The application of personality assessments to selection procedures, and the need for more reflective practice

The use of personality assessment in the recruitment phase of employment has become increasingly popular in recent years (Morgeson et al: 2007). One of the critical reasons behind this increase has been the factors in the external environment, and in particular factors such as an ageing workforce and shrinking talent pools, which combine to make recruitment an intensely competitive process. Even in these recessionary times the competition for talent is intense as organisations seek the best people (CIPD: 2009). As one corporate HR leader put it: "Talent management initiatives are robust and believed to add value to the organisation. We therefore believe that the attraction and retention of talent is even more important in the current economic environment than it has been at any time in the past". Internet recruitment in particular has become increasingly popular, generating large numbers of applicants, which are time consuming to sift and reduce, making assessments an attractive and cost efficient proposition (Barak, 2003 and Suff, P, 2003). Furthermore, with the increasing impact of European Directives and recent changes to employment law offering employees increased protection (Williams and Adam-Smith: 2006), employers are looking increasingly for ways in which to minimise the risk of recruiting unsuitable candidates. In recent years, emphasis has also been placed in recent years upon the consideration of matching personality attributes with appropriate choices in terms of job and organisation, which may significantly improve the prediction of work performance. Hence, employers have turned to tools such as personality assessments to improve their selection practices. However, the whole area is surrounded by controversy, for example in relation to the predictive validity of personality assessments.