Verity journal

The business world’s increasing understanding of how psychology can positively affect business practices has led us all to label ourselves. Are you looking for the compassionate “Defender”? Or the innovative “Logistician”? Personality tests like the Myers-Briggs have become widely used by Human Resource departments to determine if a candidate might be inclined to work well within the company.

Tests like Myers-Briggs are reputed to help identify 16 different types of people and there are many companies that swear by it when hiring new members. However, are they adequate in a candidate assessment?

Most personality or talent assessments observe a candidate’s motivation, performance in simple job-related tasks and potential behaviour. These tests can be helpful in determining if the candidate’s inner aspects would be aligned with a company’s culture, but it does not account for any potential fibbing or misrepresentation within these tests. It also does not take into consideration a person’s history.

What if your charismatic “Protagonist” is actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing that has been involved in dangerous activities in his past that he could be hiding?

A person’s history or record can sometimes offer more insights into a person’s inclination as it gives employers a clearer idea of how a person conducts themselves in the workplace or in their personal lives. It is as they say, “history tends to repeat itself”. A clean record, with no official work complaints on record or a criminal history, is a good reflection on the candidate’s part.

So, are employee background screenings better than personality tests? The truth is, for Human Resource practitioners, it is not of one over the other as both are aimed at identifying different aspects of a candidate. Ideally, it would work best hand in hand as personality tests offers insights into a person’s potential behaviour while employee background screening give employers an added sense of security.

If you’re already assessing your candidate’s ability, why not consider background screening too in order to get deeper insights into a candidate’s suitability? To know more about background screenings, we produce regular updates and insights at www.verityintel.com.