The Myers-Briggs Personality test (MBPT) divides people into 16 types which is based on a combination of traits they fall into. It’s a multiple question test, and some psychologies believe these types say a lot about how people act in their lives. The test has been around since the 1970’s and can be a helpful tool when you’re interviewing people to make your company great.
In a trend report done in 2014, 62% of human resource departments are utilizing personality tests to help determine how well they’ll fit into companies. This is quickly becoming a standard for interview practices because companies are looking for ways to make sure they hire the right people.
You know your business depends on people to help you run it, but it’s also high on the list of expenses. You may have a great human resources team or people who help you hire, but the first impression of an interview might not be enough. The MBTI type indicator is one of the most used personality tests worldwide with over 3 million tests administered annually. The test includes behavior, traits, and the person’s character based on theories that were originally developed by Carl Jung. Jung’s main model was “Psychological Types” which we all fall into. He created it so people could understand how everyone serves their purpose in the world.
Around 80% of the Fortune 100 companies use personality tests to develop powerful and efficient teams.
A Breakdown of the MBPT
When you do the Myers-Briggs test, your results will include 4 letters, you can look over what each of those letters mean, and to what degree you have that trait. It is just a shorthand way of describing your main mental functions and which are most prevalent. Here are some facts about what Myers-Briggs calls “type dynamics.”
• One of your preferences or letters represents you the most, it’s called the dominant function.
• The next most prevalent preference in your life is called the auxiliary function. It’s essential because it supports and balances the dominant part of you.
• The tertiary function is the third letter of importance and one of the two function letters.
• The last preference is the inferior function, and it doesn’t hold much weight on the kind of person you are.
• You will show one of these preferences to the outside world the most.
• The eight function attitudes are expressed differently from your inside and outside world.
• Your two middle preferences are your function pair
• As you evolve through life, you may utilize your preferences differently, using the inferior letter as the dominant letter at one point. It’s referred to as type development.
Understanding An Employees’ Character
Personality tests like MBTI allow you to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and how they deal with information. This is important for communication and how the job gets done. It explains that the potential employee a certain type of personality. Once you understand what they are, you know how they will manage their time, solve problems, and deal with stress.
Saving Time, Money, and Energy
Hiring and training is a pricey venture and takes a lot of time. If you don’t find the right people for what your company stands for, it can be a huge waste. You not only want to weed out people who won’t perform well, you also want to avoid an employee who would be disloyal. Even if someone has all the experience you’re looking for, the test may indicate they’ll leave if they get a better offer.
Getting a Good Picture of How the Employee Will Act
Personality tests give you the kind of insight into a person that you might otherwise never get. You get a chance to look at their behavioral traits, which allows you to determine whether they’ll work in your environment.
Using Assessments to Compare Potential Employees
When you interview a lot of people for a position, it can be challenging to remember the details of people. Another useful tool of the Myer-Briggs Personality test is that you can assess the scores of the potential employees. You can also compare the employee’s scores against the requirements you’re after for the job.
The studies can suggest if the person has the right personality traits you’re looking for. Here’s an example of what I mean. If you’re looking for someone to fill a sales position and the MBPT says the person is averse to risk, accommodating, and slow moving, you would decide that person isn’t the best for the job. You may however see them fit for your customer service department.
Developing Your Team with MBPT
You can develop your team to bring out their function and inferior traits (the letters) for certain projects. Myers-Briggs offers a development program that doesn’t change your team, just provokes the parts of their personality to come out. You can achieve balance and help employees understand themselves better. Your employee’s personality won’t drastically change through development in this way, the preferences just may become more developed. It’s helpful for you, but it’s good for them to learn how to develop parts of themselves that can manage challenges differently than the dominant preference.
Keep in mind that the MBPT is just one way to gauge how your employee will work out and how well they will perform. As it’s an expensive investment to hire someone, you want to bring a few tools that will help you. The personality type is not 100% accurate so don’t base your decision solely on the test. Get to know your potential employee through talking with them as well to get a real feel for how they will work in your environment. Personality tests are just a small part of the process to hiring the greatest people that help your business grow.