Comparison Between Myers-Briggs And Enneagrams

Topic: Recruiting the ‘right’ employee is critical in terms of securing current corporate culture, current business demands of the organisation, planning for the future and integrating new skills. Myers-Briggs and Enneagrams are personality tests used by human resource practitioners to assist in identifying employees with the correct emotional and skill profiles for their organisation. Compare and contrast the use and respective abilities of these tests as tools to assist an organisation in employee selection.

Introduction

The recruitment process, which refers to the overall process of attracting, selecting, and appointing suitable candidates for a job within the organisation, is used to in a way predict its own success through the individuals

For the sake of job performance, the most notable behaviours such as leadership, responsibility, emotional stability, personal relations and sociability will be used to compare and contrast two personality tests as tools to assist an organisation in employee selection. The two personality tests that will be discussed are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Enneagram tests.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test

The MBTI theory suggests that all people have an innate preference that determines how they will behave in all situations [5]. It also says that each person’s personality fits into one of 16 types. These personality types are based on four dimensions of personality, each consisting of two opposite preferences. The four dimensions are:

Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I). This dimension reflects the perceptual orientation of the individual. Extraverted individuals are outgoing, sociable and assertive. Introverts are quiet and shy.

Sensing (S) vs. Intuitive (N). Sensing types are practical and prefer routine and order focusing on details. People with an intuitive preference rely on unconscious processes and look at the ‘big picture’

Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F). Thinking types use reason and logic to handle problems. Feeling types rely on their personal values and

The Enneagram as a ‘nurture’ personality approach organisations can use it to determine if potential employees will thrive under work pressure.

Conclusion

Assessing some of the behaviour traits using the MBTI test showed that it is not always a good tool to use in the selection process. The MBTI which suggests that traits are inborn came short when analysed against the workplace behaviour traits because some individuals for example who ‘naturally’ introverted can compensate in extraverted situations. This test therefore should strictly be for development where individuals can identify their weaknesses to strengthen them.

The enneagram on the other hand, taking the ‘nurture’ side of things stands a better chance to be used as a tool in employee selection. This is because at that moment when a potential candidate is tested they would already have acquired that certain personality type that may be required by the organisation. Certain enneagram personality types translate into key positions within an organisation e.g. A Protector a