Because of the substantial evidence linking these traits with job performance for many positions, the Big Five are particularly applicable to the hiring process. Conscientiousness (which measures an individual's reliability, organization, persistence, and responsibility) has been shown to be moderately predictive for success across many job types. However, it is particularly important for entry-level roles where qualities like punctuality and reliability may be more important than creativity.
Emotional Intelligence tests are a relatively new category of assessments. Emotional intelligence or EI is a relatively recent concept. It was first introduced in the 1990s. The workplace has made the concept of EI more important over the years.
Figure 2 - The traits model is increasingly accepted in personality research as there is growing evidence that a binary dichotomy between two types doesn't accurately reflect the individual nuances of human personality.
Customers service representative positions have high turnover rates, so it is becoming increasingly common to use tests to assess customer service traits. HR managers have to search for solutions. Personality tests are particularly helpful in reducing voluntary turnover. These tests not only assess whether candidates have the ability to do a job, but also gauge whether they will be comfortable doing the job.
Research shows that certain personality traits have a strong predictive power for job performance for sales and customer service jobs. Most salespeople who are successful in many industries are highly competitive, motivated and outgoing. Conversely, the scores of successful salespeople were lower for traits such patience and cooperation.
Research has shown that emotional intelligence can be associated with important work outcomes like teamwork, interpersonal effectiveness, motivation, and teamwork. Research has shown that strong emotional intelligence can also be associated with high leadership and excellent management skills. Companies are now more interested to assess EI during the hiring process.
But customer service representatives are not the only ones who should take these personality tests. These types of tests are gaining popularity as many organizations put a great deal of emphasis on fostering a "culture for customer service" throughout the organization. These tests may prove to be of great value to applicants for managerial or executive positions, especially if they will have frequent contact with customers or the general public.