14 - Square pegs and round holes: personality in the workplace

Summary

Chapter 1 noted that personality tests have been used to select people for different types of work, including soldiering, for several thousand years. At present personality assessments are enjoying a phase of popularity in Britain, encouraged in part by the convenience and cheapness of assessing people from a distance over the internet.

The most obvious use of personality testing in the workplace is deciding who to employ (from the employer's perspective), and what sort of work to try to get (from the employee's side). Other research has looked at personality over the longer timescale of a person's entire career. A more limited body of research has tried to link early experience with later failure to achieve any employment. An even smaller body of research has asked whether work has an effect on personality.

Matching personality and job

An area of research exists which is said to answer the question has he/she got the right personality for the job? The question is answered by comparing him/her with the average of a large number of people presently doing the job. The A–S–A model argues that certain personalities are attracted to psychology (Attraction), that certain personalities are selected to become psychologists (Selection), and that certain personalities find psychology does not suit them (Attrition). Some employers seem to want a book of perfect personality profiles for manager, salesperson, or engineer. Some PQ manuals meet this demand, by giving norms for different occupations.