Cybersecurity threats are on the rise. With the rapid increase of security breaches, company hacks, and data leaks, cybercrime has become one of the most significant threats to global business. Skilled cybersecurity professionals are key for the safety of companies and governments, but there is a talent shortage of 3.4 million workers. The demand for talent in this space is at an all-time high, and there are some unique personality traits that recruiters and companies need to look out for.

At Hogan, we have helped some of the world’s top IT and cybersecurity firms recruit the right individuals. Our science-based assessments and decades of validated research found that there are eight personality traits best suited to a successful career in cybersecurity.

Personality Traits for Cybersecurity

1. Modest – Those who tend to excel in cybersecurity typically prefer to avoid the spotlight. A successful cybersecurity agent is not egotistical or fame hungry and instead favors a more low-key lifestyle. After all, most of the well-known names in cybersecurity are notorious cybercriminals.
2. Altruistic – Cybersecurity professionals should want to help people. While they are working all day with systems and programming, protecting and helping people is at the core of this profession. They should work well with others and avoid isolating themselves. Fighting threats will require cooperation and trust between colleagues as they are striving together toward the same security goals.
3. Composed – The enterprise systems they are protecting from attacks are always under threat. Cybersecurity agents naturally need to have a sense of urgency, but it is crucial that they stay composed handling cyberthreats. Unnecessary outbursts when the pressure is rising can be counterproductive and shift their attention away from what is at stake.
4. Scientific – The perfect cybersecurity professional wants to solve problems using data and analytic skills. Cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated in their attacks. Data security requires individuals who are highly technical and value evidence-based decision-making.
5. Inquisitive – The world of cybersecurity is ever-changing. When threats are prevented, new ones emerge. These can require a completely different set of skills than the ones needed previously. A successful cybersecurity candidate is imaginative, curious, and creative. They need to figure things out quickly, show motivation to learn, and be open to new ideas.
6. Skeptical – “Trust no one” would be a useful motto for a cybersecurity worker. To get ahead of the game and prevent attacks means sometimes having to think like a hacker. This means maintaining suspicion about what’s going on, because in a world of constant threats, naiveté can be a dangerous thing.
7. Responsive – Things can go wrong quickly. A data security breach might be as simple as someone in the company opening a phishing email and exposing sensitive information. It is thus very important for a cybersecurity worker to be open and responsive to criticism and avoid being passive-aggressive.
8. Diligent – In a high-pressure environment with a firm’s security at stake, a successful candidate needs to be detail-oriented and constantly pushing projects to completion. One small oversight could lead to attacks, so cybersecurity specialists need to scrutinize every detail. They also need to value achievement and making an impact.

Ryne Sherman, PhD, Hogan’s chief science officer, adds: “Traditional recruiting practices often overlook personality and focus on education, experience, and technical skills. While these are important, it is crucial to remember that personality traits play a huge role. A candidate with the suitable personality can be easily trained into the right role. This is especially true in the cybersecurity world where companies struggle to find the experienced individuals they need. To recruit top talent, companies should direct their attention to the power of personality.”

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

Often when I meet someone for the first time, I am asked what I do. When I describe the work we do at Hogan and the personality assessments we create for clients, the invariable response is, “Oh, like the MBTI.” Well, not even close. Although the Hogan assessments and the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) are both designed to provide insight into personality, they are dramatically different. Think about ducks and hummingbirds: both are birds, but you probably shouldn’t expect a hummingbird to swim or a duck to eat sugar water while hovering in the air. Similarly, you shouldn’t expect the MBTI to help you make consequential decisions in your organization, but you can confidently use Hogan assessments to do so. Here’s why.

Theoretical Foundations

The MBTI is based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, which was based on his beliefs and observations — not substantiated science. Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, had read about Jung’s ideas and used them to create the MBTI, but neither had any training or education in psychology.

The Hogan assessments, on the other hand, are based on socioanalytic theory, which is rooted in multidisciplinary science. Created by Robert Hogan, PhD, a highly trained and internationally renowned personality psychologist, they are regularly updated and validated by a team of master’s- and PhD-level psychologists.

MBTI Usability for Selection

The MBTI should not be used for selection. We’re not making this up; the Myers-Briggs Company says this.

