Key Findings
        Do organizations use personality testing for hiring or promoting employees? A majority of organizations 
         (82%) do not use a personality test in the hiring or employee promotion process.  
        What are the most common job groups targeted when using personality tests in the hiring or 
         promotion process? Of the few organizations that indicated using personality tests, the majority use 
         them for mid-level managers (56%), followed closely by executives (45%) and entry-level exempt jobs 
         (43%). 
        How do HR professionals view the use of personality testing in the workplace? The majority of HR 
         professionals (71%) indicate that personality tests can be useful in predicting job-related behavior or 
         organizational fit; 14% of respondents disagree. 
                                            Personality Tests for the Hiring and Promotion of Employees ©SHRM 2011 
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      Does your organization currently use a personality test in hiring or promoting employees (this 
      would include a personality test used as part of an assessment center or individual assessment 
      process)?
             Unsure      2%
                 Yes                 18%
                 No                                                                  80%
        Note: n = 495.  
                                                         Personality Tests for the Hiring and Promotion of Employees ©SHRM 2011 
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         For which of the following job groups is personality testing used in your organization as part of 
         the hiring or promotion process? 
                                                    All job       Most job       Some job        Few/select           Don’t use 
                                                  applicants     applicants      applicants           job             for any job 
                                                                                                  applicants          applicants 
         Nonexempt (hourly) positions                 30%             5%             8%               22%                 35%
         Entry-level exempt jobs (professional, 
         supervisor, individual contributor,          43%             4%             15%              13%                 25%
         etc.) 
         Mid-level managers (manager,                 56%             7%             9%                4%                 24%
         director, etc.) 
         Executives (VP, SVP, EVP, chief)             45%             7%             1%                7%                 40%
        Note: n = 89. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations currently use a personality test 
        in the hiring or employee promotion process were asked this question. 
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         What is the most common method your organization uses to administer the personality test(s) 
         in the hiring or promotion process? 
                                                                                                                             Percentage
          The test is administered in-person, and the administrator oversees the candidate testing process, including 
          checking identification of the test-taker, administering the test either by paper and pencil or by computer,          20%
          and monitoring the test-taker and the test-taking environment during the entire process.
          The test is administered in-person, but the administrator does not monitor the test-taker or the test                 16%
          environment throughout the process.
          The test is administered online, and the test-taker can take it from anywhere he or she has Internet access.          56%
          Other                                                                                                                  8%
         Note: n = 75. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations currently use a 
         personality test in the hiring or employee promotion process were asked this question. 
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      Have you had any legal challenges (not simply by verbal complaints, but a formal legal filing or 
      notice from a lawyer) related to your organization’s use of personality testing in the hiring or 
      promotion process? 
            Unsure           10%
                Yes   1%
                No                                                                       88%
        Note: n = 78. Only respondents whose organizations currently use a personality test in the hiring or employee promotion process were asked this 
        question. Total does not equal 100% due to rounding.    
                                                         Personality Tests for the Hiring and Promotion of Employees ©SHRM 2011 
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