How to Use the OCEAN Personality Test in Recruitment

It's like a magical X-ray for personalities, helping you find folks who not only rock the skills but also gel perfectly with your team and distributed vibe.

What is the OCEAN Personality Test?

It’s similar to a friend group of five traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN for short). Each one tells you something new about how someone ticks.

Open folks love adventure and new ideas, Conscientious types are super organized, Extraverts get their energy from being around people, Agreeable peeps are all about teamwork and cooperation, and Neurotics, well, they feel things deeply.

The test is also called The Big Five Personality Test, or the big five model.

Why Use It for Remote Hiring?

Resumes are dead-in-the-water, and they can only tell you so much. With the rise of AI, there’s no telling who has doctored their resume to be more impressive.

When you're hiring remotely, it's tough to get a feel for someone's true colors over video calls. The OCEAN test gives you a sneak peek into their inner world, showing you how they might handle challenges, work with others, and fit into your team dynamic.

It’s a bit of extra data to top off your remote recruitment process.

How to Use the OCEAN Test Like a Pro

1. Know Your Job Needs: Before unleashing the test, figure out which traits matter most for the role. Need a creative whiz? Look for high Openness. Task requiring laser focus? Conscientiousness is your friend.
2. Decode the Results: Each OCEAN trait has its own benefit for different jobs. Open minds crush it in innovative roles, Conscientious masters of detail excel in code-wrangling, and Extraverted team players bring the energy to leadership positions.
3. Mix and Match: The OCEAN test is a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. Use it alongside interviews, skills tests, and references to get a complete view of the remote candidate.

OCEAN in Action: Tech Recruitment Edition

The tech world thrives on innovation and teamwork, making the OCEAN test a valuable asset. 

High Openness in a candidate might reveal their ability to adapt to unpredictable tech landscapes, while Conscientiousness could point to the meticulousness needed for coding and project management. 

Think of it as finding the perfect puzzle piece for your tech team.

No One-Size-Fits-All Score

There's no magic "gold standard" OCEAN score for every role. 

What rocks a startup might not fly in a corporate giant. The key is matching the candidate's personality profile to the specific needs of the job and your company culture. 

And to balance out the existing OCEAN traits of your current tech team!

The Power of Personality Tests

Studies show that around 80% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests, and HR pros find them helpful in predicting job performance.

While the OCEAN test alone isn't a crystal ball, it can give you valuable insights that go beyond traditional hiring methods.

The OCEAN test is a powerful tool, but it's not a solo act. Use it alongside other assessment methods for a well-rounded approach to remote hiring.

By combining insights from different sources, you can build a dream team that clicks, collaborates, and conquers the remote work world. Use the OCEAN personality test as an added insight in your candidate profiles this year.