Personality and job performance: any link?

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Personality may be relevant in certain jobs, but cognitive ability often plays a more important role. Extroversion may be linked to sales or marketing job performance, while conscientiousness is linked to finishing tasks. Critics argue that personality tests are limited and easily faked, and suggest using open-ended questions or other assessment tools. Some employers use a combination of personality and emotional intelligence tests.

Some psychologists and researchers agree that personality and job performance may be relevant in certain occupations, but the connection may be less important in other jobs. The studies looked at the relationship between pleasure, awareness, openness to experience, self-esteem and emotional stability to determine if the two were related. The results showed high correlations in some areas, but cognitive ability – memory, adaptability, thinking ahead, focus, etc. – often represented a more important factor.

A person with the agreeable personality trait may not be the best candidate for a supervisor job, according to research. Your personality and job performance may collide if convenience makes it difficult to delegate tasks and comply with company regulations regarding participation and productivity. A supervisor who lacks this trait, however, may be too demanding of employees and lose respect.

Job performance in sales or marketing may be linked to extroversion. An extrovert is generally energized around other people, especially in social situations. These soft skills can provide job performance indicators when hiring candidates in these professions. On the other hand, if a job requires solitary work, cognitive skills may be more important for getting the job done.

When considering conscientiousness—principled, disciplined, and careful—most studies have linked the trait to personality and job performance. A person who acts conscientiously in all facets of life may be more likely to finish a job and complete tasks in the best possible way. In some companies, finishing assigned work is a more important quality than getting along with co-workers.

Critics of these models believe that the personality trait test should be related to a specific job. They also claim that tests designed to analyze personality can be easily faked by a candidate. Some psychologists say there is only a tenuous link between personality and job performance because the standard tests used by employers are limited. They propose to improve testing procedures by asking open-ended questions to gain more insight into a job seeker’s personality.

Other psychologists believe that there are more effective tools for hiring and promoting employees. Intensive interview tactics can uncover more valuable information about a person’s experience and abilities than the personality test. Aptitude tests can also provide pertinent information, in addition to asking applicants for samples of their work.

Some employers use a combination of personality tests and emotional intelligence tests to assess potential employees. The emotional intelligence test can indicate how the candidate deals with anger and their degree of self-control. It can also reveal traits that indicate resilience, confidence, and optimism.

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