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June 9, 2024

Optimize Your Hiring Process: 5 Personality Tests to Consider

Hiring the right talent is one of the biggest challenges that small businesses face. The key to a successful recruitment process lies not only in evaluating the skills and qualifications of the candidates, but also in understanding their personalities. Personality tests can provide valuable insights about a potential hire, helping you make a well-rounded assessment of their suitability for a specific role or your company’s culture. In this blog, we will discuss five of the best and most accurate personality tests that can streamline your hiring process and increase the chances of hiring the right fit.

Predicting Employee Success with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a globally recognized personality assessment tool that helps to identify unique personality types and preferences of individuals. By segregating individuals into one of the 16 personality types using four dichotomous factors – Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving, MBTI provides a multi-dimensional perspective of a candidate’s personality. This can be instrumental in predicting how a prospective employee might behave in varying circumstances, their potential team dynamics, and their stress management tactics. Moreover, it gives a glimpse of their decision-making capabilities, which can be a valuable predictor of their alignment with the demands of specific job roles and your organizational culture. With MBTI, you can improve the predictability of the recruitment process and ensure a better fit between the job role and the hired candidate.

Delve Deeper with the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) is an exceptional tool that penetrates into the profound elements of human personality traits. Uniquely designed, it measures a set of 16 primary personality factors that create a comprehensive portrait of a person’s behavioral tendencies and attitudes. The 16PF unveils layers of a candidate’s personality, detailing their strengths, potential growth areas, their likely interaction styles, and potential stress responses. The nuanced personality profile generated can greatly facilitate in matching a candidate’s inherent traits with the specificities of a job role or the unique dynamics of your team. 

Identifying Leadership Potential with the Hogan Personality Inventory

The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) serves as a predictive tool to gauge an individual’s work performance based on their everyday personality traits. What sets it apart is its capacity to spot potential leaders, which is done by evaluating seven primary scales: adjustment, ambition, sociability, interpersonal sensitivity, prudence, inquisitive, and learning approach. By using the HPI during the recruitment process, you can uncover candidates who possess the natural disposition and characteristics of effective leaders. This provides an edge in making informed hiring decisions, particularly for roles requiring strong leadership skills. Unlike traditional personality tests, the HPI takes a strategic look at leadership potential, offering a unique perspective on a candidate’s suitability for senior positions.

Predicting Work Behavior with the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment

The Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment is a robust, scientifically-grounded test designed to gauge the motivational drives, needs, and behaviors of a potential hire. It zeros in on four core behavioral characteristics – dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality. By assessing these factors, this test serves as a predictive tool for anticipating an individual’s work behavior, performance levels, and compatibility with specific teams or work environments. By integrating the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment into your recruitment process, you can gain deep insights into how a candidate is likely to perform in a particular role, and how well they’ll fit into your existing team dynamics. This test also contributes towards mitigating the risk of hiring mismatches and subsequently reducing employee turnover.

Understanding Emotional Intelligence with the EQ-i 2.0

The EQ-i 2.0 is a comprehensive tool specifically designed to assess emotional intelligence (EI), a factor of critical importance in professional settings. EI underpins various crucial work-related aspects such as problem-solving abilities, decision-making skills, interpersonal relationships, and stress management. The EQ-i 2.0 delves into five composite scales and 15 subscales linked to emotional and social functioning. This comprehensive evaluation offers a full portrait of a candidate’s EI, providing vital insights into their capability to manage their own emotions and those of others effectively. The skill to manage emotions efficiently is crucial for fostering a harmonious, productive work atmosphere. Incorporating the EQ-i 2.0 into your hiring process can aid in selecting candidates who exhibit high emotional intelligence, boosting your team’s overall functionality and productivity.

Have you used a personality test in your hiring process before? Let us know how you felt about it and what you learned!

Disclaimer: These are not affiliate links; no money is being made by HireMyMom from the purchase of any software mentioned in this blog nor does HireMyMom specifically recommend one of these. This is purely informational based on research we have done and feedback received from companies with which we have worked.

 

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January 20, 2020 0 Comments

5 Tips For a Winning Cover Letter to Get You Hired

Ah, the cover letter – the sister document of your resume! It’s an important but often overlooked part of the job searching process, and one that demands more attention.  Whether cover letters come across as an afterthought, are too lengthy, or simply lack any depth, there can be a number of errors avoided by taking a second look.

Grab their Attention

Realize the hiring person may get 30-50 resumes (or more on mega job sites). And the resumes that get read are the ones with something that GRABS their ATTENTION!  Something like, “Let Me Take More Off Your Plate!”  Or, “I thrive on being proactive in ways to make your life easier! Hire Me!”

