Personality Assessments As A Workforce Diversity Tool
RM302 p30-35 Features.qxd3/7/0806:04 PMPage 30Personality Assessments asa Workforce Diversity ToolBy Sandra K. Collins, MBA, Brandy Sord, Caleigh Griffin, and Lora BorgesThe credit earned from the Quick CreditTMtest accompanying this article may beapplied to the AHRA certified radiologyadministrator (CRA) humanresource management domain.EXSEUCUTIMMARVEY Employee recruitment, retention, and workforce diversity are essential ingredients in a successful radiology department. Since potential new hires andexisting employees do not come with labels which accurately describe theirinnate characteristics, radiology managers need to use objective tools suchas personality assessments in order to properly evaluate prospectiveemployment candidates. These tools have traditionally been under utilized in the healthcare industry,but when used as part of a complete employee selection program theyhave the potential of ensuring a cohesive radiology department filled withdiverse and skilled professionals.There are numerous factors that contribute to making aradiology department function properly. Among thesefactors are effective and efficient employee recruitment andretention efforts. However, workforce diversity is an essentialingredient, as well, and not merely in the traditional form ofculture, race, religion, or gender. In this regard, diversity isused in terms of varying employee personalities, strengths,and weaknesses found within the organization and withineach internal department. Unfortunately, potential employeesdo not come with labels which accurately describe theirinnate characteristics. Therefore, objective tools such as personality assessments are needed in order to properly evaluateprospective candidates. Legal concerns and time constraints withstanding, use of personality assessments as a workforce diversity tool will aid in building an integrated department culture which values the varying skills and attributes of every employee.The result is a radiology department with high levels of employee retentionand satisfaction.30MARCH/APRIL 2008Using Personality AssessmentsMuch of the success of a radiology department depends oneffective interactions among coworkers and patients. Theway employees interact with each other, as well as with thepatient is a key determinant to overall organizational success.Therefore, radiology managers must evaluate the characteristics and personality attributes of potential hires carefully.The process of hiring new employees should be no lessintense than purchasing a new piece of equipment.1 Someorganizations take this philosophy to heart and spend asmuch as 150 hours interviewing potential candidates beforeextending a job offer. At first blush, this may seem excessive,but research shows the time not dedicated to finding theright person the first time will be spent ten-fold in trying tomake the wrong person effective and efficient, recompensingfor lost productivity, correcting learning curve errors,RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENT
RM302 p30-35 Features.qxd3/7/0806:04 PMPage 31Personality testing is a 400 million industry and numerous corporations are reported to spend significant organizational funds onuncovering the personality characteristics of current employeeshoping to duplicate the attitudes and characteristics of thoseemployees which are their best performers.disciplining and termination efforts, and eventually beingforced to start all over again with another new employee.2Hiring a candidate that adds strategic diversity to the radiology department requires a structured employee selectionprogram.2 Careful attention should be placed on not placingtoo much emphasis on the traditional forms of candidateevaluation such as the employment application or the faceto-face interview.3 These methods do not produce goodresults in terms of predicting the future performance of aprospective employee.1 However, objective measurementtools in the form of personality tests are useful and necessaryto effectively recruit employees with diverse personalities.Nevertheless, personality assessments are not used in thehealthcare field nearly as much as in the regular business sector. Approximately 65% of organizations in the regular business industry use personality assessments as part of theiremployee selection processes.4 They are used by Fortune 100companies to test applicants ranging from entry level personnel to chief executive officers. Personality testing is a 400million industry and numerous corporations are reported tospend significant organizational funds on uncovering thepersonality characteristics of current employees hoping toduplicate the attitudes and characteristics of those employeeswhich are their best performers.5 The general industry consensus is that a greater investment needs to be made in theinitial hiring phase so the larger long term investment oftraining will be prudently saved.2In terms of diversity, merely