Hogan assessments were expressly designed for use in employee selection in addition to other workplace uses. In fact, the Hogan Personality Inventory was the first measure of personality based on the Big Five — that is, the most widely accepted model of personality — designed specifically to be used in the workplace. The Big Five model of personality has been studied extensively by personality psychologists over the past half century and now forms the basis for most new research on personality. One of the many strengths of this model is its universality; it captures how people, regardless of geography or language, describe each other.

Hogan’s assessments are supported by more than 30 years of research demonstrating their validity for workplace applications. Nonetheless, assessment users are often concerned about potential demographic differences in assessment results that could impact work outcomes. Well-developed personality measures, in general, and Hogan assessments, specifically, show trivial differences in comparisons across genders, races and ethnicities, and ages, indicating they make selection practices more equitable, regardless of demographic differences among assessees.

Usability for Development

If your organization’s objective is to help people gain insight about their identities, the MBTI may help you do so. The question is do you need an assessment to inform you about your identity? The only expert on your identity is you, so if you think the assessment results do not reflect it, the assessment provides no developmental value.  

I often hear practitioners acknowledge the well-known psychometric limitations of the MBTI that prevent its usefulness in selection while in the next breath indicating that it’s OK to use if the purpose is development. That’s problematic. Why should the scientific standards you apply to selection be lowered for development? Shouldn’t development assessments be focused on characteristics that predict important work outcomes? Isn’t the purpose of development in the workplace to improve performance?

If, however, the purpose of your organization’s development investments is to help people gain insight about how their personality and behavior impacts their reputation (i.e., how others describe and interpret their behavior) and outcomes that matter (e.g., effectiveness at leading people), Hogan assessments are appropriate and designed for the purpose. Unlike identity, the experts on your reputation are other people you work with, not you, and their perspectives are what influence whether they will follow you, want to interact with you, or trust you. It is useful to gain insight about your reputation if you want to understand where to focus your development efforts.

To be clear, the purpose here is not to convince you that the MBTI has no useful applications. It is to encourage you to look deeper into any assessment before assuming they all are the same or interchangeable, and to encourage you to use the assessment that is appropriate for the application and outcome you intend. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck and not a hummingbird.

I was talking recently with a very smart psychologist about IBM; I noted that IBM’s stock has gone down steadily for the past six years, and he said: “IBM is well managed but poorly led.” This perceptive observation assumes that managers’ jobs change as they move from supervisor to manager to executive. I have always thought that leadership is the same at any level, but many people believe that the roles of managers, and the competencies needed to perform in those roles, change as they advance in organizations. I know little about this, so I asked Rob Kaiser and, as usual, he was helpful—in part because he organized an entire issue of The Psychologist-Manager Journal (2011, Volume 14) on this subject.

The particular strength of the articles in Kaiser’s issue of the journal is that they present real data, based on good measures and a comprehensive set of managerial competencies, data that show clearly how the requirements of management jobs change with changes in organizational status. The published literature on this topic is quite large and somewhat complex. I believe I can summarize the major lessons of the literature in terms of four points.

Managerial Competencies

The first point is that management levels can be usefully conceptualized in terms of three categories:  (1) Supervisors, who are responsible for organizing employees’ work, assigning tasks, and holding people accountable for their performance; (2) Managers, who coordinate the efforts of work teams with the requests of top management; (3) Executives, who set the direction for the organization. Even with these simple definitions it is apparent that people do different things at different levels of management.

The second point is that De Meuse, et al. (2011) show that certain prominent competencies (e.g., Humor, Personal Disclosure, and Compassion), are irrelevant. Specifically, ratings for sense of humor, willingness to disclose, and showing compassion are uncorrelated with managerial performance at any level. Consider Personal Disclosure. It is defined as “…willing to share thoughts about personal strengths, weaknesses, and limitations; admits mistakes and shortcomings; is open about personal beliefs and feelings; is easy to get to know for those who interact with him/her regularly.” Personal Disclosure is the core of Authentic Leadership theory and these data indicate that it is irrelevant for managerial performance.

The third point is that certain competencies are in fact important at any level. These include Customer Focus, Functional/Technical Skills, Decision Quality, and Ethics and Values. I can’t resist noting that these competencies are at the core of the “Hogan Leadership Model.” The data provided by Kaiser, et al. (2011) contain two interesting findings. The first concerns the importance of being decisive versus being participative when making decisions. Effective Managers are rated as high decisive, low participative, whereas effective Executives are rated as low decisive, high participative. Second, Kaiser’s data indicate that “learning agility” is needed at every managerial level, and that “abrasiveness” is undesirable at any level. These data are consistent with Kaiser’s claim that adaptability (i.e., learning agility) is the “g” factor in managerial performance.

