The theory is great but how does it work in real life?

Although many people have anxiety before any test of personality potential, we can summarize it with the words of one of our successful clients, who said, “Able people are not afraid to be tested.” We have asked people who regularly use personality testing in their companies about their own experience. It is not surprising that in their mind the synonym for personality testing is a test called EXEC U-TEST, which is the product of Performia.

1. In your opinion what has the biggest value for a company when testing the personality of employees?
2. Could you give us some examples of situations when you got significant help, or your viewpoint changed when testing a personality?

© Lina Patricia Cano Buitrago

Name: Lina Patricia Cano Buitrago
Position: HR Manager
Company: Ark Soluciones Arquitectonicas y Diseño S.A.S. Colombia

They use the EXEC U-TEST: for all people who have applied for work since the day they got access to it. They also test their existing employees. They use the EXEC U-TEST frequently, every time their need to hire increases, and on any level in the company: from operational, low-level positions to high-level executive positions.

1. The benefits of using personality testing are considerable, since we can predict the behaviour of people who are going to work in our company, which minimizes the risk of hiring the wrong people. We can also predict how the hired people will act once hired. Thanks to the system, I have been able to avoid hiring people who could have been a source of problems in the company.
2. We tested an accounting analyst who had been working for us, and we noticed her activity in the test was really high, which was not compatible with the sedentary job she had. We observed that, indeed, she could not stay in her chair for more than half an hour without standing up and walking around the office before going back to her work. I had the opportunity to talk with her, and she told me that even though she was studying public accounting, it was not what she really wanted to do. I asked her what she would prefer, and she told me she’d really like to work in the sales area, since she likes to be in contact with people. Thanks to the test, we were able to detect her discomfort and were ready for her resignation.

Name: Lucie Veverkova
Position: Operations Director
Company: PAS, s.r.o., Czech Republic

© Lucie Veverkova

They use the EXEC U-TEST: for hiring new employees, and always on existing employees after they have been with the company for one year to find out if there are any changes or improvements.

1. We test potential employees 95% of the time, and I see the biggest benefit in the fact that we only invite those candidates for the interview whose personality fits the position we are hiring for and, most importantly, we know in advance what we can expect from them. First, we work with this during the personal interview, and then afterwards we hire them. This means that we know their strong and weak points ahead of time, and then the work itself is simpler. Honestly, I cannot imagine doing an interview without first knowing the test results, because during interviews people can appear very good, and the reality is then somewhat different or, on the other hand, they cannot “sell” themselves but, according to the test and production, they are actually very good. So, the personality tests help us to save some time as we only meet with those selected candidates. On the other hand, that means that sometimes we interview only two or three candidates, which for some people could appear to be too small a sample to choose from.
2. A year ago, we were searching for a management assistant for the company. The job varies a lot, and the person needs to finish a lot of cycles and, in many cases, has to push people to get results. We had a lot of candidates, but almost nobody was really passing the tests. So, in about 14 days we had scheduled only one interview with a young lady, who at first sight looked very quiet, not very aggressive, and I personally could not imagine her in this position at all. However, based on the test she was very active, responsible, communicative, and well organized with a strong drive; she simply fit our picture. Based on her answers she was also productive, and the references ended up good as well. We decided to trust the test and everything that Performia teaches, and she has already been working for us for more than a year and handles everything.

Name: Elena Villarreal
Position: HR Consultant
Company: Harlingen Family Dentistry, USA

© Elena Villarreal

They use the EXEC U-TEST: for everyone who gets on board – new people, people they want to promote to executive positions, and people who want to change from one department to another.

1. Using the EXEC U-TEST really helps me to get an idea about a person, which I relay to the manager of an area. Then he knows how to handle the person better, how to correct this person so the correction really takes place. It also gives me data about the way people like to work – whether they need to be trained first or can be tossed into the swimming pool and allowed to swim. In our area, the training part is very important because we train all the people, so the test helps me to see how to train the person – if the person has a problem learning something, or has fixed ideas, etc. Based on that, I can then warn or prepare the managers and advise them on how to handle it correctly.
2. A few years ago we hired a dentist, despite the test results. I was able to see through the use of the EXEC U-TEST that this doctor would not be a good addition to our office. But he convinced my husband to take him on board, and there was also a desire on our side to help this dentist and get him going. My husband invested a lot of time and effort, only to finally arrive at the decision to let this doctor go. The results were devastating, and the majority of the work done by this doctor had to be redone. If we had not listened to him, but instead had looked at and trusted what we saw in the test, my husband would not have wasted two years trying to help this dentist, and even more time working to fix that dentist’s mistakes. We also generally check references on the person regardless of what the test says.

In my experience, it is almost a golden rule that if you cannot receive references, it is a bad sign. Sure enough, we could not get any references for this dentist, and after the fact it was confirmed that this person left in bad standing with his previous employer. I trust the EXEC U-TEST results 100%.

Name: Gerard Barwell
Position: Managing Director
Company: Silverdrop, Australia

© Gerard Barwell

They use the EXEC U-TEST: before deciding on the selection of any new staff for the company. They have also tested all existing staff.

1. We always use the test prior to making an offer. We no longer hire below a 2.5 score (a scoring system currently piloted in Australia, where 5 is most suitable and 1 is not) no matter our own personal impression of the person or their skills. Those who are above the 2.5 personality score are mostly more willing and easier to manage. Below 2.5 we find more issues to manage than we have resources to cope with. We tried this in the past and realized that it is not worth the hassle in the long run. Team interaction is the key aspect we are looking for. We look at avoiding anyone who might build their own silo. We also look at people’s ability to work independently, as we are a small organization.
2. We have recently been recruiting for a technical consultant. We decided that for this process, due to the small number of applicants, we would use the testing after an initial interview. We liked the person based on the interview; the individual seemed open and friendly. We then tested the person. The results were the opposite of what we thought they would be. After having more internal discussion, we realized there were key tell-tale signs from the interview that we had missed. This person was ranked very low, and we were pleased to change our minds and run with the test results. This has saved us from major future issues, and we have since found the right person for our role, and are happy.