Editing Personality test (section)

=== Personality tests in the workplace ===
Though personality tests date back to the early 20th century, it was not until 1988 when it became illegal in the United States for employers to use polygraphs that they began to more broadly utilize personality tests.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stabile |first1=Susan J. |title=The Use of Personality Tests as a Hiring Tool: Is the Benefit Worth the Cost |journal=University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor and Employment |date=2001 |volume=4 |page=279}}</ref> The idea behind these personality tests is that employers can reduce their turnover rates and prevent economic losses in the form of people prone to thievery, drug abuse, emotional disorders or violence in the workplace. There is a chance that an applicant may fake responses to personality test items in order to make the applicant appear more attractive to the employing organization than the individual actually is.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Ones | first=D.S. | title=Personality at Work: Raising Awareness and Correcting Misconceptions | journal=Human Performance | publisher=Informa UK Limited | volume=18 | issue=4 | year=2005 | issn=0895-9285 | doi=10.1207/s15327043hup1804_5 | pages=389–404| s2cid=36707701 }}</ref>

Personality tests are often part of [[management consulting]] services, as having a certification to conduct a particular test is a way for a consultant to offer an additional service and demonstrate their qualifications. The tests are used in narrowing down potential job applicants, as well as which employees are more suitable for promotion.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Cunningham|first=Lillian|date=December 14, 2012|title=Myers-Briggs: Does it pay to know your type?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/myers-briggs-does-it-pay-to-know-your-type/2012/12/14/eaed51ae-3fcc-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> The United States federal government is a notable customer of personality test services outside the private sector with approximately 200 federal agencies, including the military, using personality assessment services.<ref name=":1"/>

Despite evidence showing personality tests as one of the least reliable metrics in assessing job applicants,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Martin|first=Whitney|date=2014-08-27|title=The Problem with Using Personality Tests for Hiring|work=Harvard Business Review|url=https://hbr.org/2014/08/the-problem-with-using-personality-tests-for-hiring|access-date=2021-12-17|issn=0017-8012}}</ref> they remain popular as a way to screen candidates.