Why personality matters in a job?

Personality is something that we all have. Like our DNA, is something that makes us unique.

We are all different, in the way we act, think, and feel. Personality is shown in the consistency of our behaviour, how we see the world and becomes part of who we are and how others see us.

Each individual has their own unique trait constellation.

Each individual has their own unique trait constellation. It is impossible to categorize personality completely since people are too complex to be categorized into rigorous types. However, certain traits can be measured in a continuum through reliable and scientifically validated personality tests.

But, be aware that there are always exceptions to the rules. Opposing behaviours of a particular trait (e.g., extroversion vs. introversion) might be simultaneously found in a person (e.g., ambiversion). There is a relative degree between these opposing behaviours and it might not be 100% one or the other.

Personality matters because, as humans, we naturally need to express our traits as it leads to individual satisfaction.

Personality matters because, as humans, we naturally need to express our traits as it leads to individual satisfaction. Failure to express these leads to negative emotions. A person will seek out and be satisfied with tasks, people, and organisational features that provide opportunities to express his or her unique set of personality traits.

Personality has been linked to work for several years. Today, work and what it means for a person, is more important than ever. It is not about just earning money to cover bills. Rather, is part of our identity and contributes to our Self-Actualization, Esteem and Belongingness needs. These are part of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the most researched motivational theory in psychology.

This means that work plays a crucial part in our lives.

But what kind of work?

Behaviour at work is not only specified in terms of what we can do but also how we do it. Anyone can write an article like this one, but some people will have a narrative writing style while others will have an expository style (e.g., there are studies that link personality with writing styles and handwriting).

Some individuals like to work in an orderly manner, others in a more chaotic scenario; some communicate in an empathetic style, others in an authoritarian style; some are resilient under pressure, whilst others appear less so. Personality affects how we approach a task, how satisfying we find a task or an environment, and how we relate with others.

Personality affects how we approach a task, how satisfying we find a task or an environment, and how we relate with others.

Nevertheless, these traits do not dictate in absolute your behaviour at work. Back to the example of writing the article: your writing style might be expository, but if required, you can have a narrative approach. Anyone can engage in behaviours that might be considered ideal for a given work setting, but such behaviours come more easily to individuals with certain basic dispositions.

Behaviours come more easily to individuals with certain basic dispositions.

A Personality Test is a tool that supports the process of discovery and self-awareness throughout your life. eikko's Personality Test allows you to find a job that matches your basic dispositions, which leads to more job engagement.

Any trait can bring value to a situation and a job. For a candidate, the Personality Test should be used to help find their ideal job, one where the candidate can express their personality traits without any constraint. For companies, personality should be considered in the hiring process to have an employee that is productive and satisfied.