evaluating the personality ofpotential new hires alone is probably not sufficient. Theresults of potential new hires should be correlated with thepersonality assessments of existing employees to assure thereis adequate diversity within the group. Personality conflictsamong the group can expand to larger problems which canoften times negatively impact patient care. Since everyemployee has their own unique personality with varyingbackground experiences, they can interpret situations differently. These, along with the demands of their individual lifesituations, varying developmental stages in life, and eachindividual’s inborn dispositions create behavior influencingfactors which radiology managers should be aware of beforeextending employment offers to new candidates.6 Commonpersonalities may make employees get along better, but maynot create the appropriate mix of personalities needed toreceive the benefits of true creativity and innovation. This isthe foundation for workforce diversity efforts. Most managers have a tendency to hire people who are similar to themselves and studies show that over 60% of all managers registeras Thinkers-Judgers on personality assessments. If this statistic is accurate, hiring only those who are similar to the manager would result in a group largely comprised of individualswith a high propensity to be “take charge,” which could leadto a variety of conflicts and interpersonal problems.7Astute radiology managers will avoid the temptation tohire individuals similar to themselves by attempting to hirethose that have complimentary but different characteristicsor personalities. By using personality testing as part of theemployee selection process, radiology managers can formwork teams that have varying educational levels, gender,races, ages, and innate personality characteristics whichstrengthen each other and aid in better department communication.8 Assuring different types of radiology professionalsare within the department creates an environment filled withvarying personalities and offers a wide variety of experienceand knowledge. These differences allow for a synergisticexchange of ideas in the creation of problem solutions andcontinuous quality improvement. Furthermore, having adiverse array of personalities in the workplace can foster creativity which assures the radiology department will maintaina competitive advantage in the ever increasingly complicatedhealthcare marketplace.7Assessing Personality TraitsHiring decisions are made based on 3 particular areas: personality traits, personal experience, and potential teamchemistry. The best candidate should be a good match withCommon personalities may make employees get along better, but maynot create the appropriate mix of personalities needed to receive thebenefits of true creativity and innovation.RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENTMARCH/APRIL 200831
RM302 p30-35 Features.qxd3/7/0806:04 PMPage 32Personality Assessments as a Workforce Diversity ToolResearch shows that 95% of hiring decisions are made basedon personality. Only 5% are based on the qualificationsof the candidates.the department in all 3 areas. Most experts agree that ifthere is one area that can be sacrificed it is the personalexperience area. This is largely because if a good match inpersonality traits and team chemistry exists, training thepotential candidate will be fairly easy. Conversely, if a candidate has a low team chemistry or personality trait match,all the experience in the world is typically not going to makethem a successful member of the radiology department.Teaching a willing employee new technical skills is merely atraining issue, but it is potentially impossible to train individual attitude problems out of an employee.9 Researchshows that 95% of hiring decisions are made based onpersonality. Only 5% are based on the qualifications of thecandidates.2 To the degree that personality assessments canappropriately measure an employee’s personality traits,radiology managers can potentially lower the possibility ofextending employment offers to candidates with negativeand counterproductive behaviors when using these objective employee selection tools.9Types of Personality AssessmentsIn a market of approximately 8000 different personalityassessments, the potentially most common personality testavailable is the Meyers Briggs Typology Instrument (MBTI).10This particular instrument has been used over 2 milliontimes and has been reported to be accurate in terms ofidentifying an individual’s personality approximately 80% ofthe time. The MBTI has been changed and modified numerous times since its 1942 inception. The questions have beenslightly modernized and changed to account for socialchanges and gender equality, thereby increasing the reliabilityand accuracy of the instrument. Therefore, there are manyversions of the MBTI that are accessible. The key attributesthis particular test measures are energy, perception, judgment, and orientation. The results