Personality assessment hiring: how to build better teams

Have you ever hired someone who looked perfect on paper, only to find they clashed with the team within a month? Resumes show you what a person has done, but they rarely reveal who that person actually is. Using personality assessment hiring helps you look beyond the list of skills to find the traits that truly drive long-term success.

Why traditional hiring methods often miss the mark

Most of us have been there... sifting through a mountain of resumes that all look remarkably similar. They list the same qualifications, the same software proficiencies, and the same buzzwords about being a 'team player'. The problem is that these documents are historical records of experience, not predictors of future workplace behaviour. When we rely solely on these, we are essentially making an educated guess about how a candidate will perform in our unique environment.

This misalignment is one of the primary reasons for high staff turnover. Research suggests that a significant percentage of new hires leave within their first year, often citing cultural mismatch or a lack of engagement. When a person’s natural work preferences don't align with the actual requirements of the role or the dynamics of the team, frustration sets in for everyone involved. It’s not necessarily that the person isn't talented; they’re just in the wrong seat on the bus.

We need a more objective way to understand the human element of work. Personality assessment hiring isn't about pigeonholing people; it's about gaining the intelligence needed to make fairer, more informed decisions. By measuring traits like motivation, problem-solving styles, and interpersonal preferences, we can start to see the 'repeatable miracles'—those high performers who consistently thrive in our specific culture.

The science behind personality assessment hiring

At Compono, we take evidence-based organisational design seriously. Personality assessment hiring is grounded in decades of psychological research, specifically focused on how individual traits translate into workplace performance. Rather than relying on gut feel during an interview, which is often clouded by unconscious bias, assessments provide a standardised data point that allows you to compare candidates on a level playing field.

Modern assessments typically focus on work personality, which refers to an individual's dominant work preferences. We all have different natural inclinations; some of us love digging into the data, while others are energised by selling a vision or helping colleagues. Understanding these intrinsic motivations helps you predict whether a candidate will find a role fulfilling or draining. A naturally detail-oriented person might struggle in a chaotic, high-speed startup, while a natural pioneer might feel suffocated by rigid corporate processes.

By integrating these insights into your recruitment workflow, you can automatically score and rank candidates based on fit. This concept is at the heart of our intelligent recruitment module, Compono Hire, which uses predictive matching to identify talent that aligns with your company's DNA before you even open a resume.

Mapping the eight work actions of high-performing teams

To build a great team, you first need to understand the work that needs to be done. Our research has identified eight key work activities that all high-performing teams must perform to succeed. These include Evaluating, Coordinating, Campaigning, Pioneering, Advising, Helping, Auditing, and Doing. Every team needs a balance of these actions to remain productive and innovative.

When you use personality assessment hiring, you can identify which of these actions a candidate is naturally motivated to perform. If your current team is full of 'Pioneers' who love new ideas but lacks 'Auditors' to check for accuracy, your next hire should ideally fill that gap. Without this data, you might accidentally hire another Pioneer because you got along well in the interview, only to find the team's lack of follow-through becomes an even bigger problem.

This approach transforms hiring from a process of replacing a 'person' to a process of adding a specific 'capability' to the team. It allows you to deliberately design your workforce for balance and resilience. When you know the work personality your team needs for a role, you can target your sourcing and screening to find that specific match.

Reducing bias and improving diversity of thought

One of the quietest killers of great company culture is unconscious bias. We are naturally drawn to people who are like us: people who went to the same universities, share the same hobbies, or have similar communication styles. This often leads to 'homogeneous' teams where everyone thinks the same way. While this might feel comfortable, it rarely leads to innovation or robust problem-solving.

Personality assessment hiring acts as a powerful tool for diversity and inclusion. Because the data is objective, it helps you see the value in people who might not 'present' like your typical hire but have the exact cognitive traits the team is missing. It shifts the conversation from "Do I like this person?" to "Does this person have the work preferences we need to succeed?"

Using these tools also improves the candidate experience. Candidates appreciate feeling understood at a deeper level, and providing them with insights into their own work personality can be a significant value-add during the application process. It shows that your organisation cares about who they are, not just what they can produce. This builds trust and brand equity from the very first interaction.

Connecting personality to company culture

Culture is often described as "the way we do things around here to meet our objectives." Every business has a unique personality, and finding people who align with that culture is essential for retention. A candidate might have the right work personality for a specific team but still be a poor fit for the overall organisation if their values don't align with your operating model.

By mapping your current culture using data, you can create benchmarks to hire against. This ensures that you aren't just hiring for the 'now', but building a workforce that can sustain your culture as you scale. This is a core focus of Compono Engage, which helps leaders spot misalignment and understand the subcultures within their organisation.

When personality assessment hiring is linked to cultural insights, you create a powerful ecosystem of people data. You can track how well-aligned hires perform over time and use those learnings to refine your future recruitment strategies. It turns HR from a reactive cost centre into a proactive strategic advisor to the business.

Key takeaways for your hiring strategy

• Look beyond the resume: Experience tells you where someone has been, but personality tells you where they can go.
• Balance your team: Use the eight work actions to identify gaps in your current team's capabilities.
• Objectify the process: Use scientifically validated assessments to reduce unconscious bias and improve decision-making.
• Align with culture: Ensure candidates match the way your business works, not just the technical requirements of the role.
• Treat candidates as individuals: Providing personality insights back to applicants improves engagement and your employer brand.

Where to from here?

• Explore: Compono Platform
• Talk to an expert: Book in a 15-minute chat to get a walkthrough of Compono.

Frequently asked questions

How does personality assessment hiring reduce staff turnover?

It reduces turnover by ensuring a better fit between the individual's natural work preferences and the actual demands of the job and team. When people are in roles that align with their motivations, they are more engaged and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Can personality assessments be faked by candidates?

While candidates may try to give 'ideal' answers, modern scientifically validated assessments are designed with consistency checks and forced-choice formats that make it very difficult to manipulate the results in a way that significantly misrepresents their natural traits.

Is personality assessment hiring fair for all candidates?

Yes, it is often fairer than traditional interviews because it provides an objective, standardised data point. It helps remove unconscious biases related to a candidate’s background or appearance, focusing instead on their cognitive and behavioural suitability for the role.

Should personality be the only factor in a hiring decision?

No, personality is one piece of the puzzle. A robust hiring process should consider a balance of technical skills, qualifications, relevant experience, and organisational fit (personality and culture) to get a holistic view of the candidate.

How do I explain personality assessments to my candidates?

Position it as a tool to ensure they will find the role fulfilling and successful. Explain that it helps both the candidate and the employer understand if the work environment and team dynamics are a good match for their natural style.