Big Five Personality Test in Hiring: What It Measures and How to Use It Responsibly
Umid Rahimov7 min read
Key takeaways
- The Big Five (OCEAN) model describes personality on five traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (emotional stability).
- It's the most widely researched personality model. Conscientiousness shows the most consistent link with job performance across roles.
- Personality results should add context, not decide on their own. There are no "good" or "bad" profiles.
- Use them with skills tests and a structured interview, and never as a knock-out filter.
The five traits
| Trait | High scorers tend to be… | Low scorers tend to be… |
|---|---|---|
| Openness | Curious, open to new ideas | Practical, prefer the familiar |
| Conscientiousness | Organised, reliable, goal-driven | Flexible, spontaneous |
| Extraversion | Outgoing, energised by people | Reserved, prefer focused work |
| Agreeableness | Cooperative, empathetic | Direct, competitive |
| Neuroticism (low = emotional stability) | More sensitive to stress | Calm under pressure |
What it can and can't tell you
It can:
- add a view of work style that CVs and skills tests miss
- point to useful interview questions ("Tell me about a time you had to keep many deadlines…")
- help with team composition and onboarding
It can't:
- tell you whether someone can do the job (that's what skills tests do)
- replace experience, knowledge or reasoning ability
- be "passed" or "failed"
Research on selection methods finds personality traits, especially conscientiousness, predict performance modestly. Job-specific tests and structured interviews predict it better. That's why personality works best as one input among several.
Using it responsibly
- Explain why you use it, and that there are no right or wrong answers.
- Don't use it as a cut-off. Use it to guide interview questions.
- Relate traits to the job: a call-centre role may value emotional stability, and a research role openness.
- Test in the candidate's language, so you measure personality, not reading skill.
- Combine it with skills tests and a structured interview.
- Protect the data: personality results are sensitive, so limit who can see them.
Example combinations
| Role | Skills test | Personality use |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | Sales SDR – Prospecting & Outreach | Discuss extraversion and resilience in the interview |
| Customer service | Customer Support L1 + SJT | Discuss emotional stability and agreeableness |
| Analyst | Data Literacy + SQL | Discuss conscientiousness and openness |
TheyTest's library includes a Big Five Personality (OCEAN) test that you can add to any assessment next to skills tests.
FAQ
Is the Big Five test accurate?
It's the most researched personality model, with good reliability. For hiring decisions, use it alongside skills tests rather than on its own.
Can candidates fake a personality test?
Some try to give "ideal" answers. That's another reason to use the results as interview prompts, not as pass/fail filters.
Is the Big Five the same as MBTI?
No. MBTI sorts people into types. The Big Five measures traits on continuous scales and is much more widely used in research.