of this test can allow radiology managers to determine how well the prospectiveemployee will fit within the department and the position.It is also useful as an aid to help all employees understandeach other better. This factor alone could result in a diminishment of conflict within the department.11Another prestigious personality test is the Big FiveModel, otherwise known as, the Five Factor Model (FFM).This particular test is known for describing individual dispositions or traits which are assumed to underlie personalityand to be able to predict a broad range of behavior. This testoriginated back in the 1930s and seeks to identify certainpoints including extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.This test compares those 5 personality characteristics to 3job performance characteristics including job proficiency,training proficiency, and personnel data. The results of thistest show if there is a suitable match between the naturalcharacteristics of the candidate and those which are neededfor the position.12The Benefits of Using PersonalityAssessmentsAlthough the time required to conduct personality testsand the associative costs might be prohibitive at firstglance, the potential decrease in employee turnover isworth the effort. Rather than going through numerouscandidates before finding one that is suitable for the position within the radiology department, managers will morelikely be able to hire the right person the first time savingtime and money in the long run. There is also the possibility that learning curve errors caused by new employeeswould be reduced, thereby increasing the quality of patientcare.13 This takes a considerable weight off radiology managers who are often burdened by the daunting employeeselection process.2 It also helps assure prospective employees possess the necessary characteristics required for theposition. For example, if a radiology manager is seekingcandidates with high levels of organizational citizenship orthose that are highly motivated, personality tests can helpRather than going through numerous candidates before finding onethat is suitable for the position within the radiology department,managers will more likely be able to hire the right person the firsttime saving time and money in the long run.32MARCH/APRIL 2008RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENT
RM302 p30-35 Features.qxd3/7/0806:04 PMPage 33If the department is in a growth phase, more extroverts may be neededto keep other employees excited and motivated. If the department hasexperienced a number of errors, more introverts may be needed tocreate policies and procedures.identify those traits in prospective employees. The use ofpersonality assessments has also been linked with a reduction in hiring individuals with counterproductive tendenciessuch as a high propensity for conflict, violence, tardiness,and unethical behavior.5The Management ChallengeFor radiology managers, the complexity of building a diverseradiology department is in finding the exact mix of personalities which works best for their individual department. Notevery radiology department is the same and the needs of eachvary widely. What characteristics a particular team needs istypically correlated with the departmental needs. Determining the department needs is difficult in healthcare because itis an ever changing and somewhat ambiguous industry. If thedepartment is in a growth phase, more extroverts may beneeded to keep other employees excited and motivated. If thedepartment has experienced a number of errors, more introverts may be needed to create policies and procedures withtheir detail oriented nature and keen observation skills.Department needs will vary widely from department todepartment, organization to organization, and situation tosituation.Another key consideration for managers is that althoughusing the test to make sure employees understand each otheris a positive step in having a highly functioning department,individual employees must be willing to try to understandeach other’s personality strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, they must be willing to share the results of their personality tests with each other. This is difficult as it can makeemployees feel vulnerable. Therefore, radiology managersneed to show employees the benefits of understanding eachother and how by doing so their organization and patientsare positively impacted. It is only then that employees willcome together and attempt to understand and work witheach other’s differences.Legal IssuesAlthough assuring individuals with counterproductive personality traits are not being extended employment offers inthe radiology department potentially prevents a massiveamount of organizational issues, using these objective selection tests as a workforce diversity tool does not come withoutconcern. Many employees will consider the assessments to bean invasion of privacy. Furthermore, many people scrutinizethe validity and reliability of personality