How Personality Traits Predict Job Performance

Author: Verity Ratcliffe

In Aotearoa New Zealand, as elsewhere, the workplace is rapidly evolving. Political and economic pressures, technological advances, and shifting societal norms are driving significant changes in how we identify talent. It's no longer enough to focus solely on skills and experience during the selection process. Many of our clients tell us that qualities like communication, teamwork, resilience, and openness to learning are increasingly critical to predict fit and long-term organisational success. This is where personality assessments come into their own.

Personality assessments provide insight into a candidate's natural tendencies, preferences, and work style. Unlike CVs and interviews, which often focus on past achievements, these assessments offer insights into how an individual is likely to behave in future scenarios. One of the most widely used and scientifically validated models is the Big Five personality model. Let's take a look at how these five traits can help predict job performance and guide your selection process.

The Big Five

The Big Five model comprises five broad dimensions that provide a holistic view of personality and give insight into how someone is likely to show up at work:

1. Emotional Stability 
2. Extraversion
3. Agreeableness
4. Conscientiousness
5. Openness to Experience

Among the Big Five, conscientiousness stands out as the most consistent predictor of job performance across various roles and industries. While conscientiousness has the strongest predictive power, the other Big Five traits are also predictive and add to your candidate picture. A comprehensive, robust and valid personality assessment, with a relevant comparison population / norm group (e.g. Aotearoa NZ working adults), will add incremental validity to your selection process, provide a more nuanced understanding of a candidate’s potential, and deeper insight into how they are likely to behave at work.

Different roles require different personality traits. For example, in a sales position it might be beneficial to be more extraverted and open to new ideas, while in an accounting role conscientiousness and attention to detail could be prioritised. Personality assessments allow you to tailor your hiring criteria to the specific needs of each role.

How you include a personality assessment into your hiring process is important.

We recommend the following:

1. Consider the specific demands of the role.
2. Choose scientifically developed tools that are reliable and valid in selection contexts.
3. Remember that while personality is important, it's just one factor in predicting job performance.
4. Use personality assessments as a supplement to other selection tools, not as the sole data point.

In today's rapidly changing workplace environment, personality assessments are becoming an increasingly valuable tool when identifying talent. The goal isn't to find the "perfect" personality, but to identify individuals whose natural tendencies align with the requirements of the role and your organisational culture. By leveraging these insights, you can make more informed hiring decisions, setting both new hires and your organisation up for success.

Photo credits: iStock.com/sarbiewski

Need more information? Contact the Winsborough Team:
winsborough.co.nz | 0800 222 061 | support@winsborough.co.nz