tell what personality traits are relevant to the job position. Some personality assessments will feature meaningless questions that won’t tell you anything useful about the candidate’s ability to succeed. In worst case scenarios, you could even end up with biased questions that offend the potential employee.
3. They Change Over Time
One thing you should keep in mind is that personality assessments change over time. Older personality tests might look like basic questionnaires, while newer ones might look more like the surveys you see on dating sites, for example. The developers are often changing the format and questions to try to become more accurate. The problem is that newer personality tests won’t have enough research backing them for you to know whether they are effective or not, while older tests may be outdated or even irrelevant.
While personality assessments can be useful, you must be sure that the tests identify the right personality traits and that those traits have a major impact on whether an employee can succeed in a given work environment. In truth, it’s quite difficult to know with confidence that an assessment does what it’s supposed to do. Thus, you should be cautious about relying too heavily on personality tests during your hiring process.
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