Which of the Big 5 personality dimensions is the best predictor of employee performance?

Since 85% of success in work depends precisely on the employee’s soft skills, determining the critical personality factors for a specific position worries both employers and job candidates seeking their vocation. But how do you predict success in job performance based on these personality traits and improve the hiring process and its results?

When planning our future, choosing a career, and assessing our prospects, we all want to know that our capabilities match our aspirations. We want to be the perfect fit for our dream job and feel like we’re exactly in the right place, and every employer is also interested in this. 

As Timothy R. Clark, a founder and chairman of TR Clark Associates, LLC, said: “Highly engaged employees make the customer experience. Disengaged employees break it.” Indeed, when people can realize their true potential and find a job that fits their identity, it is easy to get them motivated to work and develop.  

According to a joint study by Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 85% of job success depends on employees’ soft skills. As a result, companies have begun to pay close attention to them. There is an increasing tendency to ask an applicant in interviews about their communication competence and the desire to innovate.

Natalie Maximets, a certified life transformation coach at OnlineDivorce.com, states: “One can learn hard skills by completing some courses and educational programs, but soft skills are not related to education. Therefore, it can be challenging to track the gaining of such competencies.” However, scientists believe that personality psychology can help recognize and identify these pre-existing capacities and inclinations. 

Personality psychology theories and terminology

Personality makes us “us” and encompasses all those traits and characteristics that set us apart from other people. Various psychologists define personality in different ways and seek to measure personality through many methods, the most common of which are objective tests and projective measures. 

No matter which definition of personality we consider the most accurate, something else is important. What these interpretations describe is an essential “measure” of any person.

Various personality theories for a long time continue to propose their ways to establish an exact number of personality traits. Among the earliest, Eysenck’s PEN model and Cattell’s 16 personality factor model are well known. However, probably the most common personality theory is Goldberg’s five-factor model, or simply the Big Five personality model.

Big Five personality traits

Lewis Goldberg is one of the most famous researchers in the field of personality psychology. His methodology reduces Raymond Cattell’s sixteen “fundamental factors” to five essential personality characteristics: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness.

Even though Goldberg’s model does not provide an utterly exhaustive explanation of personality, it covers a significant part of the aspects associated with it. The five factors are not and do not necessarily define personality characteristics per se but can correspond to many interrelated characteristics allowing for more complex analysis.

For example, the coefficient of Agreeableness includes generosity, friendliness, warmth (on the positive side), and aggressiveness and indifference (on the negative side). All these features and characteristics are a combination of a broader factor, enclosed in the space between two diametrically opposite points. 

Thus, based on this approach, and depending on whether a person scores higher or lower on each of these traits, they can be presented in antonymic pairs:

• Extraversion – Introversion
• Amiability – Competitiveness
• Discipline – Carelessness
• Vulnerability – Resilience
• Ingenuity – Consistency

Main predictors of job performance

Along with the other selection methods, the given theory is widely used in management science and recruitment to predict the impact of the five personality traits in the workplace and attract the best job candidates.

So, to evaluate these factors not just as traits, but to determine how personality affects job performance, let’s consider each of them in more detail and see how these characteristics correlate with each other.

Extroversion

This factor has two, already familiar to us, opposite poles of the spectrum and shows where people use their energy and how they interact with society. Extroverts “recharge” from interacting with others, while introverts get tired of interacting with others and find their energy building when they stay alone.

Traits associated with extraversion (according to the theory) are: sociable, assertive, restrained, withdrawn, energetic, talkative, self-confident, cheerful, loving, friendly, calm.

Those with a high degree of extraversion value achievement and stimulation and are unlikely to value tradition. Extroverts are often assertive, active, and outgoing, avoiding self-denial and conscientiousness in favor of excitement and pleasure.

It follows that high extraversion is a harbinger of leadership development and contributes to the success of managers and salespeople and success in vocational training.

Agreeableness

This factor pertains to how well people get along with other people. Agreeableness relates to our orientation towards others and is based on how we usually socialize and interact.

Traits associated with agreeableness are: altruistic, trusting, humble, kind, competitive, manipulative, amiable, loyal, tactful, helpful, selfless, sensitive.

