Personality tests are not just about understanding who you are, but how you can leverage your unique traits in a professional setting. In 2024, the landscape of work and employee management is dynamically evolving, calling for deeper insights into the personalities that make up a workplace. This guide overviews seven popular personality tests designed specifically for professional environments, helping HR professionals, talent managers, and organizational leaders make informed decisions about team dynamics, leadership potential, and employee development.

Learn about personality tests for work

• Discover popular online personality tests for work, including MBTI, Big Five, The Core Drivers, DiSC, Enneagram, StrengthsFinder, and VIA Character Strengths Test.
• Get insights on how these tests can help in personal and professional development.

1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) continues to be a cornerstone among personality assessments in the corporate world. Based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, MBTI helps individuals identify their preferences in four areas: the source of their energy (Extraversion or Introversion), the way they process information (Sensing or Intuition), how they make decisions (Thinking or Feeling), and how they deal with the external world (Judging or Perceiving).

Implementing MBTI, for example, can reveal a profound divide in decision-making approaches within a team, which can be addressed by balancing task-oriented and people-oriented individuals in collaborative projects.

Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that MBTI has been heavily criticized by practitioners due to the lack of scientific validity and reliability. Moreover, it is known to be unsuitable for hiring and selection, since it cannot predict occupational success.

Insider Tip: MBTI is particularly useful in fostering team understanding and improving communication styles across different personality types.  

2. The Big Five Personality Test

Unlike the type-based MBTI, The Big Five Personality Test assesses personality across five broad dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN). This model is highly regarded for its reliability and has been extensively validated by research. This is why Deeper Signals Core Drivers assessment is based on it.

The Big Five model has evolved through several decades of psychological research, beginning with D.W. Fiske’s work in 1949 and gaining prominence through the efforts of researchers like Lewis Goldberg in the 1980s.

This test is crucial for HR professionals as it predicts performance and potential leadership abilities with remarkable accuracy.

Insider Tip: Use the Big Five Test results to guide leadership development and team composition, ensuring a well-rounded group.

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3. The Core Drivers Personality Assessment

The Core Drivers diagnostic is a quick and scientifically-backed personality assessment designed to delve into the intrinsic motivations and behaviors that drive individual performance and growth. This test focuses on identifying key personality traits and drivers that influence how individuals approach their work, interact with colleagues, and navigate challenges. 

Implementing the Core Drivers assessment in your organization can provide deep insights into the underlying motivations of your employees. For example, understanding if an individual is Driven or Laid back can help tailor their career development plan to include more goal-oriented projects, while assessing if they are Pragmatic or Curious can guide their involvement in innovative initiatives.

Insider Tip: The Core Drivers assessment is particularly valuable for selection and personalized employee development. By getting invaluable insights into candidates' behavioral tendencies and aligning tasks and roles with individual drivers, organizations can enhance the hiring process, employee satisfaction and productivity, driving overall organizational success. 

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4. DiSC Personality Test

The DiSC Personality Test categorizes personalities into four primary behavior types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. It is particularly useful in understanding how an employee might react in varied team scenarios and leadership roles.

By implementing DiSC, a significant improvement in team interactions can be reached, as members begin to understand each other’s communication and work styles.

DiSC is excellent for workshops and team-building exercises, making it a favorite among organizational leaders for its straightforward and actionable insights. 

On the other hand, it is known that DiSC is based on Marston's DISC Theory, which lacks the extensive validation found in the Five-Factor Model of Personality, for example. Additionally, its feedback reports are simple and may not support ongoing behavior change.

5. Enneagram Test

The Enneagram Test offers a deeper, almost spiritual examination of personality, with nine interrelated personality types. This test is unique in its approach to not only describing how individuals behave but why they behave in certain ways, considering emotional, mental, and motivational dimensions.

The Enneagram test can be used to tailor personal development programs, resulting in increased employee satisfaction and retention. The test’s depth makes it suitable for coaching and developmental sessions where understanding motivations and deeper personality layers is crucial. 

However, it is important to take into consideration that the Enneagram test has been also criticized for lack of scientific evidence and simplistic categorization. 

6. StrengthsFinder

Originally part of a book that sold millions of copies worldwide, StrengthsFinder helps individuals identify their top five strengths from a set of 34 themes. This test is highly operational, focusing on enhancing what individuals already do best.

Statistical Insight: According to Gallup, teams that focus on strengths every day have 12.5% greater productivity. 

StrengthsFinder can be used to place people in roles that maximize their natural talents, which can lead to more effective and engaged teams.

While it is important to leverage strengths at work, excessively relying on them can hinder professional growth and lead to lower effectiveness. Therefore, it is also important to recognize personality risks for a holistic picture. StrengthsFinder results overlook these aspects, which makes it somewhat limited. 

7. VIA Character Strengths Test

Developed by the father of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman, the VIA Character Strengths Test identifies individual capacities for living a fulfilling life. The 24 measurable character strengths provide a great framework for not just understanding, but cultivating a positive work environment.

Applying VIA in a team can encourage a more positive outlook and approach to challenges, enhancing overall workplace morale. This test is particularly beneficial for developing positive organizational behavior and enhancing job satisfaction.

The bottom line

Choosing the right personality test for your workplace can significantly enhance understanding, productivity, and employee satisfaction. Each of these tests offers unique insights that can help shape a more effective and harmonious work environment. As the work landscape continues to evolve, the personality assessments are key in driving organizational performance. However, it’s important to understand how the tools were built, what they measure, how they are intended to be used, and their validity and reliability. Personality assessments are not created equally and in some cases you can end up doing more harm than good, wasting time and resources on something that doesn’t provide value or offer the right solution. 

Start growing self-awareness in your employees and teams with the Core Drivers assessment, schedule your demo now.