Don’t be afraid to add some personality to your cover letter and show your “go-getter” attitude. No one wants to hire a bump on a log. Also, the P.S. is the most read part of ANY email or letter.  P.S. Your “Go Getter Attitude” so that you stand out

Be Diligent

You want your first impression to be a good one! Be sure that your grammar is perfect, your spelling is correct, and your sentences well-structured. Don’t rush through this because it tells the hiring person you aren’t paying attention to details and aren’t putting 100% effort in.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t inject some personality into your letter, but proper writing rules remain a required element of the job application documents.

Focus on the Company

The number one goal of your cover letter is to show why you would be a great fit for the job!  Your letter shouldn’t go on and on about your accomplishments, but rather convey them in a way that shows relevance to the employer.

You should always look up the company to show that you’ve done your homework and took the time to learn about them. (Hint: Read their “About Us” page and a few blogs to get a feel for the person and company).

Bullets are Key

Begin your cover letter with a brief paragraph or two, then consider using bullet points to highlight key selling points on why you think you’re the best candidate.  This breaks up large chunks of text, allows the employer to see your points quickly and easily, and makes you appear considerate and well prepared.

Show Why You’re a Fit

What do you bring to the table?  List specific character traits, past experiences, and job roles that are a direct fit to this specific position. Have a testimonial from a past client? You may want to consider adding it to your cover letter.

You may have had 10 jobs that you’re proud of, but which jobs, and more importantly, which qualities from those jobs, will allow you to shine in this new role?

By focusing on the company and job position, you’re focusing on the employer’s needs, not your own.  Be sure to include succinct, relevant information that will allow the employer to see what they would get from you immediately.

Lastly, make it easy for them to read, add some personality, and show them your “go-getter attitude”!

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February 20, 2017 0 Comments

6 Tips for a Stand Out Job Application

We all know what’s needed to apply to a job – a strong cover letter, resume, and great references.  Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to secure an interview or the job!  Those hiring today are truly looking for quality applicants, and that doesn’t just include your experience.

Quality applicants take the time to truly invest themselves in the hiring process, and in turn, receive much more response from these applications.  Check out our top tips for a job application that stands out!

Read the description

First and foremost, take the time to really learn about the position for which you are applying.  When you really want a job, it’s best to focus on those positions that excite you while playing to your professional strengths.

To stand out on your application, include words and skills that you have that match the job description.  This presents your qualifications in the best light, while showing that you paid attention and took the time to apply specifically for that position.

Learn about the company

If you want to be a stellar applicant, you must take some time to learn about the company.  Read their website, visit social media profiles, read press releases, news articles, and so on.  It’s also helpful to read about the industry, especially if there isn’t too much information available from a specific company.

This helps you to prepare for the interview, but it also allows you to be more connected to the application process.  This exercise might also help you realize, one way or another, if you’re the best fit for this particular company.  In speaking with a hiring manager, you may have to answer questions that include a bit about the company and why it’s a fit, so take the time in the beginning to really get to know them.

It’s also helpful to ask yourself, “How can I best contribute?”  Learning about the company will also show you where they shine and where they struggle, allowing you an opening to show where you would best fit in.

Be precise

Make sure your grammar and and spelling is impeccable! Your application should truly have zero mistakes and put your best foot forward.

To avoid any errors, run all spell check and grammatical checks in your word processing program, but also send your resume to friend and/or family members who may be willing to help.  Having a few extra sets of eyes look over your work can truly be the difference between a stellar and mediocre application.

Be prepared

When you decide to embark on your job search, gather all of your information into one place.  In addition, create a checklist that ensures that you have everything you need to be successful.  Create or edit your resume, draft a brief (but bulleted) cover letter, contact your references, and be specific to the position in all of this.  With all of these materials ready to go, you’ll be set to go when the right position presents itself.

It’s much easier to set aside time before your job search, and it avoids procrastination in applying, as well as forgetting anything when you come across an ideal opportunity.

Be specific

Create each cover letter and resume for each job position.  You shouldn’t have to change your resume too much, but you can still spend some time focusing on specific sought-after skills and experience to highlight.   Focus on the best attributes for this particular position, not simply which results or experienced that you liked best.

Also, ensure that your cover letter is specific to the job position.  Hiring managers and employers don’t want to feel like you aren’t a good fit, nor do they want to feel like you’ve just sent your information in a mass spree to dozens of other jobs.  Show that you took the time to highlight what they’re seeking, and your response should be much greater!

Put in your best effort

The ultimate hiring decision is up to the company or hiring manager, but you can send the time to put forth your best self.  It’s very apparent when an applicant takes the time to do their best, which will reflect in you receiving more calls and interviews.

It can seem daunting to create separate documents and edits for each position, but that’s why you should truly pick positions for which you’re qualified for and very interested in.  Invest the time and care in those applications that will be a great fit for you, and you’ll find that you might be the ideal match for your future employer!

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