The last point is that certain competencies are important for Supervisors, even more important for Managers, and crucial for Executives. These competencies are Managerial Courage, Command Skills, Business Acumen, and Perspective. This is also consistent with our leadership model.

These four points summarize what we know in a data-based way about how managers’ jobs change as they move up organizational hierarchies. I would like to close with two observations, the first concerns the practical consequences of these data, the second concerns a shortcoming in these analyses. Regarding the practical consequences, executive coaches all know that many managers fail after being promoted. A common cause of failure concerns being unable to adapt to the promotion. We distinguish between working in the business and working on the business. Working in the business involves assigning tasks, giving clear instructions, and holding people accountable. Working on the business means putting problems in perspective, evaluating past decisions based on present evidence, and anticipating problems based on potential changes in customer demands. This involves the distinction between tactical and strategic thinking. Tactical thinking concerns implementation issues, budget allocation, and short-term deadlines; strategic thinking concerns innovation, profit generation, and longer-term opportunities. Smart, hardworking, honest executives often fail because they focus on tactical issues at the expense of strategic opportunities.

The second problem with discussions of leadership based on competency models concerns the problem of derailment. The data show that 65% to 75% of existing managers struggle to perform well at any level. Competency models focus on strengths, but as Rob Kaiser tells us, strengths become problems when they are overused; thus, more of any competency is not always better. Conversely, more versatility (or learning agility) is always better. In addition, Kaiser’s data also show that unpleasant tendencies (e.g., abrasiveness) can co-exist with important strengths, and the unpleasant tendencies can cancel the benefits of important strengths. All of this suggests that competency-based analyses of leadership need to be qualified by considerations of versatility and the dark side of personality.

Bibliography

De Meuse, K.P., Dai, G. & Wu, J. (2011). Leadership skills across organizational levels.  The Psychologist–Manager Journal, 14, 120-139.

Kaiser, R.B., Craig S.B. Overfield, D.V., & Yarborough, P. (2011).  Differences in managerial jobs at the bottom, middle, and top.  The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 14, 76-91.

Welcome back to our series on the eight most common personality types found in the Hogan suite of assessments. Over the past seven weeks, we took an in-depth look at Rebels, Marketers, Proletarians, Congenials, Overachievers, Networkers, and Misfits. In our eighth and final week, we take a deep dive into the Preppers personality profile.

Preppers personality profiles are rare, only making up approximately 6% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by very low scores on Affiliation, Recognition, and Power with above average scores on Tradition and Security on the MVPI; low scores across most of the HPI scales with the exception of an average score on Prudence; and high scores on Excitable, Skeptical, Cautious, Reserved, Leisurely, and Dutiful on the HDS, with an exceptionally high score on Cautious. See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1: Preppers personality profile

The Reputation of Preppers

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent, written interpretations of the Preppers profile shown above. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Preppers were “self-critical,” “emotional,” “follow,” “careful,” “risk,” “stability,” and “predictable.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputation of Preppers by drawing on Hogan 360° data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy.

Colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates said Preppers build trust and loyalty with other, are polite and considerate, avoid double-standards, and produce high-quality, error-free work. At the same time, Preppers’ work colleagues also said that they are not very competitive and driven, lack passion, energy, and assertiveness, and do not think long term about new opportunities. In other words, Preppers are dependable employees who have a strong desire for predictability and stability but are not seen as hard drivers pushing others for results.

Our job performance archive also provides insight regarding how Preppers are perceived by their supervisors: bosses give high marks to Preppers for focusing on quality, working hard, and being dependable. At the same time, they give Preppers low marks for managing conflict, inspiring others, attracting talent, and building teams. To summarize, Preppers are defensively pessimistic, motivated by fear, and seek out environments that are stable and predictable. They are introverted, but effective employees when they can keep their emotions under control.

Common Careers for Preppers Personality Profiles

Preppers prefer careers where they can find stability and work with limited social interaction. Like Misfits, they prefer jobs with limited oversight where they can complete their tasks unmonitored and they tend to be most successful in jobs with clear instructions for performance. Preppers also do well in roles where the goal is to detect potential threats, pitfalls, and safety issues. Our data show Preppers are overrepresented in the military as well as in admin/clerical and technician jobs.

