Big Five Test: Identify Personality Traits for Job Success

One of the main processes in human resources management within an organization is the recruitment and selection of personnel. This is because, if selection processes are properly carried out, the chances that personnel will perform well are greater. This way, the selected personnel take advantage of the training provided by the company, have a strong chance of being promoted, and this, in turn, decreases the probability of turnover for the company.

Several tools and instruments can be used to carry out a proper selection process. Among these are interviews, references, intelligence tests, values tests, questionnaires, and personality tests, among others. The decision to use certain instruments and tools depends mainly on the personnel selection model of each organization. Two main models are currently in use: traditional selection and strategic selection.

Traditional selection assumes great stability between the economic and labor markets, so it focuses on employees performing the same activities in the long term. That is why these companies carry out their selection processes in environments and with tools that give them the chance to ensure the development of their activities.

Now, the strategic selection model considers that the economy keeps moving in a volatile scenario. Due to this, these companies require certain characteristics in their workers so that they can perform their activities; among these characteristics are: teamwork, responsibility, flexibility, honesty, organization, among many others. To evaluate these characteristics, it becomes necessary to apply specific instruments that provide predictive data on each person regarding the characteristics required for each position.

History of the Big Five test

The “Big Five” model, or the Five Major Factors, has been established since the 1990s because of the extensive research and empirical support it has accumulated. The Big Five model raises the possibility of creating a scientific and decisive framework that establishes the incalculable individual differences that exist in people. It is based on five main personality factors that explain the relationship between individual characteristics.

The five major factors considered by this model are:

• Emotional stability vs. neuroticism: Emotional stability is related to the emotional balance shown by a person and includes among its traits emotional control, joy, security, or relief. Neuroticism encompasses characteristics such as sadness, anger, anxiety, or dislike.

• Extroversion vs. introversion: Extroversion shows the need a person has for attention from others, and how sociable, ambitious, and active they can be. Introversion, on the other hand, is the opposite: the degree to which a person avoids contact with others, is passive, talks little, or engages as little as possible with other people.

• Openness to experience vs. closedness to experience: The openness to experience factor is related to people who are intuitively curious and flexible in their attitudes, beliefs, values, and ideas. Individuals who are closed to experience are, on the contrary, conventional or conservative.

• Agreeableness vs. antagonism: Agreeableness refers to a friendly relationship with other people; among its characteristics are kindness, cooperation, flexibility in their relationships, etc. Antagonism, on the other hand, is related to people who have competitive characteristics, low tolerance, unpleasantness, among others.

• Conscientiousness vs. lack of conscientiousness: Conscientiousness relates to the degree to which a person is responsible, honest, organized, persevering, and success-oriented. Lack of conscientiousness, on the contrary, refers to unreliable, irresponsible, or careless people.

Big Five test in personnel selection

Various pieces of research have been carried out within the framework of organizational psychology with the main objective of developing tests that make it possible to know the personality of individuals and their level of fit with the profile or characteristics desired for each job position. The purpose of these tests is to predict the performance that a person will have in the work environment.
For personnel selection processes, assessing the personality of candidates is an important factor in decision making.

The various studies and research that have been conducted on the Big Five show positive results regarding the relationship between personality and job performance. Other data found show significant predictions with job satisfaction, career development, and success in job training.

In the area of personnel selection, the Big Five test can predict a person's performance by considering their personality characteristics in the following factors:

• Emotional stability/Neuroticism: People with high emotional stability show patient and calm characteristics and the ability to cope successfully with stressful and tense situations, which positively impacts their job performance. On the other hand, those who score high in neuroticism are temperamental people who frequently have negative feelings, such as sadness or fear, which is very likely to interfere with their work activities.

• Extroversion/Introversion: Those who score high in extraversion present sociable characteristics, enjoy working in groups and relating to others, and tend to be optimistic and assertive. On the other hand, those who score high in introversion are reserved, withdrawn, and avoid relationships with others. Both characteristics have an important impact on job performance, especially for positions that require constant teamwork or contact with people (such as customer service or sales positions).

• Openness to experience/Closedness to experience: Individuals who are highly open to experience have characteristics of adaptation, creativity, and perception. In contrast, those who are closed to experience prefer to obey rules and choose to stay in familiar activities and avoid anything new or change. How these characteristics impact job development depends on the activities performed in each position, since, if it is a position that has to be constantly updated and that continually makes changes in its processes, a person who is closed to experience will not adapt in the same way as someone who is open to it.

• Agreeableness/Antagonism: People who score high on agreeableness indicate a person who is supportive, altruistic, and considerate of others. Those who score high on antagonism, however, tend to be distrustful, suspicious, and reluctant to participate with others. These characteristics are related to teamwork and the participation that a person will have in their work environment.

• Conscientiousness/Lack of conscientiousness: Those who show high scores in conscientiousness have personality characteristics such as persistence, responsibility, a high sense of duty, organization, among others. People who score high in lack of conscientiousness, on the other hand, are careless, do not follow rules, do not pursue results, and do not obey moral principles. These characteristics predict attitudes and behaviors for adequate job performance, or for actions that are counterproductive or go against the company's interests.