assessments. Theseare valid concerns which should be addressed by the radiology manager. As there are a multitude of personality assessments on the market, special care must be taken to select thecorrect one. It is highly advisable to contact a qualified industrial psychologist for guidance in selecting or creating anypersonality assessment instrument. It is also important radiology managers realize the personality assessment shouldonly be used as part of the hiring decision. Experts agree thatonly about 20% of the hiring decision should be based on theresults of personality assessments.14 Other employee selectionmethods should be used in concert with personality assessments such as face-to-face interviewing, background andreference checks, peer interviewing, and competency basedtesting. Furthermore, radiology managers should make sureany personality assessment: Is developed and/or approved by a professional testingorganization Correlates directly to the skills/characteristics requiredfor the position Avoids asking questions adversely impacting those inprotected classes Is not racially or morally biased Refrains from inquiring about a candidate’s physicalattributes Is offered to every employee or candidate equally andwithout varianceThe personality assessment should only be used as part of the hiringdecision. Experts agree that only about 20% of the hiring decisionshould be based on the results of personality assessments.RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENTMARCH/APRIL 200833
RM302 p30-35 Features.qxd3/7/0806:05 PMPage 34Personality Assessments as a Workforce Diversity ToolSuccessfully assuring there is a diverse and skilled workforce within thedepartment is a key factor in assuring ongoing business continuity. Complements rather than substitutes other employeeselection methods Is not a form of a medical examination Is confidential until written permission to disseminate toother employees for the purpose of increasing communication is received from each respective employee.4ConclusionRadiology managers face tremendous pressure to recruitand retain skilled professionals in today’s healthcare organizations. They are expected to encourage a level of teamcohesiveness and diversity by being a good steward of theirhuman capital. Successfully assuring there is a diverse andskilled workforce within the department is a key factor inassuring ongoing business continuity. This requires a closeintrospection and understanding of the personalitydynamics existing within the department, as well as thosehoused within potential new hires. Although seemingly34MARCH/APRIL 2008time consuming, the process of thoroughly matching andassuring a variety of personality types are present withinthe radiology department is equally as important as making sure those with counterproductive traits are notretained or extended employment offers. Legal concernsand time constraints withstanding, using personalityassessments as a workforce diversity tool will aid in building an integrated department culture which values thevarying skills and attributes of every employee. The result isa radiology department with high levels of employee retention and satisfaction.References1Caudron S. Hire for attitude: it’s who they are that counts.Workforce. 1997; 76: 20–25.2Hoffman P. The aura of a winner. Journal of Property Management. 2007; 61(5): 15.3Murphy S. Pre-tests can improve hiring decisions. Lightwave.1998; 15: 109.RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENT
RM302 p30-35 Features.qxd3/7/0806:05 PM4Page 35Katunich L. Pre-employment psychological and personalitytesting. Fair Employment Practices Guidelines. 2005; 603:32–34.5Periatt JC, Chakrabarty S, Lemay S. Using personality traits toselect customer-oriented logistics personnel. TransportationJournal. 2007; 46: 22–27.6Pearman R. I’m not crazy I’m just not you: the real meaningof the 16 personality types. California: Davies-Black. 1997.7Kroeger O, Thuesen J. Type talk at work: how the 16 personality types determine your success on the job. New York:Delacorte Press. 1992.8Varel T, Adams AG, Pridie SJ, Rulz Ulloa BC. Team effectiveness and individual meyers-briggs personality dimensions.Journal of Management in Engineering. 2007; 20: 141–146.9Collins SK. Employee recruitment: using behavioral assessments as an employee selection tool. The Health Care Manager. 2007; 26(3): 213–217.10Hough L, Oswald F. They’re right, well mostly right: researchevidence and an agenda to rescue personality testing from1960s insights. Human Performance. 2005; 18(4): 373–397.11Boyd R, Brown T. Pilot study of myers briggs type indicator:personality profiling in emergency department senior medical staff. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 2005; 17: 200–213.RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENT12Barrick MR, Mount MK. The big five personality dimensionsand job performance: a meta analysis. Journal of PersonnelPsychology. 