Mario is a ten-year employee of a large manufacturing firm where he is the cost accountant. Over his ten-year tenure, Mario

Should personality tests be used in the employee selection process?

Though turnover in the job is expensive, and enhancing the person/organization and person/job fit is important, companies should exercise caution in using personality tests in selection, as the research on their validity and reliability is mixed. Some experts believe that personality tests predict performance and other criteria such as job satisfaction and thus advocate their usage. Others believe that the nature of the personality tests themselves allow for the job candidate to fake his/her answers and that personality may not actually be such a good predictor of performance anyway. Some studies indicate that personality predicts only 10-15% of the variation in job performance. In short, companies should avoid relying upon personality tests alone in making their selection decisions, but if used in concert with other selection techniques including cognitive ability tests, personality tests may improve the selection decision.

156. You are a career development counselor at your university. You have been instructed by your supervisor to develop a program called, “Tips for Your First Interview.” What are some of the tips you could provide students as they prepare for that first interview?

It is imperative that students recognize the power of first impressions. It must be emphasized multiple times in the presentation that first impressions are lasting impressions.

Before ever meeting with a recruiter, students must recognize that their résumés are extensions of themselves and make impressions just as physical meetings make impressions. Therefore, the program should feature a section on resumes focusing on the necessity of a neat appearance to the document and the criticality of ensuring no errors are found on that resume. Further, cover letters should be addressed to a specific individual, not “To Whom It May Concern.”

The program should also highlight the pre-interview preparation as important for establishing a positive first impression. Time should be spent talking about how to dress for success, including mention of jewelry, piercings and hair style.

The interviewee must be punctual to the interview. In point of fact, being 10 minutes early is not problematic. If the interviewee is unfamiliar with the location of the firm at which he is interviewing or is unfamiliar with the nature of the traffic in that area, a “dry run” is advised to ensure making the interview in a timely manner when scheduled.

Finally, the initial moments of the actual interview should be addressed. It is imperative that students begin their session with a firm handshake and a smile for the interviewer. The program should feature practice in shaking hands. Though it may seem to be a silly exercise to some students, practice is important to avoid awkward moments.

The more aspects of the initial interactions between interviewer and interviewee the student is prepared for, the more successful the interview will be.

157. Mario is a ten-year employee of a large manufacturing firm where he is the cost accountant. Over his ten-year tenure, Mario has been an outstanding employee. In fact, twice during that time period, Mario was named “Employee of the Year.” However, over the past four months, Mario’s manager, Marielle, has begun to notice changes in his behavior. Interactions with Mario are often unpleasant. Last week Marielle told Mario about a new project that will begin in one month for which he was named team leader. He did not take the news well, complaining bitterly to Marielle about the amount of work that he had, the extra hours that he is expected to put in with no addition in pay, the nature of the individuals on the teams of which he is a part, and just about everything else happening in the firm. Yesterday, Marielle asked him a question about a project that is to be completed by Friday of this week and received the same lengthy complaints. She are stunned by this behavior since no one else voiced such opinions before, and is attempting to discern its root cause so that Mario can return to his former levels of performance. Marielle overheard two junior level accountants talking about Mario’s son being in trouble at school and also heard in the cafeteria last week that Mario’s wife is suffering from a prolonged illness. Using attribution theory, help Marielle provide a preliminary explanation for the behavior as she prepares to counsel Mario.

Mario is behaving in a manner that is very different from his norm, and in fact, is very different than most of the employees in the firm. The constant complaining in the face of relative calm from the other employees suggests Mario is exhibiting low consensus.

In ten years, Mario has always been an outstanding performer and never complained about anything. The fact that it is occurring now suggests that high distinctiveness is being exhibited.

Finally, every time Marielle speaks to Mario about his work, he complains. Since the two have always had a very pleasant relationship before and since Marielle is beginning to hear of potential issues at home, she may make a preliminary assessment that the personal family issues are beginning to spill over into the workplace for Mario. This is an external attribution and Marielle can now decide exactly how to address these delicate issues in a meeting to offer some support and counseling.

158. What value is added to a firm in knowing the nature of personality traits in other cultures?

Diversity in the workforce is a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic, global marketplace. If a firm has an appreciation for market niches available due to the differences in culture, language, sexual orientation, gender, etc., they can address those customers much more effectively by drawing on the diverse nature of its own workforce. Further, since securing a person/job and person/organization fit facilitates performance, and personality helps determine that fit, understanding the nature of personality traits in other cultures is very important.

For example, while some countries seem to have a majority of extraverts, as in the United States and Europe, Asia and Africa do not share the same traits. Clearly the nature of sales and marketing will differ in these countries based upon these traits. Similarly, being cognizant of a country’s culture will assist you in competing more effectively in that market.