Using Personality Tests for Personnel Selection

Based upon a presentation at the SIOP Conference in 2004, Personnel Psychology (Autumn 2007 and Winter 2007) published a provocative series of articles on use of the personality assessments for personnel selection. As an initial salvo, Fred Morgeson and colleagues wrote an article quite critical of using personality-based assessments for selection, citing concerns with the impact of faking on self-report inventories and the low criterion-related validity estimates that are often found. As might be expected, this proved to be quite provocative and was picked up by a number of media outlets. Both this critique and the press reaction have also been of significant interest to ATP members.

The following issue of Personnel Psychology (Winter 2007) contained two replies disputing a number of assertions made in the paper (one by Robert Tett & Neil Christensen and another by Deniz Ones and others) plus a rejoinder from the original authors. This series of articles is a “must read” for anyone interested in the use of personality testing for selection purposes and is likely to be discussed and cited for many years to come.