1991; 44(1): 1–26.13Genn A. When hiring, personality sometimes trumps experience. Long Island Business News. Available at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi qn4189/is 20070330/ain18786220. Accessed November 2, 2007.14Greene J. Head Games. Hospitals & Health Networks. 1999;73(6): 52–55.Sandra Collins is an assistant professor in the healthcaremanagement program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.She has over 17 years experience in the management ofhealthcare facilities, has authored many articles on humanresource related topics, and presented multiple times at nationaland international conferences.Brandy Sord, Caleigh Griffin, and Lora Borges are students atSouthern Illinois University Carbondale. Each will graduate with abachelor’s degree in healthcare management in December 2008.MARCH/APRIL 200835
RM302 p36-38 QC.qxd3/7/0802:12 PMPage 36AHRA Home-Study ResourcesPersonality Assessmentsas a Workforce Diversity ToolHome-Study Test1.0 Category A credit Expiration date 4-30-2010Carefully read the following multiple choice questions. Mark your answerson the answer sheet found on page 38 and mail or fax the answer sheet to:The credit earned from the QuickCreditTM test accompanying this articlemay be applied to the AHRA certifiedradiology administrator (CRA)human resource management domain.AHRAAttn: Continuing Education Credit490-B Boston Post Road, Suite 200Sudbury, MA 01776Fax: (978) 443-8046QuestionsInstructions: Choose the answer that is most correct.1. Factors that contribute to the proper functioning of aradiology department include:a.b.c.d.Efficient employee recruitmentEffective retention effortsWorkforce diversityAll of the above2. Major disadvantages associated with not finding theright person for the job the first time, include:a.b.c.d.Recompensing for lost productivityCorrecting learning curve errorsDisciplining and termination effortsAll of the above3. Hiring a candidate that adds strategic diversity to theradiology department requires a(an):a.b.c.d.Human resource departmentStructured employee selection programElaborate advertising campaignNone of the above4. Research has shown that face-to-face interviews produce good results in terms of predicting the futureperformance of a prospective employee.5. To effectively recruit employees with diverse personalities, it is necessary to use:a.Objective measurement tools in the form of personalitytestsb. Face-to-face interviews with all qualified candidatesc. Traditional forms of candidate evaluationd. Standardized employment application procedures6. In the regular business industry, approximately 65%of organizations use personality assessments as partof their employee:a.b.c.d.Promotion proceduresBackground check proceduresSelection processesNone of the above7. To ensure adequate diversity within the department:a.Evaluating the personality of potential new hires issufficientb. The results of potential new hires should be correlatedwith the personality assessments of existing employeesc. Evaluating the personality of existing employees only issufficientd. None of the abovea. Trueb. False36MARCH/APRIL 2008RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENT
RM302 p36-38 QC.qxd3/7/0802:12 PMPage 378. Within a department, personality conflicts amongemployees can expand to larger problems which canoften negatively impact:a.b.c.d.Patient careProductivityEmployee retentionAll of the above9. Research has shown that over 60% of all managerstend to hire people similar to themselves who registeron personality assessments as:a.b.c.d.Sensing-feeling personalitiesControlling-responding . Using personality testing enables managers to formwork teams that have:a.b.c.d.Personality characteristics which strengthen each otherVarying educational levelsA wide variety of experience and knowledgeAll of the above11. The best candidate for a position in the departmentshould be a good match in which of the followingthree areas?a. Personal experience, age, and level of educationb. Personality traits, personal experience, and potentialteam chemistryc. Level of education, personal experience, and professionalexperienced. None of the above12. Most experts agree that if there is one area that can besacrificed it is the:a.b.c.d.Level of educationPersonality traitsPotential team chemistryPersonal experience13. Which of the following is true based on previousresearch regarding hiring decisions?a.b.c.d.95% are based on personality5% are based on qualifications100% are based on previous experienceBoth a and b15. Of the following tests, which is known for describingindividual dispositions and predicting a broad rangeof behavior?a.b.c.d.Miller Analogies TestMeyers Briggs Typology InstrumentFive Factor ModelNone of the above16. At first glance, which of the following may be considered disadvantages to using personality assessments?a.Time required to conduct the tests and the associativecostsb. Selecting the appropriate test and securing a testing sitec. Demonstrating the reliability and validity of the testd. None