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Hello,
I'm preparing to interview candidates for a new position. I would really like to, as part of their interview process, give them the DISC profile. Does anyone know of a way to do this? It would be great if I could pay for their test online, send them a link to take the test, and then receive the results.
I don't have a particular type that I need to fill, but I would like to know more about the candidate to see how it fits in my teams' overall distribution.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
J
MBTI Questions
Hello J,
If you go to http://markliew.wordpress.com and check out the MBTI category, you will see 4 questions you can use conversationally to quickly determine someone's MBTI profile. I have used them often and it is accurate to the level that most people would use it for.
I do like the DISC and love the approach Manager Tools uses as there are more actionable outcomes.
ML
Behavioral questions
Each question you ask should provide insight into how that person is likely to perform on the job.
Behavioral questions have proven to be better at this than any other kind of questioning. If you don't know how you will use information gleaned from a question, you should ask a different question. Companies will sometimes give a test, scored by a professional, to understand a profile.
Moreover, there is little evidence that MBTI is predictive of job performance; this article covers the topic pretty well: http://www.sgmaverick.com/Portals/0/Second%20thoughts%20about%20the%20MB... (one study finds that gender accounts for much of the variability in MBTI: http://harvey.psyc.vt.edu/Documents/BrownHarveySIOP.pdf )
Don't try to profile the candidate yourself. Rather use behavioral interviewing techniques ("Tell me about a time when you...") to understand deeply what they've done in the past, and therefore what they might be able to do for you.
John Hack
Ethicality and the MBTI
It is unethical to use the MBTI for any kind of hiring, firing or promotion decision, period.
From the FAQ at APT International.
www.aptinternational.org/getdoc/9d086548-d744-4e81-b286-5ca858689fd1/MBTI%C2%AE-Faq.aspx
17. My company uses MBTI results for hiring and promoting people – is that okay?
This is one of the most common misuses of the Indicator. The sort of information that is useful for hiring and promotion decisions has to do with skills, knowledge and demonstrated performance. Predictions about future performance or the capacity to develop new skills are poorly served by theoretical speculations based on type in the absence of other evidence because:
• Type preferences do not indicate skill. Preferences must be exercised and developed before they can be used skillfully. MBTI results do not measure development.
• People can develop skill with their non-preferences.
The MBTI Manual includes this highlighted statement on p. 360:
It is inappropriate to use the MBTI for hiring, promotion, or selection. Results on the Indicator simply do not give information that will be helpful in these functions.