Outlined below are a number of the main psychometric tests measuring elements of personality or values. The purpose in covering these is to shed some light on the application of personality psychometric tests and to identify what they are seeking to evaluate.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

One of the primary personality psychometric tests used in the world is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is a personality preference assessment based on the models of the psychologist Carl Jung. The MBTI is extensively used: for recruitment in the selection process; in team-building, to help employees comprehend themselves, their colleagues and the dynamics of their associations; and also on an individual basis to help the candidate understand how their personality will interact with peers, clients and bosses.

The MBTI asks the candidate to respond to a number of questions where one selection identifies you as belonging to one of four paired traits. The MBTI classifies the individual into a type defined by Jung that is based on 4 bi-polar scales.

The MBTI test takes around 20 minutes to complete. Individuals who undertake the test typically discover it provides a revealing insight into their personality, their preferences and how they relate in relationships and their environment.

Hogan Personality Inventory

The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) is a test that measures personal characteristics that relate to the capacity to be successful at work, in individual relationships, in education and training, and in life. The HPI has been utilised for over 25-years by organisations for estimating employee performance. Designed specifically for the business community, the HPI has assisted them in improving bottom-line outcomes by reducing turnover, absenteeism and inadequate customer service.

The HPI assesses seven core dimensions of the so called 'bright side' of personality. The capacity for individuals to get along with and get ahead of peers become main themes in life. The seven scales of the HPI measure key characteristic traits that relate to these life themes.

The HPI contains 206 items that are answered true or false and has a 15- to 20-minute completion time.

Hogan Motives Values Preferences Inventory

The Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) is a test that unveils a person's core values, goals and their interests. The MVPI uncovers what a person wants to do, rather than what a person may do, in certain situations.

Organisations typically credit their culture as being a source of their success and it is with this in mind that the MVPI was conceived. The MVPI is the only inventory that seeks to measure an individual’s core values and then compares them to the prevailing culture and values of an organisation. Organisations therefore use the MVPI to ensure that a new employee’s values are accordant with those within the organisation.

The MVPI contains 200 items that are keyed agree, uncertain, or disagree and takes between 15 and 20 minutes to complete.

Hogan Development Survey

The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) assesses behavioural disposition that can be obstacles to occupational success. Unlike the HPI, which looks at the ‘bright side’ of personality, the HDS assessment distinguishes tendencies that are often referred to as the ‘dark side’ of the personality.

The HDS consists of eleven dimensions identifying personality traits that can hinder career relationships, productivity, and limit overall career potential. These are referred to as ‘career derailers’. They are embedded in an individual’s personality traits. Under normal circumstances, these behavioural tendencies may well be strengths. However, when an individual is in under stress, tired, pressured, or distracted, these eleven performance risk factors can impede effectiveness and erode the quality of relationships with clients and colleagues. The HDS is the only business-related inventory that measures these dysfunctional traits.

The HDS consist of 168 items that are keyed true and false and takes approximately 15 and 20 minutes to complete.

16PF

Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors (16PF) test is a commonly used system for categorising and defining personality. The 16PF instrument has been used for over 40 years in a range of applications, including hiring and promotion recommendations, through to couples' counseling,

The 16PF assesses five primary scales of management that forecast management potential and method. In this way the 16PF helps with personnel selection and occupational development. It can also be used for vocational guidance to help an individual identify occupations for which they are best satisfied by.

Unlike the MBTI, the 16PF defines our underlying personality, irrespective of how we apply it or the surroundings in which we apply it. The integration of 16PF factors enable the individual to recognize the "real them", the one that is underneath their outward self, which has been created through a person’s upbringing and surroundings.

The 16PF contains 185 multiple-choice questions and takes between 35 and 50 minutes to complete.

A final word

The results of psychometric tests are typically delivered via a report that provides a summary on what has been assessed and the underlying data results. They do not usually contain any interpretive information as it is deemed a violation of professional ethics to supply a psychometric assessment without person-to-person follow-up verification by a qualified practitioner, such as a Chartered Occupational Psychologist.