Big Five Personality Test

What is a Big Five personality test?

A Big Five personality test is a scientifically developed test that measures the five basic dimensions of personality. These five personality traits are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability. They are often referred to as the Big Five. This theory is also known as the Five-Factor model of personality and OCEAN model. Because the Big Five personality test has a solid scientific basis, it is widely used for recruitment and selection of personnel.

The most used Big Five personality test: The Bridge Personality

The Bridge Personality is the most used Big Five personality test for gaining insight into the Big Five personality of employees or applicants. A participant spends about 45 minutes on the test. Afterwards, a Big Five personality report is immediately available, which includes the score on the 34 Big Five competencies.

A professional Big Five personality test can be very valuable in shaping a successful career. The Bridge Personality is a very reliable and valid personality test and is used for the selection and development of employees. This 'smart' test ensures that the candidate always receives questions that are most relevant. The Bridge Personality uses algorithms that adjust the questions in the test if the candidate or employee tries to 'steer' the test or attempts to fill it in in a socially-desirable way.

Order a Big Five personality test: get started right away

• Available only for businesses and organizations;
• You can order a Big Five personality test at the order page for online assessments;
• We will set up the personality test within 30 minutes;
• The Big Five assessment report is available immediately after completion;
• For large volume usage, consider getting your own account on The Bridge Assessment Platform.

Sample report of the Big Five personality test

You can view a sample report of the Big Five personality test here. This report shows the scores on the 34 Big Five competencies. These competencies can be used for almost any job profile. This report is very suitable for use in recruitment, selection, and HR.

Sample page from the Big Five report

Ordering tests from TestGroup: individual purchase or subscription

At TestGroup, you can order tests in different ways, either individually (per candidate) or through your own account (with credits or unlimited use).

• If you test occasionally, opt for individual test purchases. This is cost-effective if you need fewer than 10 tests per year.
• Want a competitive rate without high upfront costs? Consider an account with credits.
• If you want the lowest price per test and unlimited testing throughout the year, go for an account with unlimited usage.
• No worries about startup times - your account is ready within a day.
• In your account, you will find all tests and online assessments from TestGroup.
• No mandatory training. Our TestGroup consultants are always ready to provide free advice.
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The Big Five Personality Test: 34 competencies

The Big Five theory is widely accepted among psychologists as the most important personality model. Years of worldwide psychological research have shown that a personality can be described using five dimensions, known as the Big Five: extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability, conscientiousness, and openness. In The Bridge Personality, these dimensions are adapted into four categories: Directing, Output, Attitude, and Inspiration. Each of these categories contains three subcategories. These subcategories are divided into the 34 Big Five competencies in the Big Five personality test report. Because there are scores on 34 competencies in the Big Five personality report, this Big Five test for selection and recruitment can be used for almost any job profile.

What are the Big Five personality dimensions?

The Big Five are 5 personality traits (character traits) which have been scientifically proven to predict future work behavior. For this reason, Big Five personality tests are widely used for recruitment and selection. The Big Five personality facets are:

• Openness to Experience - The extent to which one is open to seeking new experiences. People who score high on this scale are curious and imaginative. Those who score low are practical and value the facts of the here and now.
  
• Conscientiousness - The degree to which someone works in an organized and focused manner, or unstructured and aimlessly.
• Extraversion - The amount to which someone needs social interaction. Extroverted people have a strong need for interactions and are social, energetic, talkative, person-oriented, and optimistic. Introverted people prefer to work alone or in a quiet environment.
• Agreeableness - The extent to which a person typically behaves in a compliant, tolerant, and helpful manner, or conversely, competitive and less cooperative.
• Emotional Stability - This is the opposite extreme of neuroticism. Neurotic people worry a lot, are insecure, and nervous. Emotionally stable people are satisfied with themselves, relaxed, and less emotional.

Why do organizations use Big Five personality tests?

There are various reasons why companies and organizations administer Big Five personality tests. Below are a few examples:

• Personality, intelligence, and education influence how someone feels and performs at work. By administering personality tests, one can find the best possible match between an individual's personality and the requirements of a specific role or company culture.
• For example: extremely introverted people will likely perform better in roles or companies with less personal contact, while extroverted people might be better suited for commercial roles.
• Some roles require a high degree of precision and carefulness, while other roles demand creativity and flexibility. Personality tests can help identify these traits.
• Some people enjoy working in a team and are therefore more accommodating, while others are more of a leader type and less accepting, or extroverted. Personality tests can help identify these traits.

How to use the Big Five personality test for recruitment and selection

The Big Five personality test is the most widely used personality test for recruitment and selection within organizations. This guide describes in 3 steps how to properly implement this test in your organization.

The Big Five personality test provides valuable insights into the intrinsic properties of applicants. When integrated properly into the selection process, it can be a powerful tool for determining the best match for your organization.

1. Preparing for the administration of the test

• Order the Big Five personality test: you can order the test individually (per candidate) or take an advantageous subscription.
• Transparency: clearly communicate the purpose of the test to candidates.
• Confidentiality: maintain the privacy of the test results.
• Legal considerations: use only tests that are valid, reliable, and scientifically substantiated.