Preppers personality profiles are underrepresented among executive job roles, likely because they fear the risks associated with high-profile roles. We also find that Preppers are over-represented among samples of remote computer workers, which is a good fit for their interpersonal style and their preference for predictability. In popular media, characters such as the Nick Fury (Marvel), Craig Middlebrooks (Parks and Recreation), and Rex (Disney’s Toy Story) are prototypical Preppers — dependable, organized, and prepared for the worst.

Advice for Preppers

If you have the Preppers personality profile, you should recognize that many people are less cautious and more comfortable taking risks than you are. You tend to proceed with a safety-first attitude and like to be prepared for every possible scenario. Your colleagues may see you as overly worried about bad outcomes and as someone who delays projects unnecessarily. As a result, you may prefer jobs where you can work at your own pace with few deadline pressures.

In leadership roles, you will want to carefully review all reports and the details of all possible decisions. Your staff may see you as prone to slow decision-making and as a logjam slowing down processes for the entire organization. You will have to work hard on your delegation skills, and it will be critical for you to hire employees who you can trust and empower to make decisions without you. On the bright side, your business unit will be well-prepared for disaster scenarios.

How to Deal with Preppers Personality Profile

If your boss has the Preppers personality profile, you should realize that he or she will have a hard time coming to decisions quickly. You will want to be sure to cover every possible scenario and detail in your reports because your Prepper boss will be ready to ask about them. The only way you will get your plans through will be by out-preparing him or her. Pressuring your boss to move decisions along will likely only make things worse, resulting in your boss locking him or herself away to “deliberate.” However, if you frame your arguments in terms of improving safety or future security, your boss will be more inclined to act quickly.

If any of your employees are Preppers, recognize that these people will have a strong preference for predictability, stability, and clear work assignments. They will prefer work where they can operate at their own pace and that emphasizes quality and getting the details exactly right. While Preppers are hard-working and dedicated, they also tend to second-guess themselves and will be slow to commit to any course of action. Your most challenging task as the supervisor of a Prepper will be keeping his or her fear of failure in check and not letting delays bog down the larger team.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

Welcome back to our series on the eight most common personality types found in the Hogan suite of assessments. We have already taken an in-depth look at Rebels, Marketers, Proletarians, Congenials, Overachievers, and Networkers. This week, we continue our dive into these personality types with a close examination of the Misfits personality profile.

The personality profile of Misfits makes up approximately 7% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by below average scores on Hedonism and very low scores on Affiliation on the MVPI; low scores across the board on the HPI with extremely low scores on Adjustment, Ambition, and Interpersonal Sensitivity; and very high scores on the “moving away” cluster (Excitable, Skeptical, Cautious, Reserved, and Leisurely) of HDS. See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1: Misfits personality profile

The Reputation of the Personality Profile of Misfits

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent, written interpretations of the Misfits personality profile shown above. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Misfits were “isolation,” “stressful,” “challenges,” “pressure,” “mistrusting,” “passionate,” and “emotional.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputation of Misfits by drawing on Hogan 360° data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy.

Colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates said Misfits have the right knowledge and experience to be effective at work. At the same time, Misfits’ work colleagues also said that they bring a negative attitude to work, lack enthusiasm for customer service, and have poor people skills. In other words, Misfits often have the technical expertise and capacity to do their work well, but struggle with the social skills needed to truly excel in modern work environments.

Our job performance archive also provides insight regarding how Misfits are perceived by their supervisors: bosses see Misfits as having difficulties with conflict management, political savvy, professionalism, and relationship building. Likely due to their lack of social skills, the Misfits personality profile received the lowest overall performance ratings in our archive. To summarize, Misfits have the competence and capabilities on par or, in some cases, even better than their colleagues. However, their pessimistic and aloof interpersonal style creates difficulties in the workplace for their colleagues and supervisors.

Common Careers for Misfits

Misfits prefer careers where they can work in isolation and without much social interaction. They prefer jobs with little oversight where they can complete their tasks unmonitored. They also tend to be most successful in jobs with clear instructions for performance. Our data show the personality profile of Misfits are overrepresented in both the military and technician jobs.

