Personality Tests in IT Interviews: Are They Really Helpful or Just a Trend?

Hi All, Do you think it's good to conduct a personality test during the interview process at an IT firm? I would appreciate your views and suggestions!

Why and Why Not?

The answer to your question is determined by what you intend to achieve at the interview and what you are interviewing for.

I don't see any problems with conducting a personality test either prior to or immediately after the interview (the timing would be determined by the type of test used and the purpose its result will be utilized for).

However, I definitely wouldn't do a personality test during the face-to-face time.

Why? Because there are other important things I would like done during that face-to-face time.

A word of caution: if you're going to have your candidates complete a personality test when they arrive for the interview, you MUST inform them beforehand. Inform them how long (estimated) they may need to make themselves available to complete the test and appear for the interview.

Not only is it the decent and polite thing to do, but remember - candidates are assessing the employer as well.

If they are taking time out (of their existing job or their life in general) to attend an interview, they may not factor in extra tests. Some personality tests can take an hour or longer to complete. Not informing them in advance casts the interviewing organization unfavorably with good quality and talented candidates.

Another question: are you going to conduct the test yourself or hire a specialist for the purpose?

If you are considering the former, I strongly suggest you give serious thought to outsourcing it to specialists who will also work with you to address the fundamental premise of your question, which forms this post - among other vital but often underestimated factors at interviews coupled with personality tests.

Hope this helps you!

Thank you, Gaurav! I do agree on a few of the points mentioned by you. This would mainly be a part of the interview process for mid-management and above. Yes, the candidate will be informed regarding the PT when he/she comes in for a F2F. This is something I have been stressing because it does help in the proper screening of a candidate. I could be wrong 

Online Test vs. Professional F2F

Do you think it's advisable to have an online test or have a professional conduct this F2F? Which do you think is more effective and would not scare off the candidate?

Regards,
B

Interviewing for Mid-Management and Above

Well, interviewing for mid-management and above changes the game completely—doesn't it! It brings in a lot more variables, metrics—quantitative and qualitative—as well as a lot more face-to-face time.

In this context, my view is that regardless of whether the personality assessment is conducted online or face-to-face, it MUST be a test whose purpose is clearly understood. What I mean is that some tests are designed to assess a person's personality fit within an organization but not their competency fit, and vice versa.

Ideally, for a mid-management candidate, the employer would want to find a snug fit for both—personality and competency—for obvious reasons. The former to ensure a cultural fit and cultural leadership (moving forward) and the latter to ensure deliverables are met within the established framework and constraints. Also, some tests are designed to compare scores of competing candidates, while others only offer a subjective (individual-centric) assessment for a particular role.

With this in mind, my suggestion is to DEFINITELY opt for an established and reputable assessment that is backed up by a qualified interpreter. After all, obtaining the test data is only 15% of the game. The remaining 85% is making sense of it and applying it within the context of the task at hand within the broader organizational context.

Like everything else on the internet, there are a number of free or minimally charged personality tests available online that many organizations self-administer. In my view, this is playing with fire. While it may seem like an upfront cost-saving measure and keep certain employers' egos inflated, the mid to long-term ramifications of such self-conducted assessments are next to disastrous, especially for mid-management and above positions.

After all, they are going to steer the ship, order the sails up or down, and turn into or away from crosswinds and cross-currents. It just makes more sense to invest as much as possible in ensuring that the best skipper is behind the wheel rather than one who appears to be the best.

I hope this helped you! All the best!

Absolutely! I am aware of the online PTs that are currently available. Getting a professional on board will not only help in the interview process but also benefit the entire organization.

Thank you for your valuable inputs!

Regards,
B