2. Using multiple selection methods

Although the Big Five personality test provides valuable insights, it should not be the sole determining factor. It is essential to:

• Combine it with other selection methods, such as a cognitive ability test;
• Use the selection interview to discuss the scores on the test and structure interview questions around these scores for deeper insights. You can do this with a STAR interview.

3. Drawing conclusions from test results

For recruiters and managers, the Big Five test is an essential tool for optimizing recruitment and selection. To maximize its benefits:

• Be aware of potential biases and limitations of the test. A Big Five personality test can predict up to 25% of a candidate's work success.
• The Big Five personality test is, therefore, only a tool that you can use as a supplement to your other recruitment tools, such as the interview, the resume, and other tests.
• Ensure your assessment remains free of biases. Be aware of halo effects.
• Combine the test result with an interview to get a broad picture of a candidate.

Why is the use of a Big Five personality test in teams important?

1. Improving communication

Understanding the unique personality traits of team members paves the way for improved communication. An extrovert (E), for example, may thrive in group discussions, while an introvert might feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts through written communication.

2. Better task allocation

Recognizing, for example, a high degree of conscientiousness in a team member - characterized by attention to detail and structured planning - can lead to better task allocation (such as administrative tasks), utilizing the team member's strengths.

3. Proactively preventing conflicts

Gaining insight into individual Big Five scores of team members helps in anticipating and preventing potential disagreements. Team members with a high degree of agreeableness (A), due to their cooperative and harmonious nature, can be effective mediators in tense situations.

How to use the Big Five personality test within your team

Step 1: Preparation

Start by having everyone fill out the Big Five personality test. You can order these individually (per participant) or purchase them at a discount price through a subscription on The Bridge Assessment Platform. Once the results (reports) are in, share them with the group. Remember, there are no right or wrong outcomes; it's all about self-awareness.

Step 2: Create the right atmosphere for a team workshop

Plan a specific workshop to discuss the results with the team. Ensure that the environment promotes open sharing without judgment. Do you need sheets and materials for your workshop? TestGroup has them for you. Order the team workshop: do-it-yourself package.

Step 3: Clearly explain the OCEAN Model (the Big Five) to your team

Discuss each of the Big Five traits separately: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Explain them in simple language to avoid misunderstandings.

Step 4: Discuss and relate the test scores

Team members should explain their results, going beyond just numbers. Describe how these scores might affect your contribution to the team. For example, if Extraversion (E) is your strength, you might excel in public relations but find solo tasks unstimulating. Use TestGroup's Big Five workshop sheets to guide the conversation.

Step 5: Create solutions

This is where creativity comes in! Use the discussion to create strategies that optimize team dynamics. For instance, those with high conscientiousness (C) could lead project management, while those with high openness (O) could lead creative brainstorming sessions.

Step 6: Discuss how conflicts can arise and be prevented

If two team members score lower on agreeableness (A), it may lead to less mutual understanding. Understanding these scores can also shed light on past disagreements and provide strategies to prevent them in the future.

Step 7: Develop a strategy

Conclude by formulating a concrete action plan. Assign roles or tasks based on the insights gained. Establish protocols for dealing with future challenges or disputes.

Step 8: Keep the dialogue open

Ongoing reflection is essential. Check in regularly with your team to gauge progress and adjust the strategy if necessary.

The difference between the Big Five personality test, the 16 Personality test and the 4-color personality test

The key distinction between the Big Five personality framework and the 16 Personality test lies in categorization. The Big Five doesn't slot individuals into distinct personality types. Instead, it evaluates five major personality domains, recognizing that these dimensions are universally present in humans and are pivotal in shaping thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. These dimensions—Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism—are integral aspects of each person's makeup. The Big Five approach uses a scale for each trait, providing a percentage score based on responses, reflecting where an individual lies on the spectrum of each trait.

Conversely, the 16 Personality test classifies individuals based on core personality traits, using four dichotomies (Introversion vs. Extraversion, Intuition vs. Sensing, Feeling vs. Thinking, and Perceiving vs. Judging). While it also employs a spectrum-like approach to show preferences in traits, such as 'Introvert' or 'Judging,' these are seen more as tendencies than fixed attributes. For instance, someone might predominantly display 'Feeling' or 'Intuition,' but this doesn't completely rule out 'Thinking' or 'Sensing' in certain scenarios. Ultimately, the test assigns a four-letter code to categorize one of the 16 Jung Types, unlike the Big Five, which reveals a blend of high, moderate, or low levels across its five domains without attaching a specific type label.

Similarly, the 4-color personality test, used in personality training and team-building, assigns colors (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow) to represent distinct personality styles. This model is straightforward and user-friendly, making it a favorite in business settings for enhancing team performance and communication with the 4-color personality team report. Each color denotes certain behaviors and characteristics, like Red for assertiveness and decisiveness, Blue for analytical and detail-oriented traits, Green for empathy and patience, and Yellow for energy and sociability. Although the 4 Colour test is effective for initial personality assessments in team contexts, it doesn't provide the comprehensive depth found in the Big Five or the 16 Personality framework.