Tools such as MBTI, Big Five, and DISC (
especially DISC) are alluring to the business world because they are interpreted as a speedy way to learn everything relevant that there is to know about someone else.
I would love to hear who said that it was 'OK' to use the Big Five for pre-screening and in what context. They would likely (
likely!) get their ass handed to them by ethicists and psychometricians alike.
this guy puts it pretty well.
Here are a few quotes, with links to sources:
"2. Personality Assessment:
Most personality assessments that are valid and reliable enough for pre-employment screening purposes are based on the “Big Five†model of personality. The five factors are Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism ( or ‘OCEAN’; funny how that worked out, right? But then again, acronyms always do)."
http://www.monsterthinking.com/2011...-how-to-master-the-pre-employment-assessment/
"Employee Selection
Psychological tests have been found to be one of the most valid and cost effective means for identifying the most suitable applicants for the job (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998). When properly conducted, selection testing can contribute significantly to your bottom line.
SIGMA offers a wide range of both personality-based and cognitive selection measures.
............
Six Factor Personality Questionnaire (SFPQ)
The SFPQ is a brief, cost-effective personality measure that encompasses and extends the "Big 5". It is ideal for use in business settings and in research. Among other qualities, the SFPQ draws on an improved model for "Conscientiousness", and has received an exceptionally positive review from the Buros Mental Measurements Yearbook (2000). In addition, items were carefully selected to minimize the effects of social desirability response bias, an issue affecting other popular measures of the Big 5."
http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/selection/
"Personality Testing – Although various types of personality tests exist, most
personality tests used in employment settings today measure five basic factors of
personality. These factors, commonly called “the big fiveâ€, include: (1) openness
to experience, (2) extroversion, (3) agreeableness, (4) conscientiousness, and (5)
emotional stability. There is growing evidence of the usefulness of these factors
in predicting job performance (Barrick, M.R. & Mount, M.K., 1991). Generally,
conscientiousness has been shown to be the most valid of the five factors across
different kinds of jobs but other factors such as extroversion has been shown to be
an important component for sales and managerial jobs. In fact, the lack of adverse
impact and the consistent evidence of validity have made personality testing a
frequent component of selection procedures for sales professionals. Specialized
tests designed to measure specific predispositions toward customer service have
also been popular in call center and other service environments"
http://www.navientcorp.com/info_center/Employee_Selection_Part_1.pdf