They are also slightly over-represented among first-line supervisors, likely due to their technical skills, knowledge, and expertise in the job. We also find that the personality profile of Misfits is over-represented among samples of remote computer workers, which is a good fit for their asocial interpersonal style. In popular media, characters such as the Black Widow (Marvel), April Ludgate (Parks and Recreation), and Beast (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) are prototypical Misfits — skilled, but reclusive and emotionally volatile.

Advice for Misfits

If you are a Misfit, you should first recognize that your peers and work colleagues will see you as atypical. They will have difficulty understanding your dislike for meetings and groupwork as most of them will truly enjoy it. Although you may prefer this kind of work, you should realize that most modern workplaces require teamwork. As a result, you may find careers in less typical roles to be more personally rewarding. For example, you might prefer careers where you can work remotely or with things, rather than with people.

In leadership roles, you will tend to focus on the technical and task-specific aspects of your work. Your staff may see your preference for working alone as a signal that you do not like them or that you are simply a mean person. As a result, you will have to work extra hard to demonstrate to your staff that you care about them as individuals and their career development. You will also have to learn to keep any emotional outbursts out of the workplace and away from your staff. In general, you may be a better fit as a leader of a business unit without people-leader responsibilities.

How to Deal with Misfits

If your boss is a Misfit, you should know that he or she will have a hard time connecting with you and the rest of the staff. Your boss will be very task-oriented, expecting you to know what you are supposed to do and to do it without much supervision. The good news is that your boss will call few meetings and have no complaints about any requests for you to work remotely. The bad news is that your boss will not be enthusiastic about providing you with feedback on your work and might be unduly negative in providing such evaluations.

If any of your employees have the personality profile of Misfits, recognize that these people have a strong preference for clear goals, objectives, and structure. Additionally, they will prefer to be assigned work that can be completed independently with little oversight. While your Misfit will be technically skilled, he or she may shy away from groups, committees, or even staff social gatherings. Your most challenging task as the supervisors of a Misfit will be keeping his or her emotions in check and not letting any pessimism spoil the attitudes of the larger team. It will be up to you to get the most of your Misfit’s technical skills, knowledge, and expertise and to work to improve his or her interpersonal skills.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

Welcome back to our saga on the eight most common personality types found via the Hogan suite of assessments. We have already taken an in-depth look at Rebels, Marketers, Proletarians, Congenials, and Overachievers. This week, we continue our dive into these personality types by closely examining the personality profile of Networkers.

The personality profile of Networkers makes up approximately 13% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by slightly above average scores on Recognition, Power, Affiliation, and Aesthetics on the MVPI, but below average scores on Security; very high scores on Sociability and very low scores on Prudence on the HPI; and high scores on the Bold, Mischievous, Colorful, and Imaginative on HDS with low scores on Diligent and Dutiful. See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1: Hogan personality profile of Networkers

The Reputation of Networkers

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent, written interpretations of the Networkers profile shown above. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Networkers were “risky,” “social,” “outgoing,” “innovative,” and “manipulative.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputation of Networkers by drawing on Hogan 360° data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy.

Colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates said Networkers are assertive and energetic, have strong influencing and negotiation skills, are passionate, and competitive and driven. At the same time, Networkers’ work colleagues also said that they have questionable ethical standards, frequently produce work with errors, are sometimes unprofessional, and do not always treat people fairly and without favoritism. In other words, Networkers are socially skilled, influential, and charming, but also prone to taking risks and breaking the rules.

Lastly, our job performance archive also tells us that Networkers are seen as high-performers when it comes to presenting to others, managing conflict, driving strategy, communicating, and inspiring others. Networkers also tend to receive high overall performance ratings from their supervisors. To summarize, Networkers are interested in climbing the corporate ladder and use their social skills to do so rapidly.

Common Careers for the Personality Profile of Networkers

Networkers prefer careers where they can connect with other people and rely on their social skills. They like meetings, delivering presentations, and working on group projects. They enjoy roles in which they can take the lead and be the center of attention. Our data show Networkers are overrepresented in managerial and sales jobs.

They are also over-represented in executive roles (as opposed to individual contributor roles), suggesting they prefer work where they have the most power, influence, and command over the room. Because of their ability to connect with others and to sell themselves, Networkers are often drawn to entrepreneurship and start their own businesses. In popular media, characters such as the Thor (Marvel), Tom Haverford (Parks and Recreation), and Anna (Disney’s Frozen) are prototypical Networks — social, spirited, and energetic.

