2023-12-12 18:45:52
We sometimes read that the personality indicates intelligenceor that there are more creative personalities than others. However, these perspectives are erroneous, as shown by a published in 2015. Indeed, there is no consensual definition of personality. However, a common theme emerges: personality manifests itself through regularities or consistencies of behavior.
In the professional world, although midwives are often benevolent, magistrates distant and salespeople friendly, it remains difficult to say with certainty that these characteristics are a reflection of their personality: in fact, it is just as likely that these behavioral regularities are the result of an acquired skill and that they have been adopted because they are effective in these professions. It is therefore impossible to say that magistrates all have a reserved and introverted personality. Likewise, kindness is essential for a midwife, but that does not mean she is benevolent in nature.
Beware of testing!
Generally speaking, if they want to be recognized, every professional must embody the expected qualities specific to their profession. Acquiring these behavioral skills requires a certain degree of intelligence and adaptability but does not reflect their personality per se. Professional behaviors cannot therefore be considered as manifesting personality.
Therefore, how can we interpret the use of human resources personality tests during a recruitment phase? These tests are supposed to offer an overview of preferences and trends (this is particularly the case for MBTI, one of the references in the field). However, they should not be construed as a complete representation of an individual’s personality or professional potential.
Read more: Are personality tests really a good selection tool in business?
As highlighted in a recent study by the “New Careers” Chair at Neoma Business School :
“Personality assessment in a recruitment situation reveals less the real characteristics of candidates than their knowledge of stereotypes and the supposed expectations of recruiters.”
Managers must therefore avoid drawing hasty conclusions from the supposed personality of a candidate and remain factual in their approach. For example, in a team management context, it is crucial to distinguish observable behavior from personality traits as measured via a test and to avoid reductive generalizations. The same goes for the generational stereotypesalso reductive and harmful to management.
Disempowerment
The main lessons from this observation for managers can therefore be summarized as follows:
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First of all, consider adaptability as the key to success : Professional behaviors and habits may be the result of adaptations to specific situations rather than fixed indicators of personality. Managers must foster a culture of adaptability to encourage flexibility in responding to challenges and not trap employees into standard profiles.
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ensuite, avoid harmful amalgamations : personality tests should not be the only guides in recruiting and managing teams. Testimonials from former employees or supervisors and professional experiences provide crucial information on an employee’s adaptability and individual ability to evolve in varied contexts.
Using personality alone to explain professional behavior therefore amounts to saying that individuals are not responsible for their behavior, but that their personality is. This is to suggest, wrongly, an absence of individual responsibility for actions and to ignore the complexity of external and internal influences on our behavior. Effective management goes beyond simple personality labels and requires a deeper individual understanding and a more flexible approach, especially in a changing context like managing teams.
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