Myers Briggs hiring: why work personality matters more

Myers Briggs hiring is often the first thing people leaders think of when trying to understand team dynamics, but it was never designed for recruitment or predicting job performance.

While the MBTI is a popular tool for self-reflection, modern hiring requires a more robust, evidence-based approach that focuses on how people actually behave in a professional environment. At Compono, we believe that understanding a person's natural work preferences – rather than just a broad personality label – is the key to building high-performing teams that last.

Key takeaways

• Myers Briggs was designed for personal development, not for the rigours of recruitment or predicting workplace success.
• Effective hiring requires looking at specific work personality types that map directly to professional tasks and team needs.
• High-performing teams require a balance of eight key work activities, including Evaluating, Coordinating, and Pioneering.
• Using scientifically backed assessments helps reduce bias and ensures a better fit for both the candidate and the organisation.

The problem with Myers Briggs hiring in the modern workplace

For decades, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has been the go-to framework for businesses looking to understand their people. It’s familiar, it’s easy to talk about, and it provides a sense of categorisation that feels helpful on the surface. However, when you use Myers Briggs hiring as a primary filter for recruitment, you run into a significant problem: the tool lacks the predictive validity required to tell you if someone will actually succeed in a specific role.

The MBTI was built on Jungian theory to help individuals understand their preferences in life, not to help a hiring manager decide between two candidates for a project management role. In a professional setting, we need to know more than just if someone is an 'introvert' or an 'extrovert'. We need to understand their work personality – the specific work activities they are naturally motivated to engage in and the ones they are likely to avoid.

When we rely on broad personality tests, we risk hiring for 'vibes' rather than fit. This leads to teams that might get along socially but struggle to execute on tasks because they lack the necessary diversity of work styles. To build a truly effective team, you need to move beyond general traits and look at how an individual’s personality translates into actual work performance.

Understanding the 8 work personality types

At Compono, we’ve spent years researching what makes a team successful. Our research has identified eight key work activities that all high-performing teams must perform. We have mapped these activities to specific work personality types, providing a much clearer picture of how a candidate will contribute to your team than a standard Myers Briggs result ever could.

Consider The Pioneer. While a Myers Briggs profile might simply label them as 'Intuitive', our model identifies them as someone who thrives on innovation and out-of-the-box solutions. They are the ones who keep your team flexible and open to change. On the other hand, The Auditor provides the necessary attention to detail and accuracy that ensures tasks are completed to the highest standard.

When you understand these distinctions, your hiring process becomes much more strategic. You aren't just looking for a 'good person'; you are looking for a specific set of behaviours that your team currently lacks. For instance, if your team is great at coming up with ideas but struggles to meet deadlines, you might realise you need The Coordinator to bring structure and focus to your workflows.

Moving from personality labels to organisational fit

One of the biggest risks of Myers Briggs hiring is the pigeonholing of candidates. People are more complex than a four-letter code. A truly modern hiring process doesn't just look at personality in a vacuum; it looks at Organisation Fit. This involves assessing how a candidate aligns with your culture, the specific job requirements, and the existing team dynamic.

This is where Compono Hire changes the game. Instead of relying on generic personality tests, our platform assesses candidates across three critical dimensions: Organisation Fit, Skills, and Qualifications. By understanding a candidate's work personality, you can see if they share the dream like The Campaigner or if they prefer to weigh up the options as The Evaluator.

This level of intelligence allows you to select the exact work personality you need for a role and automatically score candidates in real time. It removes the guesswork and the unconscious bias that often creeps in when we rely on 'gut feel' or outdated personality frameworks. It’s about finding the right person for the right role at the right time.

The impact of work personality on team performance

Hiring is only the beginning. Once a new member joins the team, their work personality continues to influence how the group functions. High-performing teams are those that manage to balance all eight work activities. If your team is missing The Helper, you might find that team harmony suffers. If you lack The Advisor, your team might struggle to investigate problems deeply before acting.

By using the Compono Engage module, leaders can gain deep insights into the collective work personality of their entire team. This allows you to identify gaps in your team design before you even start the hiring process. You can see who is likely to take charge, who will focus on the details, and who will ensure everyone’s voice is heard.

This data-driven approach to team management is what separates average teams from exceptional ones. When everyone is working in a way that aligns with their natural preferences, engagement levels skyrocket. People feel understood, their strengths are utilised, and they are less likely to experience burnout from performing tasks that drain their energy. It’s a win for the individual and a win for the organisation.

Building a culture of performance through intelligence

Ultimately, the goal of any hiring and management strategy should be to create a sustainable culture of high performance. While Myers Briggs hiring might offer a fun team-building exercise, it doesn't provide the long-term intelligence needed to scale a business effectively. You need to understand the 'why' behind people's behaviours to truly support them.

At Compono, we’ve fused academic research with personality theory to simplify these complex human dynamics. Whether you are a mid-market HR leader or a senior executive, having a 'people intelligence' platform gives you the clarity to make better decisions. You can see how teams think, how they react under pressure, and how to resolve conflicts before they escalate.

Imagine a workplace where every hire is made with precision, and every team is designed for success. By moving away from outdated labels and embracing the science of work personality, you can transform your hiring process from a game of chance into a strategic advantage. It’s time to stop guessing and start knowing who your people really are.

Key insights

• Myers Briggs is a development tool, not a recruitment tool; using it for hiring can lead to poor predictive outcomes.
• The Compono model identifies 8 specific work personalities that directly correlate to the activities required for team success.
• A balanced team requires a mix of different types, from the visionary Campaigner to the methodical Auditor.
• True organisational fit comes from assessing culture, job requirements, and personality in tandem rather than using isolated tests.
• People intelligence platforms like Compono provide the data needed to manage conflict and optimise team performance over the long term.

Where to from here?

Building a high-performing team starts with the right data. If you're ready to move beyond basic personality tests and start using deep people intelligence, we're here to help.

• Explore: The Compono Platform
• Talk to an expert: Book in a 15-minute chat to get a walkthrough of how Compono can transform your hiring.

How does Myers Briggs hiring differ from using work personality assessments?

Myers Briggs focuses on broad psychological preferences for how people perceive the world, whereas work personality assessments focus specifically on professional behaviours and motivations. Work personality is designed to predict how someone will perform specific tasks and interact within a team environment, making it much more effective for hiring decisions.

Is it legal to use personality tests like Myers Briggs for hiring?

While not illegal in most jurisdictions, using Myers Briggs for hiring is widely discouraged by psychologists and the test publishers themselves because it wasn't designed for selection. Using a tool not validated for recruitment can lead to biased hiring decisions. It is better to use assessments designed specifically for the workplace that measure job-related traits.

Can work personality change over time?

While core personality traits tend to be stable in adults, how they manifest as 'work personality' can be influenced by experience and environment. However, most people have a dominant preference that remains consistent. Understanding this dominant preference helps managers place people in roles where they are naturally most productive and satisfied.

What are the 8 work personality types used by Compono?

The eight types are The Evaluator, The Coordinator, The Campaigner, The Pioneer, The Advisor, The Helper, The Doer, and The Auditor. Each type corresponds to a critical work activity that high-performing teams need to execute to be successful.

How do I know which work personality my team is missing?

By using a people intelligence platform, you can map the existing personalities in your team onto a 'team wheel'. This visual representation quickly highlights gaps – for example, a team full of Pioneers but no Coordinators will likely struggle with execution and deadlines, indicating exactly who you should look for in your next hire.