Advice for Networkers

If you are Networker, you should first recognize you have a real talent for connecting with people, playing corporate politics, and standing out front. Your manager will see you as an energetic and enthusiastic high-performer. However, your colleagues may see you as a bit of a showoff and as someone who takes more credit than deserved. Because of your skill at rubbing elbows with the right people, you are primed to move up rapidly in your company. Unlike Overachievers, you are more willing to play corporate politics and to take shortcuts to get to the top, which means you will likely get to leadership positions quickly.

In leadership roles, you will tend to focus on your efforts on continuing to fast-track your career. You will focus on big objectives that can make a splash and leave the details for achieving those objectives to your team. Be sure to give credit to your team when they deliver on your promises, otherwise they will start to resent you as their manager which will ultimately result in your best employees leaving. While they will respect your ability to get the attention of senior management, no one enjoys someone else taking credit for their work.

How to Deal with the Personality Profile of Networkers

If your boss has the personality profile of a Networker, you should know that he or she will constantly be looking to build new and strong ties with the upper echelons of the company. In other words, he or she will spend more time managing up than managing down. Your boss will present you with an agenda and a vision for what he or she would like to see done but have no interest in the details regarding how it gets done. And, it will be up to you to get things done. The most important thing for your Networker boss is that you make him or her look good. If you care about getting credit for your work, you will need to document exactly what you did because your boss will often get the credit otherwise.

If any of your employees have the personality profile of Networkers recognize that these people have a real talent for making contacts and charming others, including you. They will prefer to be assigned to big projects and they will enjoy opportunities to present their work in front of a large group, especially if that group includes power members of management. While your Networker will be energetic and ambitious, it will be incumbent upon you to make sure he or she is actually getting work done. Many Networkers advance on social skill alone generating little to nothing in terms of productivity. It will be up to you to find tasks and objectives that maximize your Networker’s natural skill-set.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

It has been a month since we revealed the eight most common personality types found via the Hogan suite of assessments. We have already taken an in-depth look at Rebels, Marketers, Proletarians, and Congenials. This week, we continue our dive into these personality types by closely examining the personality profile of Overachievers.

The personality profile of Overachievers make up approximately 17% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by slightly above average scores on Altruism, Tradition, and Security on the MVPI but below-average scores on Recognition and Hedonism; very high scores on Adjustment, Ambition, and Prudence on the HPI; low scores on the Moving Against cluster on the HDS, with average scores on Bold and above-average scores on Diligent and Dutiful. See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1: Hogan personality profile of Overachievers

The Reputation of Overacheivers

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent written interpretations of the Overachievers profile shown in Figure 1. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Overachievers were “willing,” “resilient,” “helping,” “dominant,” “organized,” “perfectionistic,” and most notably “high standards.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputations of Overachievers by drawing on Hogan 360° data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy.

Colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates said Overachievers are calm and even-tempered, treat people with respect, manage emotions maturely, are polite, and are never rude or abrasive. Overachievers’ colleagues also said that Overachievers are not particularly good at coming up with new ideas and may lack industry experience and insight. Overachievers are seen by their coworkers as emotionally stable, disciplined, and respectful of authority.

Lastly, our job performance archive also tells us that Overachievers are seen as skilled at negotiating, focusing on quality and customers, leading others, relationship building, and modeling behavior for others. Overachievers were rated the second highest-performing group overall by their supervisors, just behind Congenials. To summarize, Overachievers are interested in career success, resilient to stress, and focused on results, but insistent on playing fairly and strictly adhering to the rules.

Common Careers for the Personality Profile of Overachievers

Overachievers prefer careers in which they can work hard and demonstrate their value for the company. They like to compete and take pride in their work. They desperately want to be seen as doing a good job, though they do not expect public recognition for it. Our data show Overachievers are overrepresented in customer support and operations and trade jobs.

They are also overrepresented in individual contributor roles (as opposed to leadership roles), suggesting they prefer work that gives them complete control over their performance and outcomes. Despite this, the personality profile of Overachievers rarely shows up as entrepreneurs, preferring the security of more traditional jobs. In popular media, characters such as Captain America (Marvel), Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation), and Tiana (Disney’s The Princess and the Frog) are prototypical Overachievers — hardworking, dedicated, and eager to please.

