In the News

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March 5, 2021  | Georgia Chao | President of SIOP

HBO Max Documentary on Personality Tests Fails: SIOP Responds HBO Max and CNN Films recently released a documentary titled: Persona: The dark truth behind personality tests. 

The documentary makes a number of assertions that are inaccurate, potentially undermining good science and practice involving uses of personality assessments in the workplace. The film focuses on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and correctly communicates that the types were not designed, nor should they be used, to make hiring or other high-stakes decisions. However, the focus on how the MBTI can create problems for individuals and organizations obscures the fact that there is a body of research that supports the use of personality assessments to inform decision making. Scientific research clearly shows that personality assessments developed according to modern professional standards can predict which job applicants are most likely to become successful performers, be more satisfied in their job, and less likely to quit, without unfair discrimination. 

Unfortunately, the film conflates MBTI and scientifically valid personality assessments such that most viewers will not understand the distinction. Scientifically based, professionally developed Big 5-based assessments and their variants are not medical diagnostic tools and cannot be used to diagnose or detect mental health conditions. Test questions are screened for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The film depicts personality assessment as a single source of information used by organizations. In practice, any single assessment is rarely used as the sole source of information for hiring decisions. The field of industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology specializes in the implementation of scientifically valid assessments in the workplace. We study the requirements for success in jobs and help organizations evaluate candidates against those job requirements, using assessments as the most effective and proven method. I-O psychology was inaccurately described as supporting only organizational operations and profits. Rather, I-O psychology addresses workplace issues to protect and improve careers and lives of individuals, and to enhance the effectiveness of teams and organizations. A major focus for the field is to promote fairness, equity, and unbiased decision making in organizations. When used as part of a job-related approach to assessment, personality assessments increase compliance with guidelines for ensuring fair and non-discriminatory hiring outcomes that organizations are legally held accountable to. 

We do not advocate for the use of general personality assessments without proper methods to relate specific traits measured on the assessments to job requirements, and without proper validation evidence showing that they predict job-relevant outcomes. This distinction is what sets scientifically valid assessments apart from MBTI and others. There is a dark side to personality assessments, or indeed any assessment, when they are not used responsibly or researched properly. However, there is also a bright side to personality assessments when used in an appropriate, evidence-based manner, by well-trained professionals. 

A Commentary on SIOP's March 5, 2021 Post.

We often get questions about the use of assessments, particularly in hiring. Some are afraid that the process will cause disparaging impact; however, when you use the proper assessment battery (the key here is 'battery' - meaning multiple assessments evaluating a variety of skills, characteristics, and abilities), you actually reduce bias and risk of creating a disparaging impact and improve your ability to hire the right talent for each position.  Please see our most recent blog post to learn more https://sparknu.com/blog-%26-other-news/f/reduce-risk-and-enhance-organizational-performance-how-adding-as 

There are a lot of assessments in the market. Many have not been developed for hiring, nor have they gone through the proper validation or peer review processes. These are critical steps to ensuring that the assessments being used are accurate and credible. As you'll notice from the SIOP response noted below, there is a true science behind valid assessments. However, any instrument, when misused, can cause unintended harm. 

Therefore, when considering the use of assessments in your organization, you should vet the instruments thoroughly, and you should consult with someone whose expertise is in psychology and who has been trained in administering and interpreting assessments properly. This requires a minimum of a Master's Degree (ideally Ph.D.) in Clinical, Counseling, Educational or I-O Psychology. These individuals are not simply certified; they go through thousands of hours of training and supervision by experts in the field. 

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page if you have other questions about the assessment process.  If those still don't answer your questions, we'd be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.  Please email us at info@sparknu.com