Reconsidering the Use of Personality Tests in Personnel Selection Contexts

Bibliographic Data

ID23328804
AuthorsFrederick P Morgeson (0000-0001-6858-2594, Michigan State University, corresponding author), Michael A Campion (0000-0001-7066-2788, Purdue University West Lafayette), Robert L Dipboye (University of Central Florida), John R Hollenbeck (0000-0003-4558-9472, Michigan State University), Kevin R Murphy (0000-0001-5715-3604, Pennsylvania State University), Kevin Murphy (0000-0001-8982-3641), Neal Schmitt (0000-0002-2806-348X, Michigan State University)
Year2007
Volume60
Issue3
Pages683-729
Publication date2007-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePersonnel Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0031-5826 • E-ISSN: 1744-6570
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00089.x
OpenAlexW2103608739
LanguageEN
Citations received81
References cited156

Although long thought to be unrelated to job performance, research in the early 1990s provided evidence that personality can predict job performance. Accompanying this research was a resurgence of interest in the use of personality tests in high‐stakes selection environments. Yet there are numerous potential problems associated with the current operational use of personality. As such, 5 former journal editors from Personnel Psychology and the Journal of Applied Psychology (2 primary outlets for such research), who have collectively reviewed over 7,000 manuscripts and who have no vested interest in personality testing, reconsider the research on the use of personality tests in environments where important selection decisions are made. Their comments are based on a panel discussion held at the 2004 SIOP conference. Collectively, they come to several conclusions. First, faking on self‐report personality tests cannot be avoided and perhaps is not the issue; the issue is the very low validity of personality tests for predicting job performance. Second, as such, using published self‐report personality tests in selection contexts should be reconsidered. Third, personality constructs may have value for employee selection, but future research should focus on finding alternatives to self‐report personality measures.

Big Five personality traits · Job performance · Job satisfaction · Management · Personality · Personality Assessment Inventory · Personality psychology · Personality test · Personnel selection · Psychometrics · Selection (genetic algorithm) · Test validity · Value (mathematics) · Applied Psychology · Artificial Intelligence · Clinical Psychology · Computer Science · Emotional Intelligence and Performance · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Personality Traits and Psychology · Psychology · Social Psychology

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