Advice for Overachievers

If you are an Overachiever, you should recognize that others might not hold themselves to the same high standards for performance that you expect of yourself. Your manager will see you as a model employee, and you will probably be seen as a high performer. However, some of your coworkers might see you as a teacher’s pet or a brownnoser, always setting the bar higher for everyone else. If your boss is astute, you might also be seen as a threat to his or her job, so you might want to be careful about how you display your ambitions. Finally, be aware that your tendency to play by the rules might result in you being overlooked for promotions by people who play politics better, despite your results.

In leadership roles, you tend to overcontrol projects and micromanage your staff. Employee performance often falls short of your standards. You might find yourself thinking, “I could have done a better job on that project than them.” Be wary of these thoughts because you will not have the time and resources to ensure everything meets your high standards. If you submit to these thoughts, you will subject yourself to extremely long hours and burnout. You will need to trust your employees to get the job done if you want to succeed.

How to Deal with the Personality Profile of Overachievers

If your boss is an Overachiever, recognize that he or she will constantly raise the bar and push you for better results. You might find that, no matter how hard you work, your boss always has some criticism for how you could have done better. Your boss will have no tolerance for shortcuts or efforts to skirt the rules. You will need to prove to your boss that you can be trusted to complete projects without oversight. Otherwise, your boss will insist on reviewing everything you do, holding up progress.

If any of your employees have the personality profile of an Overachiever, realize that these people are likely your most productive employees. They rarely complain, never break the rules, and perform to very high standards. However, Overachievers tend to take on too much and try to do everything perfectly. You should be sure your Overachiever doesn’t spend too much effort on trivial details and burn out. You should also watch how your team reacts to Overachievers who might make them look like poor performers by comparison. Finally, you will need to help your Overachievers develop for leadership roles by teaching them about corporate politics and how to avoid micromanaging.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

It has been almost a month since we revealed the eight most common personality types found via the Hogan suite of assessments. We have already taken an in-depth look at Rebels, Marketers, and Proletarians. This week, we continue our dive into these personality types by closely examining the personality profile of Congenials.

The personality profile of Congenials make up approximately 17% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by flat to slightly below average scores on the Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) but with a slight upturn on the getting along dimensions of Altruism, Affiliation, and Tradition; elevated scores on both Adjustment and Interpersonal Sensitivity on the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI); and above-average scores on Cautious, Reserved, and Dutiful on the Hogan Development Survey (HDS). See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1: Congenials Hogan profile

The Reputation of Congenials

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent written interpretations of the personality profile of Congenials shown in Figure 1. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Congenials were “nice,” “willing,” “resilient,” “submissive,” “listener,” and “agreeable.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputations of Congenials by drawing on Hogan 360° data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy.

Colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates said Congenials bring a positive attitude to work, manage emotions maturely, are calm and even tempered, are never rude or abrasive, and are positive role models for others. At the same time, Congenials’ work colleagues also said that Congenials are not particularly competitive or driven and that they have difficulty in recognizing and challenging poor performance. In other words, Congenials are seen by their coworkers as friendly, optimistic, and caring, but not particularly driven to produce results.

Lastly, our job performance archive also tells us that the personality profile of Congenials is seen as high performers when it comes to engagement, team building, handling stress, and relationship building. Moreover, Congenials were rated the highest-performing group overall by their supervisors. To summarize, Congenials are friendly, polite, relaxed, and rule abiding at work, but they’re not particularly interested in climbing the corporate ladder.

Common Careers for Congenials

Congenials prefer careers through which they can connect with others. They also prefer cooperation to competition and would rather work with people than work against them. Our data show the personality profile of Congenials is overrepresented in administrative and clerical jobs. Not surprisingly, they are underrepresented in sales jobs, which tend to be more competitive than cooperative in nature.

We also found that Congenials are underrepresented in entry-level supervisory and managerial roles. Additionally, Congenials are rarely entrepreneurs. In popular media, characters such as Groot (Marvel), Ann Perkins (Parks and Recreation), and Olaf (Disney’s Frozen) are prototypical Congenials — optimistic, friendly, and cooperative.

Advice for Congenials

If you are a Congenial, you should recognize your talent for bringing people together and improving team morale. Your manager likely sees you as a model employee and a high performer. However, some of your coworkers might see you as someone who is more concerned with keeping everyone happy than getting results. You will have to prove to them that you care about results as much as you do about the people you work with.

