Not to alarm you, but don’t take choosing a personality test lightly. According to the research in my book Cracking the Personality Code, today there are around 2,500 cognitive and personality tests on the market. So how do you decide which one to use?
Did you know your organization risks lawsuits if it fails to do proper due diligence in test selection? That’s because there are a multitude of assessments available out there and the industry is totally unregulated.
To understand how to choose from the plethora of personality tests, it is helpful to understand the origins of these instruments.
Our story begins in a mental hospital in Minnesota during World War II. A test called the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is created to diagnose mental illness with yes-or-no responses to a series of questions. In an attempt to put some science into the hiring process, many companies start employing psychologists who in turn used this existing MMPI psychopathological test to screen job applicants. The test includes true-false questions like “I never indulge in unusual sex practices” and “I feel sure there is only one true...