« Tell me your letters and I will tell you who you are! » What to think of these HR tools that decode us with the help of adjectives, questions or affirmations and which, moreover, fearsomely reveal our personalities?
Personality tests = managerial tool? HR professionals answer YES! Managing people is one of the major difficulties encountered by any manager. Getting to know each member of one’s team well, by means of team audits and role plays in support of an MBTI or OPQ-type personality questionnaire, will lift many obstacles. Most interpersonal conflicts have as a common denominator a misunderstanding of what is expected.
What about communication? Tensions ease when communication is fluid. However, results are observed if everyone agrees to question themselves and if everyone participates.
What about starting with top management? Often conducted at the request of management, team audits or coaching sessions are effective mechanisms but whose results are observed in the medium or even long term. For these tools to bring all their potential, no one must shy away from the exercise. By revealing themselves, the executive sends a strong signal to their team. Humility must remain one of the very first values.
A personal development. Knowing oneself well is easy to say; it is quite another in practice. MBTI-type personality questionnaires offer the opportunity for real personal development. Self-knowledge and verbalizing feelings lead to an awareness of our soft skills.
Personality test vs. professional performance. While MBTI is not a selection tool, OPQ or DISC can be used in the context of a recruitment to objectively decide between two finalist candidates. Nevertheless, the personality test cannot be the one that will decide on its own. It must absolutely be accompanied by technical tests, business and HR interviews, and ideally an assessment.
Beware of biases! Responses to personality tests could be biased by professional, personal and family environments. « Socially » correct answers could be favored even if they do not resemble the person. These biases reinforce the importance of the discussion and exchange with the person.
