Personality Assessment

 

The Big Five model of personality or the OCEAN model developed by McCrae and Costa is one of the most influential models of personality and is presently the one most popularly used and administered by psychologists.

My results on the big five personality inventory show that I have high scores on extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Extraversion measures how open to experiences one is and how outgoing and how well they get along with people. My high score in extraversion could be interpreted to suggest that I enjoy the company of people and lean towards being more outgoing, enjoying mingling with people more than staying at home alone. It suggests that I prefer quick paced social situations and like interacting with large groups of people. The results seem to be in accordance with my own view of my personality. While I do like to relax alone at the end of the day, I do prefer parties and large social gathering and hanging out with friends over staying at home with abook which would be a classic introvert tarit. Thus, while I do value my alone time, I would still classify myself as an extrovert.

The test suggests that I should look for jobs that involve contact with other people and try to work in a team. Low levels of human interaction are frustrating for me

As you are high on extraversion check that jobs you choose will bring you into contact with a variety of people and that you will have the opportunity to work with them. If you are moving within an organisation you know, then consider how your extravert personality might influence your choice of role. Will you be working within a team? You are unlikely to feel satisfied if you don’t have enough interaction with others. If you are preparing for an interview, make sure you do your research on the role, the company values and the competencies they will be assessing you against etc. As an extravert you are likely to have had lots of conversations about this, but it would be a mistake to overly rely on the hearsay of others. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview, make sure that your talkative side does not take over and pay attention to what the interviewer asks of you. Allow others to talk even if you feel you know the answers or feel you want to interrupt. As an extravert it is likely that you will sometimes dominate the airspace or other people’s time. What scope is there for this in a new role? Would it be encouraged or frowned upon? How would you feel about that? As an extravert it is likely that you will work at different rates, on different projects on different days. Is there the flexibility in the role to accommodate this working pattern?

You have scored high on Agreeableness. You are likely to enjoy a good team atmosphere and a harmonious working environment. You might avoid arguments or differences of opinion and are much more likely to negate your own feelings to avoid conflict or unpleasantness. It is likely that you will have an optimistic view of others.

Tips

 When considering a new role, you may wish to reflect on how you would perform in the leadership roles that may require you to challenge others and voice your opinion. What kinds of leadership roles are available to you? Is there a role for a more collaborative leadership style in your organisation? Many effective leaders are strong on self-­interest and voicing their own opinions. If you had to implement an unpopular policy, how would you feel? Could you cope with a less than harmonious atmosphere at work? If you are preparing for an interview, make sure that you have some evidence or examples of taking the lead in a group and challenging the group consensus. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview ensure that you hold your own in any group activities e.g. group discussions, and that you assert your views willingly even if you eventually compromise to enable the group to reach a shared decision. If you are high on Agreeableness you may thrive in smaller organisations that depend on cooperation and team­working from staff. Also look at organisations where consensus working and/or fellowship are valued and building good relationships is paramount.

You have scored in the mid­range for Emotional Stability, which means that you are likely to cope with some pressure and stress in your life and still be effective. This may change if you are put under undue stress and pressure. As you are average for Emotional Stability you may find you are aware of your own and other’s feelings at work, but tend not to get overwhelmed by them. Conscientiousness Openness

Tips

You may do well as a manager, balancing the sensitivity required to work with others with the tough approach sometimes required. Ask about the opportunities to take on more responsibility for others. It is likely that you cope well with pressure up to a certain point at which it can feel overwhelming. So if you are preparing for an interview make sure that you leave enough time to prepare fully so that the balance does not tip and you can portray yourself at your best. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview ensure that you display the balance you have between being in control of your emotions and the ability to pick up the rise in emotions in others. Think about where the balance for you lies in coping with pressure. If you prefer to remain calm and collected, think about how high pressured the environment might be. Identify jobs and careers that value an ability to stay positive under difficult challenges, but which don’t reach crisis level.

You have scored high on Conscientiousness, meaning you are likely to be tidy, proficient and highly organised. You are also likely to be efficient at tasks and meeting deadlines and working at a steady and even pace. You may also feel frustration at not being able to finish tasks or with others who do not work in a similar way to yourself.

Tips

If you are moving within an organisation you know, consider how highly a conscientious approach is regarded in the available roles. In some jobs, the end result may be more important than the process of getting there. Consider roles that require a focus on compliance and regulation if that attracts you. Do these activities exist in your organisation? If you are preparing for an interview, you are likely to do all you can to prepare for an interview. Ensure that you do not over prepare e.g.over­rehearsing set answers to questions you think might be asked by interviewers. Interviewers want you to answer their questions as part of a two-­way conversation and not just receive the information you want to give them. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview, there is only so much you can do to prepare for assessment centre exercises and you may need to relax some of your expectations in order to be successful. During the assessment centre, for example, you may find you need to trade off accuracy for speed in some of the timed assessments, such as the ability or reasoning tests and written exercises that require pre­reading. There may be some exercises where you are unable to finish such as the ability tests, but this is often the way they are designed i.e. to stretch your abilities to the highest level. If you are high on conscientiousness you may be attracted to jobs that require a high amount of self­discipline, regulation and an emphasis on achieving results on time and to budget. You are also likely to be effective at researching your future job or direction.

 You scored in the middle range for Openness. You are likely to enjoy some measure of change, but also appreciate stability in some areas. You may know that whilst enjoying variety and new experiences there is likely to be some comfort in taking on routine and familiar tasks. You are likely to accept that some changes are inevitable at work and you are likely to take this in your stride.

Tips

 When looking to move within the organisation, get more information about a potential new role to try to gauge the amount of change going on in different departments to see where you would best fit. With a new role, consider if the job has the right balance of requiring some creativity and imagination, but that it is not expected all the time. If you are preparing for an interview, remember that, depending on the type of new employer, you may have colleagues who value the status quo. You may have to work hard to persuade them of the benefits of changing the way they operate. Illustrate how you will strike the balance between following processes yet challenging things which need to be changed. If you are attending an assessment centre/extended interview, think about your flexibility and approach to change. Ensure that you demonstrate both sides of your preferred style by being structured yet willing and able to deviate from this if necessary. If you are thinking of changing career or direction, remember that most jobs have some elements of the routine; identify your ideal balance between variety and routine tasks before you rule out certain careers and job r