Online Personality Tests

[Gadgetfreak]

Many business consultants recommend using personality tests when (or even before) interviewing for positions. Even the TPA consultants recommend this.

Does anyone have any experience with online services that do this and can make some recommendations? A Google search is not as effective as someone who may have gone through this already.

Thank you.

[My 2 cents]

Is it really possible to use personality tests without running into legal issues concerning discrimination against protected groups?  Just wondering.

[ETA Consulting LLC]

There is no substitute for leadership. --- W. Edwards Deming

Good Luck!

[hr for me]

I agree you would possibly have nondiscrimination issues. I wouldn't try to use one without some strong backup of an consultant familiar with the many different possibilities and which might help you accomplish whatever your goal might be (and some legal advice/protection) -- rather than picking one of the internet.

 But I have seen them used well for professional development of current employees and dealing with work related personality issues.  I think it is good to know the strengths and weaknesses and prefer MyersBriggs because that is what I am trained on and understand.  But I wouldn't use it for hiring personally.

 

 

[WhoLetTheDogsOut]

Check out WonScore from Wonderlic.  www.wonderlic.com

[shERPA]

Back when I owned a TPA firm, we used several tests.  Over the years we got better at understanding the results ourselves, but we always went over them with our consultant.  He was an expert in these and made sure that our use of them was legal, and helped interpret, especially when he also interviewed the person (generally by phone).  

We felt the benefit to us was worth it, especially for the more key positions in the firm. There are some key traits that strongly correlate with good administrators, and there are a couple that are contraindications for this work.  

[Belgarath]

13 hours ago, shERPA said:

There are some key traits that strongly correlate with good administrators, and there are a couple that are contraindications for this work.

For the strongly correlate with good administrators:

You have to be insane (and by the way, insanity is inherited - you inherit it from your children). You have to enjoy the taste of crow, since it will become your principal food source. You must not be easily distressed by chronic foot-in-mouth disease. You must accept Dante's inscription, "Abandon all hope, Ye who enter here." An appreciation for perverse/bizarre humor is strongly advisable. You must be prepared to jettison ANY vestige of an ego.

For contraindications: A sincere belief that employers generally have the best interests of their employees at heart. A strong belief that any major political party will improve the qualified plan landscape and working conditions. A conviction that you are always right.

[Tom Poje]

Belgarath:

assuming I'm not an exception to the rule, the humor you mention,  becomes very dry

but, at least, I suppose it still exists, my understanding if you are an actuary it ceases to exist entirely.

[david rigby]

2 hours ago, Tom Poje said:

the humor you mention, if you are an actuary it ceases to exist entirely. 

Hey, wait a minute.  BTW, my posting a smiley face here is proof that I have a sense of humor. 

[Tom Poje]

how do I know you are not doing that on your own time?