Top 5 Personality Assessments for Business

Which assessment is best for your company, department, or project?  There are so many options, and I've worked with quite a few, so I thought it would be helpful to provide an easy resource for evaluating which is most applicable for your specific needs, considering factors like scientific validity, practical application, and depth of insight.

In general, these assessments provide a variety of explanations on how each personality works, based on a varying combination of psychology, character traits, and natural strengths and weaknesses.  They typically outline best practices for working with the specific personality as well as things to watch out for.  They are not to be used as a weapon or power play. Effective assessment will increase your teams EQ and create respect and curiosity instead of judgment and guilt.

Personality assessments allow us better insight into the motivations and behaviors of others, providing a pathway to 'seek to understand, not to be understood'. By learning about each other we are better equipped to productively navigate the soft-side of business, aka interpersonal relationships. 

Until recently, the available assessments were primarily focused on the individual, requiring a trained professional to apply individual results into a team setting.   The one exception is Patrick Lencioni's recent revelation about our Working Genius, specifically addressing a team's productivity. 

Here is a breakdown of the top 5 assessments used in business settings: 

1. Working Genius:

Strengths: 

• Team Productivity: The Working Genius assessment focuses on the 6 geniuses required to accomplish work, providing a ranking of individual genius rather than a comparative rating, assessing: 20% Personality 80% Productivity

• Addresses Burnout: Addresses the source of burnout, and helps eliminate guilt and judgement in work environments by addressing common team dysfunctions. 

• Simplicity: Provides easy to understand work process that associates individual styles to the levels of thought and decision making.

Weaknesses: 

• Leader dependent: Requires self-awareness and openness from the leader and the team's willingness to engage.

• Over simplification: Depending on team EQ, it may oversimplify complex behaviors and roles within teams.

2. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI Test):

Strengths: 

• Widespread Usage: The MBTI is the most widely used personality test globally, categorizing individuals into 16 personality types based on four traits.

• Team Building: It’s excellent for team-building exercises, fostering understanding among colleagues and enhancing collaboration.

• Self-Awareness: Provides insights into personal preferences and work environments.

Weaknesses:    

• Lack of Scientific Validity: Critics argue that the MBTI lacks empirical evidence and scientific rigor.

• Categorical Approach: The binary nature of its traits oversimplifies human behavior.

• Static Typing: People may change over time, rendering fixed personality types less accurate.

3. DiSC Personality Test:

Strengths: 

• Practical Application: DiSC categorizes individuals into four personality styles, aiding better workplace interactions. Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness), Communication Enhancement: Helps teams understand communication preferences and adapt accordingly.

• Conflict Resolution: Facilitates conflict resolution by highlighting different communication approaches.

Weaknesses: 

• Simplicity: The four-style model may oversimplify complex human behavior.

• Limited Depth: Lacks the depth of other assessments in capturing multifaceted personality aspects.

4. Clifton Strengths Finder:

Strengths: 

• Natural Talents: Identifies an individual’s top strengths (talents) out of 34 themes, emphasizing leveraging strengths for personal and team success.

• Positive Focus: Encourages a positive mindset and talent development.

• Individualized Insights: Tailors recommendations based on unique strengths.

Weaknesses: 

• Narrow Focus: Ignores weaknesses and potential areas for growth.

• Self-Report Bias: Relies on self-assessment, which may be influenced by perception or social desirability.

5. Hogan Assessment:

Strengths: 

• Multi-dimensional: The Hogan Assessment stands out by examining personality from every angle. It measures the bright side, dark side, and inside of personality, acheiving the highest level of predictive validity in the industry.

• Based on Psychology: Created with robust research, Hogan provides strong psychometric insights, providing a nuanced understanding of individuals by assessing various dimensions.

• Global Reach: Hogan Assessments have been administered to over 11 million people in 180 countries and 50 languages. This global usage reflects the assessment’s credibility and relevance across diverse cultural contexts.

Weaknesses: 

• Complex: Ignores weaknesses and potential areas for growth.

• Unnecessary Bias: Some critics argue that the focus on potential "derailers" may lead to a negative bias.  There is a potential for results to be influenced by individual perception or situational factors.