Personality Tests: Proceed With Caution

In a world where dating services promise to identify ideal mates through personality tests, it’s tempting for employers to imagine the same might be true for identifying ideal employees. Indeed, roughly 30% of all companies, including big names like Wal*Mart and General Motors, subject their applicants and employees to some sort of personality test. Judicial decisions, however, illustrate the risks employers assume by using and relying on such tests for employment decisions. This article surveys the use of personality tests historically, their purported benefits to employers, and the potential liability associated with the tests. Any employer utilizing a personality test to screen individuals for employment or promotion, should review its use of the test in light of the recommendations outlined below.