How Personality Strengthens (or Fractures) Culture

When we are interviewing candidates for a position, we are looking for two main things: how skilled the candidate is and whether they will be a good fit for the organization. When the individual does not have all of the necessary skills, it is still possible to train them up to success. However, if the candidate is not a good fit for the organization, it can be difficult to integrate them into the team smoothly or effectively.

Every team member contributes to the overall culture of the organization, and when one person does not connect with the rest of the team, it can disrupt the workflow and even lead to conflict or tension. How well employees work together can be just as, if not more, important than how they perform individually because it affects the team’s productivity, the employee’s experience within the company, and the likelihood of them staying at or leaving the organization.

There are several factors that determine how well an individual will fit within the organization, such as personality, values, beliefs, career goals, ability to learn and grow, and more. An individual’s personality is often thought to predict their life outcomes, specifically related to job performance, well-being, and relationship building. Originally introduced by Donald W. Fiske and further developed by numerous researchers, the Five Factor Model of personality (also known as The Big Five) outlines the key traits that shape an individual’s personality. These five traits are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Each trait has a scale that measures an individual’s tendencies from one extreme to the other. For example, the agreeableness trait ranges from overtly hostile and uncooperative to highly trusting and agreeable. Where an individual falls on each of these scales makes up their overall personality. When we are hiring someone onto our team, we are looking at how their personality will interact with the personalities of those already employed by the organization. After all, our team will be spending a lot of time with them if they are offered the position.

Sometimes we can gauge someone’s personality from the interview alone, and other times we need further information to determine how well they would fit within the team. Rather than giving them a simple personality test, which can be easily skewed, I recommend a more in-depth assessment, in combination with the interview, that gives you insight into their work tendencies as well as their personality. For example, the PXT Select is an assessment that measures a candidate’s behavioral traits, interests, and cognitive abilities. The results can then be used for coaching later on if they are hired. Another assessment is the Profiles Performance Indicator, which measures the individual’s job performance and personality traits that could impact their fit with the team. The results can also be used for post-hire coaching or conflict resolution.

While you shouldn’t hire or reject a candidate solely based on their personality, it is an important factor in team dynamics, productivity, and workplace culture. Your employees should be able to balance and support one another, which is why evaluating your entire team can be really helpful. Everyone is looking for a predictable advantage in building the right team and avoiding costly hiring mistakes. Assessments can give you an edge up in the hiring process and help you foster a better culture within your team.

-Meghan Slaughter