Assessment Big Five Profile Personality Test
Organizations are constantly trying to improve the performance and productivity in the workplace. Although the strategies and practices are similar, the way employees react to them are widely varied. This brings in the need to understand the five profile personality test of employees and what makes them behave the way they do.
One of the most effective tools to test workplace performance and behavior is the Big Five Profile personality test, derived from the Five Factor Model. Having a deeper, personality-level understanding of employees can help managers and coworkers better relate to them, create trust and cultivate a healthy workplace culture.
The Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five Profile personality test measures five categories of personality traits which are significantly supported by research. All five factors represent a value between two extremes.
The five factors are:
1) Openness
This trait measures characteristics such as insight and imagination. People who score high on openness tend to be curious, eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences. They also tend to have a broad range of interests. People low on this trait tend to be more traditional and may struggle with abstract processes.
People who are more open tend to have an easier time adapting to changes in the workplace. They usually are effective leaders and perform steadily over a long period of time.
2) Conscientiousness
This trait measures thoughtfulness, impulse-control and goal-directed behaviors. People who are highly conscientious tend to be mindful of details and well-organized. They tend to think about how their behavior affects other, plan ahead and are mindful of deadlines.
In the workplace, those who highly conscientious are more likely to have high levels of job-related knowledge since they tend to learn more. However, they may not be very adaptable and may put work before anything else.
3) Extraversion
Extraversion measures if an individual is sociable, excitable, assertive and emotional. People who are highly extroverted tend to be outgoing and gain energy by socializing. People who are introverted, on the other hand, tend to be more reserved and feel drained of energy in social settings.
At the workplace, extroverts tend to take charge of situations and have strong leadership ability. However, they may be highly impulsive.
4) Agreeableness
This trait measures prosocial behaviors like trust, kindness, affection and altruism. People who are highly agreeable tend to be more cooperative whereas those who are not, tend to be highly competitive and sometimes manipulative.
In a workplace, highly agreeable people tend to be liked, they follow rules easily, are less likely to be involved in workplace disruptions and have higher job satisfaction. Those who are less agreeable may tend to exhibit disruptive behavior.
5) Neuroticism
This trait is characterized by moodiness, sadness and emotional instability. Those who score low in neuroticism tend to be stable and emotionally resilient whereas those who score high tend to experience annoyance, mood swings and anxiety.
At the workplace, those who have high neuroticism score may tend towards burning out quickly since they find it difficult to manage emotions. Those who are low experience low stress levels, high job satisfaction and can deal with a fast-paced environment.
Impact on Leadership and Job Performance
The Big Five Profile personality test can largely influence leadership effectiveness and how a leader influences employees’ job performance since they are in tune with how the personalities of each team member differ. When the leaders know their employees’ inclinations, strengths and weaknesses, they can utilize that information to map them to the right roles, support them using the right approach and keep them motivated.
The Big Five personality test offered by Central Test measures these five dominant traits in individuals and maps their influence on performance and behavior in the workplace.
