Does this distinction matter? Yes it does and the use of the word test referring to personality test should be stamped out at every opportunity. There can be no pass/fail result when assessing personality therefore it is not a personality test. Job test the challenge comes when job seekers are asked to complete a personality questionnaire and this is described as a test. Immediately the word test is used in most contexts people freeze a little. "Oh, oh, a test, I need to be on my mettle and make sure I do a good job otherwise I will be found wanting" is the reaction. Yet what exactly can we do to ensure we have the personality that will pass a personality test? Not a thing is the answer, if we respond truthfully to a psychometric questionnaire about our personality; the result will show how we prefer to behave most of the time. The way we prefer to behave most of the time may not fit with the personality that is being sought for a particular job vacancy. If we do not get the job we might be inclined to think we had failed the test, yet there is no test, well no personality test, anyway! There are several things to consider here. Organisations are trying to find a suitable personality to fit within their organisation. Hiring a new person is very expensive therefore the organisation will take great care and if sensible will use what tools are available to ensure they get the best fit possible. The persona applying for a job will be a lot happier if they get the job that is a good fit for their particular personality. A great many people who are unhappy in their work, might be surprised to learn that it is because they are not in an environment conducive to their particular personality. This means that it is even more important that the employee identify what their personality is and what type of environment will provide a good fit for them. The organisation don't want to waste money by hiring the wrong person, however with the employee they could be wasting the largest part of their life because they have never managed to find a compatible fit and this is a whole lot more painful than just costing money. It is true that there is no such thing as a personality test, yet it is also true that if a persona does not understand their own personality type and the environments where they are most likely to thrive, they could spend many unsatisfactory hours in jobs that give them no pleasure. An organisation gets the best out of the workforce when they can identify those whose personality will fit well within their organisation as if the employee is happy they will want to stay with the organisation, which makes for a win-win situation.
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