Should I use the Myers-Briggs personality test for hiring or other work-related purposes?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a popular personality test that categorizes people in four dichotomous boxes: introvert vs. extrovert, sensing vs. intuitive, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving. However, despite its widespread use, most people do not realize that the MBTI is not appropriate for use especially in work-related settings. Scholars have long since agreed that the MBTI has little usefulness in such scenarios. Some other popular personality tests that likewise should be avoided are the DiSC test, Enneagram, and Color test.

A far better approach is the Big Five personality test, which has numerous studies supporting its use in work settings (e.g., predicting job performance, leadership, and satisfaction). The Big Five scores individuals on five different continuums (degree of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) instead of trying to artificially categorize people into rigid boxes. If you are going to use a personality test, most organizational psychologists would agree that the Big Five is the one to use.

Even then, there is ample debate surrounding the use of personality tests in general. Some have argued that simple 'on a scale of 1 to 5' tests have too many biases and we should use other methods such as forced choice tests and machine learning algorithms. Others argue that personality changes throughout the day and thus must be measured dynamically and not statically.

Overall, business leaders should be very careful when trying to use personality tests in work-related settings.