by Manto Antoniotti Solares in Recruitment Trends — February 2025

Today, professional skills alone are no longer the be-all and end-all when selecting candidates. Soft skills are in the spotlight and are crucial to a company’s success. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Study, 80% of respondents already recognize the increasing importance of soft skills for a company’s success. Strong communication skills, negotiation skills, leadership skills – do your final candidates seem to meet all the requirements? Use a personality analysis to find out how well your finalists fit into the company.

When does it make sense to use a personality analysis in recruiting?

Personality assessments are usually used to fill high-level management positions. However, a personality and skills analysis can offer real added value not only for C-level positions, but also for team leaders and sales staff.

Do you have three great candidates in the final process and can’t decide? The personality analysis serves as a valuable decision-making aid. It allows you to gain certainty and find out how well the candidates fit into the company and the respective position. The analysis forms a sound basis for successful and long-term recruitment. Both the professional and interpersonal skills and characteristics that are essential for management tasks can be assessed.

Are type-based personality tests just better horoscopes? Beware of the Barnum effect: As with horoscopes, the statements are deliberately vague so that everyone feels addressed. According to the Barnum effect, these vague statements are believed because they can be interpreted so individually that they seem to be tailored to (almost) everyone. It is therefore particularly important that personality analyses are based on science and are only evaluated by certified persons.

Advantages of a personality analysis

For companies:

• Decision support: The analysis serves as a clear basis for selecting the best candidate.
• Identification of potentials and risks: Candidates’ strengths and weaknesses are made visible.
• Minimization of selection risks: The analysis can reduce risk factors in the selection process.
• Reliable candidate-job fit: The analysis provides indicators as to whether the candidate fits the advertised position.
• Economical and valid: Is an efficient method with high validity.

For candidates:

• Self-knowledge: A deep insight into your own skills and self-assessment.
• Career advice: The analysis can show whether the person is better suited to an expert role or as a manager.
• Development opportunities: It shows how one’s own development can be driven forward.
• Choosing the right job: Clarity about whether the position is really the right choice.

5 criteria for selecting a personality analysis

MBTI, DISG & Co – personality assessments are a dime a dozen. What should you look out for if you want to integrate a personality analysis into your recruiting process? We recommend the following 5 criteria:

1. Scientific basis: make sure that the analysis is based on established psychological test quality criteria.
2. Qualified implementation: Only have the analysis carried out by certified experts.
3. Up-to-dateness: Use modern tools that are at the cutting edge of research.
4. Practicality: Choose a model that is feasible for both companies and candidates.
5. Proven practice: Make sure that the chosen model has already been used successfully in practice.