The Trouble With
Personality Tests

Personality tests are commonly used for hiring in organizations. Personality tests attempt to measure a broad range of basic traits, such at the Big Five Personality traits or Emotional Intelligence. Although these may provide useful information on how to describe a person, research has repeatedly shown that they do little to predict how well a person will perform in a given job.

Academic researchers are re-emphasizing what Chally reported over 30 years ago -- personality tests are simply too broad to predict on-the-job performance. Chally, on behalf of the US Justice Department found it necessary to research solutions well beyond the accuracy of this type of assessment; to identify and measure very precise, job-specific competencies, behaviors, and skills that have been scientifically shown to predict on-the-job success. Chally's methodologies account for performance improvements of up to 35%, turnover reductions of 30% as well as providing the very general traits, and temperaments reported by personality based instruments.

Unfortunately, much of the "research" reported in marketing materials and even many published articles could be explained by the powerful research phenomenon know as the "placebo" effect. This effect is the automatic improvement that occurs when any new effort is committed to, and focused on, Thus medical research today must report the difference between the real drug and a "placebo" which can have no real effect in itself but will show apparent results often as much as 60% as strong as the real medicine. Unfortunately the placebo effect doesn't last much longer that the research effort to report it.

This is why Chally does not rely on one or even a few validity studies to identify effective predictors. Chally has completed literally hundreds of studies, on samples as large as several thousand individuals, usually with objective and quantitative measures of actual job results. This has led Chally to develop data bases of several hundred thousand sales people, evaluations of over 7,000 sales forces, and detailed interviews with quantitative ratings of over 80,000 customers. Chally remains committed to "Real Science, Solid Results".

This white paper describes the many weaknesses of personality tests and their inability to predict job performance. Finally, it describes why behaviorally-based measures, like the Chally Assessment, should always be the preferred choice for assessments in hiring.

  Download this White Paper now (Adobe Acrobat PDF; 393 KB)