of the above17. The management challenge for radiology managersto build a diverse radiology department is found infinding the exact mix of personalities which workbest for the individual department.a. Trueb. False18. Another key consideration in establishing a diverseradiology department is that:a.Prospective employees must be processed through thehuman resources departmentb. Current employees must be willing to share the results oftheir personality tests with each otherc. Current employees must be willing to try to understandeach other’s personality strengths and weaknessesd. Both b and c19. Some employees might consider personality assessment to be an invasion of privacy.a. Trueb. False20. According to the experts, what percent of the hiringdecision should be based on the results of personalityassessments?a.b.c.d.10%20%60%80%14. The most common personality test available is the:a.b.c.d.Meyers Briggs Typology InstrumentFive Factor ModelMiller Analogies TestStanford-Benet Intelligence ScaleRADIOLOGY MANAGEMENTMARCH/APRIL 200837
RM302 p36-38 QC.qxd3/7/0802:12 PMPage 38ANSWER SHEETAHRA Home-Study ResourcesPersonality Assessmentsas a Workforce Diversity Tool1.0 Category A credit Expiration date 4-30-10NameAHRA Member l AddressHome Study Fees: AHRA Members: FREE Non-members: 20.00 Payment accepted in US dollars only.Indicate your answers to the post-test questions by entering the correct letter(s) on the lines provided.Personality Assessmentsas a Workforce Diversity ToolQuestions?Call 978/443-7591or 800/334-2472Mail or fax this answer sheet to:AHRAAttn: Continuing Education Credit490-B Boston Post Road, Suite 200Sudbury, MA 01776Fax: (978) 443-80461.11.2.12.3.13.4.14.5.15.Check One:6.16. AHRA Member: N/A7.17. Non-member: 20.008.18.Credit Card #9.19. Visa Mastercard American Express10.20.Exp. DatePayment InformationSignature Check EnclosedYou may copy this page to use as your answer sheetMail or fax the answer sheet with payment38MARCH/APRIL 2008RADIOLOGY MANAGEMENT
assessments, the potentially most common personality test available is the Meyers Briggs Typology Instrument (MBTI). 10 This particular instrument has been used over 2 million times and has been reported to be accurate in terms of identifying an individual’s personality approximately 80% of the time. The MBTI has been changed and modified numer-
to other personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorder. Ogloff (2005) distinguishes psychopathy from antisocial personality disorder due to the emphasis on affective and personality rather than mostly behavioral elements of antisocial personality disorder. Besides antisocial personality disorder, there are other DSM-IV personality
Understanding The Supporter Personality Chapter 5: Understanding The Promoting/Supporter Personality Chapter 6: Understanding The Promoter/Controller Personality Chapter 7: Understanding The Controller/Analyzer Personality Chapter 8 : Understanding The Analyzer/Supporter Personality Chapter 9: Understanding The Centric Personality Wrapping Up
personality and a archetype. Part of personality: The shadow is the dark side of your personality that contains the animal (and sexual) instincts. It is the opposite of the Persona (mask) and is the part of personality that is repressed from the ego ideal. As archetype: The importance of the
One of the most popular personality tests is the True Colors Personality Test. This personality test asks a serious of questions to rate your likes and dislikes. The test will then rate your personality as either a blue, green, orange or gold personality type. You may be a combination
the light of sound theoretical systems of personality. 3. To acquaint the students with the applications of personality theories in different walks of life. Unit Contents No. of Lectures Unit-I INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY 1.1.Definitions and nature of personality 1.2.Characteristics of good personality theory and Evaluation of personality theory
The WPS personality assessment test measures twenty personality dimensions covering the Big Five personality factors. The questionnaire also provides a measure of the General Factor of Personality (GFP). Figure 1 illustrates the WPS concept model, and Figure 2 shows the twenty facets of personality that the test measures. Table 1 provides summary
Paranoid Personality Disorder Paranoid personality disorder - A personality disorder characterized by undue suspiciousness of others' motives, but not to the point of delusion. People who have paranoid personality disorder tend to be overly sensitive to criticism, whether real or imagined. Clinicians need to weigh cultural and sociopolitical
Personality Inventory was used. Data analyses were performed in two major stages. First, factor analysis of health-relevant personality instruments was conducted. The results of these analyses indicated that . fundamental domains of personality derived from basic personality research (Digman, 1990). METHOD Subjects
