Personality tests are commonly used to understand how people think, communicate, make decisions, and behave at work. They can help individuals identify their strengths and development areas while giving organisations useful insights for recruitment, team development, leadership, and career planning.
There are many personality assessments available, but five are particularly well known: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Big Five Personality Test, DISC Assessment, Enneagram, and Hogan Personality Inventory.
1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, commonly known as MBTI, is one of the most widely recognised personality assessments. It categorises people into 16 personality types based on four preference pairs: Introversion or Extraversion, Sensing or Intuition, Thinking or Feeling, and Judging or Perceiving.
MBTI is often used to help people understand their communication preferences, decision-making styles, and approaches to work. It can also support team discussions by helping colleagues recognise that people may approach the same situation differently.
2. Big Five Personality Test
The Big Five personality model measures personality across five broad traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Unlike some personality tests that place people into specific types, the Big Five measures traits along a spectrum. This provides a more detailed picture of individual differences. It is widely used in psychological research and can also be applied to workplace development, team effectiveness, and leadership.
The Big Five is particularly useful when organisations want to understand behavioural tendencies rather than place employees into fixed personality categories.
Learn more about Workplace Big Five Profile here
3. DISC Assessment
The DISC assessment focuses on four behavioural styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.
DISC is often used in workplace settings because it provides an accessible way to discuss communication and behavioural preferences. For example, someone with a stronger Dominance style may prefer direct communication and quick decisions, while someone with a stronger Steadiness style may value consistency and collaboration.
DISC can be useful for improving communication, teamwork, leadership, and workplace relationships.
4. Enneagram
The Enneagram describes nine personality types, each associated with different motivations, fears, patterns of thinking, and behaviours.
Rather than focusing only on observable behaviour, the Enneagram explores what may be driving that behaviour. This can encourage self-reflection and help individuals recognise recurring patterns in how they respond to pressure, relationships, and challenges.
It is commonly used for personal development, coaching, and team conversations.
5. Hogan Personality Inventory
The Hogan Personality Inventory, or HPI, is a workplace-focused personality assessment designed to understand how individuals are likely to behave in professional environments.
It examines characteristics that can influence workplace performance, relationships, and leadership. Hogan assessments are often used for employee selection, leadership development, succession planning, and executive coaching.
Because it is specifically designed for workplace applications, it can provide useful insights into how personality may influence professional behaviour and performance.
Choosing the Right Personality Test
The best personality test depends on what you want to understand. MBTI can support self-awareness and communication discussions. The Big Five provides a broad, research-based view of personality traits. DISC focuses on observable behaviour and communication. The Enneagram explores motivations and behavioural patterns, while Hogan focuses strongly on personality in the workplace.
Personality tests should not be treated as labels that define a person. They are tools that can provide another perspective on behaviour, preferences, and development. When used alongside other information such as interviews, performance data, feedback, and coaching, they can support more meaningful conversations about people and teams.