Humans have different ways of thinking and behaving that differentiate us from one another. We have always been tempted to create personality types or models that suit others and ourselves to better self-understanding.
Hiring potential collaborators in an organization means testing the person to evaluate their ability to perform the tasks that will be assigned to them. Therefore, it is important and necessary to understand what type of individuals we are dealing with and who we are about to leave in a position within our company.
Modern psychology has understood this need and has developed the so-called personality tests. The MBTI personality test is one of these variants and has become very popular in various contexts, including business (personnel selection).
The purpose of the MBTI test is to increase the self-confidence of the person completing the questionnaire and to provide possible guidance, for example, on career choice or compatibility with others. Therefore, the test is also used for career counseling, helping to identify the contributions that each candidate can make and whether they fit the motivational or aptitudinal requirements of a specific position.
How was the MBTI test born?
The origin of the MBTI personality test dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, the precursor of analytical psychology, established the concepts of introversion and extroversion as fundamental aspects of personality.
People who tend to be introverted are primarily interested in their inner world. On the other hand, more extroverted people look outward. Jung, meanwhile, established and identified four basic cognitive functions in the human being; thinking, feeling, intuition and perception. Combining these four aspects, he described eight personality types.
Based on these approaches presented by Jung, different people dedicated to psychology and research sought to give depth to these thoughts. Therefore, in 1962, Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Myers Briggs published a study where they referred to the MBTI, a tool used to analyze and define 16 types of personalities present in people.
How to take the 16 personalities test or MBTI?
The MBTI test is completed by answering a questionnaire, which usually contains 60 to 90 questions. Each question has two possible answers. Depending on the number of answers, people can identify one of 16 personality types. There are no wrong answers here, and personalities are not better or worse than others; they merely categorize and provide characteristics unique to each person.
The questionnaire itself consists of questions arranged according to four different scales:
- Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I). Extroverted people tend to be more action-oriented; social interaction is frequent, and they enjoy it; they also feel full of vitality when spending time with others. On the other hand, introverts are thought-oriented people, seek deep and truly meaningful interactions, and like to spend time alone. We all exhibit some extroversion and introversion, but most of us tend to prefer one form or the other.
- Sensing (S) – Intuition (N). Individuals who have a preference for sensing tend to pay special attention to what they perceive and understand through their senses; they also enjoy gaining experience through practice. Intuitive people, on the other hand, are more aware of things; they like to think about the future and imagine it to address different possibilities.
- Thinking (T) – Feeling (F). This aspect evaluates people’s decision-making. Individuals focused on thinking use to give more importance to objective facts and figures and tend to be consistent, logical, and objective when weighing decisions. On the other hand, those who enjoy feelings are more considerate of their own and others’ sensitivities and feelings.
- Judging (J) – Perceiving (P). People who tend to judge prefer structure and firm decisions. Perceptive people are more flexible, adaptable, and open.
Myers Briggs’ 16 personality types.
After completing the questionnaire, the person obtains a combination of four letters (each letter corresponds to one of the aspects above). There are 16 possible combinations corresponding to the 16 personalities below:
- The Inspector: They are individuals with characteristics of realistic, reasonable, responsible people. They are orderly and seek to define procedures in their daily lives.
- The Protector: They are meticulous people in search of precision and loyalty. They are courageous and dedicated, willing to protect others.
- The Advocate: They are intuitive, creative, and visionary individuals. They possess strong values on which they can rely and an excellent organizational attitude.
- The Architect: They rely heavily on their logic and the theory they have acquired over time. They tend to have high performance, seek to implement long-term perspectives and goals, and are natural planners.
- The Artisan: They are pragmatic in finding solutions to various problems, independent, and enjoy the experience as a learning method.
- The Problem Solver: They are calm, flexible, and spontaneous. They seek to manage their own space independently.
- The Mediator: This type of individual is characterized by being idealistic, artistic, and with a high level of creativity.
- The Thinker: They are analytical and calm, with a high concentration and logical thinking level.
- The Persuasive: They are extroverted, energetic, flexible, and with a good sense of humor. They seek to concentrate on the here and now.
- The Interpreter: They are individuals with a great capacity to adapt to new realities. They tend to be spontaneous and extroverted.
- The Champion: They are human beings with a high degree of imagination, are welcoming and charismatic, and enjoy working with their creativity.
- The Polemicist: They are individuals who are always looking for novelty, seek opportunities at all times, and have relevant strategic skills to achieve their objectives.
- The Director: They are agile decision-makers, very efficient, very rule-oriented, and have excellent logical thinking skills.
- The Caregiver: These individuals seek total harmony in their environment and are understanding, loyal and kind people with good emotional intelligence.
- The Deliverer: This type of person is characterized by loyalty and empathy. They are very understanding and generous, as well as good leaders.
- The Commander: They have a high capacity for strategy and are decisive when learning and applying new knowledge. They are facilitators and decisive people.
In conclusion, the MBTI is a psychometric test designed to describe and know each person’s personality traits, helping to understand and improve their strengths and weaknesses. The above aspects help when choosing between two or more candidates when a profile seems to match what is sought. A personality assessment related to a job position, besides professional skills and similar experiences, can contribute to making an appropriate decision with the demands within an organization.
At evalart we have a wide variety of important tests in the selection processes, including personality tests, which you can review in our catalogue.