What are the purposes of the HEXACO personality test?
Personality tests are a very common step in the pre-employment process, allowing hiring managers to get a comprehensive picture of candidates' characteristics. Due to their significant predictive ability, personality tests can also be useful in understanding how a candidate will behave on the job months or years after they have taken the test.
For example, high scores on the Conscientiousness dimension typically mean that the candidate will be detail-oriented and plan their work ahead of time. Similarly, if an applicant gets a low score on Emotionality, it means they are likely to tolerate stress well and work independently.
Although certain dimensions of the HEXACO model may be more or less relevant to particular job roles, the overall personality test is appropriate for all candidates applying to work with you.
Understanding their personality profiles will not only help you choose the best fit for the role but also manage and motivate your future employees in a way that will enable them to perform optimally.
How does the HEXACO personality test work?
The HEXACO personality model is one of the most widely used conceptualizations of personality in psychology. It provides an accurate and reliable way to assess individuality, and employers recognize it as an effective way of assessing potential employees. The test can also be used to help identify areas in which an employee may need more support.
Each of the 24 narrow traits is measured via three statements asking candidates to rate the degree to which they agree with the described behavior on a five-point scale. The statements have been developed following best practices, to make sure candidates do not feel social pressure to answer a certain way.
While developing the test, a pilot study was conducted on a representative sample of job candidates. The data collected was used to calculate group norms which helped establish the percentiles you will see as the candidates' results for each of the 24 traits. The percentiles are meant to indicate where a candidate sits on a particular characteristic in comparison to other test takers.
We also provide information about how that individual is likely to behave, together with a recommended question for further assessment during a potential follow-up interview.
To get a comprehensive overview of a candidate's fit for the role, we strongly advise combining this test with the other assessments we offer, such as aptitude tests.
