Personality You can have too much of a good thing…

Dr. Richard A MacKinnon Head of Learning & Development Solutions

Overview

•  What does personality tell us about candidates?

•  How should we use it?

•  The nature of Derailment

•  Strengths and unintended consequences

•  Managing Derailment risks

What does personality data tell us?

What does personality data tell us?

•  An indication of how a candidate is likely to behave

•  It augments the data from ability tests

•  Results should be prefaced with “all things being equal…”

•  All things are not equal!

•  They represent hypotheses to be tested at interview

•  These data are not for “selecting out”

How should we use Personality data in selection?

How to use personality data

•  To inform competency-based interviews

•  For comparison against pre-defined “ideal” profiles

•  To identify alignment with role requirements, culture

•  To identify strengths and development areas

•  To feed back into selection criteria for subsequent intakes

•  As part of feedback to unsuccessful candidates

Can you have too much of a good thing?

•  Put simply, yes.

•  Employers typically adopt a threshold approach to selecting employees.

•  This is represented by looking for “just enough” or “more than” on a range of personality traits.

•  Unless used mindfully, this approach neglects the risks associated with “too much” of some aspects of personality.

•  These form the basis for either career limiters or derailers.

The nature of Derailment

Derailment

•  Fundamentally, an over-reliance on key strengths •  Reinforced behaviours, over-used or in wrong context •  Derailment doesn’t occur instantly or in a vacuum •  Usually, “blame” needs to be shared by various parties •  Derailment factors represent risks not inevitabilities

Derailment

•  Derailment can be facilitated in various ways, including:

•  You recruit “extreme” personalities and let them run amok in the organisation

•  Your high potential programmes exacerbate pre-existing negative behaviours

•  Lack of rounded development leaves employees unprepared for significant organisational or contextual change

Derailment: An example of unintended

consequences…

Is Derailment even relevant for graduates?

Is derailment even relevant for graduates?

•  Overwhelming, yes!

•  You can unintentionally set them up for later derailment through

•  Talent attraction messages •  Selection criteria •  Reinforced behaviours •  Performance management •  Provision of development support

What are employers looking for?

Our analysis of graduate role profile templates illustrates that graduate recruiters consistently emphasise some personality traits over others

Most important Moderately Important Least Important

Conscientious Methodical Supportive Communicative Decisive Consultative

Influencing Achievement-oriented Relaxed Socially Confident Flexible Resilient

Analytical Conceptual Creative

Derailment could be facilitated by:

•  Ignoring clear behavioural issues while “performance” is excellent

•  Encouraging development and focus on a sub-set of traits, rather than a more rounded development plan

•  Rewarding attainment of KPIs and ignoring “softer” development needs

•  Waiting until too late before engaging in development or addressing unhelpful behaviours

Derailment in Action

“Career Limiters” and “Derailers”

•  Certain clusters of behavioural preferences can be actively encouraged by organisations, but can simultaneously represent “double-edged swords”.

•  Our model posits two ends of each scale:

•  “Career limiters” represent clusters of behaviour which can serve to delay or even prevent career advancement

•  “Derailers” are behaviours which can bring a promising career to an early end

Derailment risks

Hyper-sensitivity Isolation Eccentricity Iconoclasm

Exhibitionism Over-confidence

Over-dependence

Micro-Management

Hyper-sensitivity

Lacking sensitivity and subtlety of perception

Shrewd perception and

judgment

Emotional fragility, anxiety, paranoia

Eccentricity

Conservative thinking, sticks to convention,

“lazy” thinking

Unconventional, creative,

develops novel ideas

Poor listeners, focused on novelty over substance

Iconoclasm

Too passive and complacent, swayed by majority, focused

on others’ opinions

Tough-minded, able to break with convention, make difficult decisions

Excessive rule-breaking, intolerant and insensitive to

others

Over-confidence

Modest, avoiding leadership roles, avoiding competition

and negotiation

Confidence, self-belief, drive and competitiveness,

positive self-concept

Arrogance, lack of self-awareness or own limitations, need to win and eclipse others

Micro-management

Unreliable and careless in detail, rules and processes. Rely on spontaneity rather

than planning

Highly methodical and structured,

paying attention to data and evidence.

Conscientious.

Inflexible adherence to rules,

details and processes.

Analysis paralysis.

Managing the Risk of Derailment

Managing the Risk of Derailment

•  We can minimise the risk of Derailment through:

•  Managing expectation of applicants

•  Using data-driven role-profiles

•  Providing structured and balanced on-boarding feedback

Managing Expectations

•  We can sometimes make problems for ourselves by over-selling the roles that applicants will actually fill

•  Role descriptions and other messaging can (and do!) impact who applies

•  We can be over-optimistic about the responsibilities they can reasonably be expected to take on

•  We can present a sunny-side up picture of the organisation and the role

•  Consider presenting a more balanced picture and emphasise the hard work but also the rewards.

•  Presenting a more realistic preview of an employee’s journey through the ranks allows them to picture how their potential can be realised

Data-driven role profiles

•  Be sensitive to the potential downside of what look like strengths.

•  Consider what sort of profiles you are selecting against and keep an eye out for extreme personalities.

•  They shouldn't be a sole deciding factor, but should be factored in to on-boarding and development activities

•  Consider the design of assessment exercises in assessment centres

•  Use a data-driven approach to developing role profiles - as opposed to gut feel.

Provision of onboarding feedback

•  Recognition of both strengths and development areas

•  Flag up “extreme” personality traits to increase awareness

•  Ensure graduates have a realistic perspective of what is required and what is acceptable

•  Ensure alignment with your colleagues in Learning & Development

Linking Recruitment and Development

Robust selection methods

On-boarding and development exploration

Identification of Potential

Development Support

Validation and Feedback into

selection

Key take-aways

Key take-aways

•  You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to personality

•  We can unintentionally set up graduates for future derailment

•  Use of data-driven profiles, clear messaging and development can help manage these risks

•  Reflection on what actually predicts success is required

•  Use personality data mindfully

Thank you.

richardmackinnon@talentq.co.uk