Agreeableness can be motivated by a desire to fulfill social obligations and follow established norms or genuine concern for the well-being of others. But whatever the motivation, it is rarely accompanied by cruelty and brutality.

People with a high degree of agreeableness are likely to have many close friends and good relationships with family members. Still, there is a certain risk. By putting others above themselves, such people can miss opportunities for their own success, learning, and development.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is a trait characterized by a tendency to control one’s impulses and act in socially acceptable ways that help achieve goals and results.

Traits associated with conscientiousness are: persistent, ambitious, solid, disciplined, consistent, predictable, manageable, reliable, resourceful, hardworking, energetic, tenacious, forward-thinking.

One who scores highly on a conscientiousness scale is more likely to achieve success in education and career. Such a person attains their wishes and goals through foresight and effective planning. Conscientious people tend to be attentive to detail, think about how their behavior affects others, and meet deadlines.

This factor is associated with seeking safety and negative attitudes toward a reward in response to stimulation and excitement. Instead, conscientious people value order, duty, achievement, and self-discipline. They are ready to discuss the prevailing circumstances and work to improve their competence.

Conscientiousness is also related to training, job performance, and successful careers. Finally, it correlates positively with adaptation to life events and the maturity of defense mechanisms.

Conscientiousness interacts somewhat negatively with neuroticism and is positively consistent with benevolence. However, it has no significant connection with the rest of the personality factors.

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a “Big Five” factor in which a high score indicates negative traits. However, neuroticism is by no means an indicator of meanness or incompetence – it only measures the feelings of one’s own confidence and emotional stability.

Traits associated with neuroticism are: awkward, pessimistic, moody, jealous, hotheaded, scared, nervous, anxious, timid, cautious, self-critical, insecure, unstable, hypersensitive.

Neuroticism is negatively correlated with self-esteem and is associated with low motivation. Not surprisingly, emotional instability and vulnerability to stress negatively impact job success.

Neuroticism has also been found to correlate negatively with agreeableness and conscientiousness, in addition to weak and unfavorable interactions with extraversion and openness.

High scores for neuroticism is not a sentence, but those who fall into this group should increase their self-confidence and avoid addictive substances.

Openness

This factor can determine one’s openness to experience in the workplace. It can also be referred to as intelligence or imagination. The openness of perception is associated with a person’s ability to think outside the box, their willingness to feel and learn new things.

Traits associated with openness are: imaginative, curious, insightful, diverse, original, courageous, intelligent, creative, perceptive, complex.

A person with high openness scores loves to study, enjoys art, is involved in creative activities, or has a hobby. Conversely, a person with low openness scores is less interested in art and entertainment and typically prefers routine over variety.

Due to generating new ideas and thinking outside the box, openness increases the likelihood of getting a leadership position. The trait is also associated with universal values such ​​as peace, tolerance, and seeing all people as equally deserving of justice. 

As for other Big Five factors, openness interacts weakly with neuroticism and extraversion and is mostly unrelated to conscientiousness and agreeableness.

Finally, openness is a trait that is least likely to change over time and is most likely to promote personal growth. 

Applying “Big Five” at the recruitment

Overall, the Big Five methodology is universal, and its value for employee selection is that the described personality characteristics are mainly capable of predicting a person’s behavior.

However, which traits are crucial will largely depend on the actual job position — “Big Five” is more focused on targeted recruitment. In addition, experts in organizational psychology say that this method is especially relevant for those companies which have moved to the stage of digital business transformation.

Аs Dr. Leann Schneider notes: “Think about a job that relies on making connections at networking events. Someone who is extraverted will thrive and even enjoy this type of job, but someone introverted will struggle. Yet, it’s not important for someone to be extraverted in an analyst role that requires conducting analysis and poring over spreadsheets of data. That’s why the Big 5 helps hire if they are paired with a data-driven approach.”

To sum it all up, the Big Five personality model can be applied when selecting for leadership or internship programs where it is necessary to assess a person’s personality for motivation and specific qualities essential for a future leader. It can also be any position with management functions, like project manager, line manager, etc.

At the same time, the Big Five test can be adapted to the needs of a specific company. This format is especially relevant in hiring young candidates who are supposed to grow within the company. In such сases, the fact that a person shares the company’s values and meets its standards is of particular importance.