In leadership roles, you tend to emphasize the three Cs: collaboration, cohesion, and consensus. You prefer projects and tasks that require group cooperation. You prioritize the importance of getting along, sometimes at the expense of productivity, and you may insist that everyone agree on a matter before moving forward. Team members who prioritize productivity over pleasantness will struggle with your management style.

How to Deal with Congenials

If your boss is a Congenial, recognize that he or she will be sensitive to emotional discomfort and make extra effort to ensure everyone is happy. Your Congenial boss is also likely to present situations as more positive and optimistic than they really are. This leader will be uncomfortable delivering bad news; a Congenial boss once fired an employee in such a kind and gentle way that the employee didn’t even realize he was fired! You will need to actively request feedback from others if you want to get an honest assessment of your performance.

If any of your employees have the personality profile of Congenials, realize that you will naturally find them likeable and easy to get along with. They will rarely complain about anything, and if they do complain, you can bet it is a serious problem. Because the personality profile of Congenials cause so few problems and are so friendly, you will naturally tend to see them as model employees and high performers. However, you should keep in mind that Congenials are excellent at building interpersonal relationships, sometimes at the expense of productivity. Pay careful attention to their actual results when it comes time for performance evaluations.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

Three weeks ago we revealed the eight most common personality types found via the Hogan suite of assessments. We have already taken an in-depth look at Rebels and Marketers. This week, we continue our dive into these personality types by closely examining the personality profile of Proletarians.

The personality profile of Proletarians makes up approximately 14% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by mostly average scores on the MVPI with a slightly lower than average score on Affiliation; a flat and normative set of scores on the HPI with slightly lower than average scores on Sociability and Inquisitiveness; and high scores on the so-called moving away cluster of the HDS, which includes the Excitable, Skeptical, Cautious, Reserved, and Leisurely scales. See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1. Proletarians Hogan Profile

The Reputation of Proletarians Personality Profile

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent, written interpretations of the Proletarians profile shown above. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Proletarians were “flexible,” “adaptable,” “consistency,” “safe,” “grey,” “steady,” and “balanced.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputation of Proletarians by drawing on Hogan 360 data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy.

Colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates said individuals with the personality profile of Proletarians “treat people with respect,” “behave to very high ethical standards,” “are positive role models,” and “are polite and considerate, never rude or abrasive.” At the same time, Proletarians’ work colleagues also said that Proletarians do not “have strong influencing and negotiation skills and are “not assertive and energetic” or “competitive and driven.” In other words, Proletarians are seen by their coworkers as respectful and trustworthy but not particularly motivated or ambitious.

Lastly, our job performance archive also tells us that the personality profile of Proletarians scores high on managing conflict, attracting talent, caring about people, team building, and driving performance, but low on handling stress. Overall, Proletarians are interested in stability and a simplistic lifestyle. They are hardworking, reserved, and careful, making them solid employees who want to work without being bothered.

Common Careers for Proletarians

Proletarians prefer careers involving clear objectives and can work without much oversight or supervision. They are not looking to climb the corporate ladder, preferring roles that offer stability. They tend to see work as a necessary part of life and rarely complain. Our data show the personality profile of Proletarians are overrepresented in administrative and clerical jobs as well as in the military, both careers that offer stability and predictability.

We also found that Proletarians are slightly overrepresented in entry-level supervisory roles and underrepresented among executives. Their supervisors see them as above-average performers at work. In popular media, characters such as the Scarlett Witch (Marvel), Ron Swanson (Parks and Recreation), and Mrs. Potts (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) are prototypical Proletarians – hardworking and preferring the simple things in life.

Advice for Proletarians

If you are a Proletarian, you should be aware of your tendency to fade into the background of most work situations. Although your manager will likely see you as a competent and steady worker, you are unlikely to be recognized as a high performer. If you aspire to move up in the company, you will need to do more to stand out and get your ideas noticed.

In leadership roles, you may tend to manage your reports rather than lead them. That is, although you will direct your reports as to what they should do, they are unlikely to find you particularly influential and will view you as more tactical than strategic. In meetings, you will tend to keep to yourself and not speak up. It will be important for you to find ways to make sure your opinion is heard, especially when you have expertise on the topic.

How to Deal with the Personality Profile of Proletarians

If your boss is a Proletarian, recognize that he or she is more likely to provide hands-on support but not much in the way of long-term vision or future direction. You will be viewed as productive if you meet deadlines and accomplish specific tasks that are assigned to you. Be aware that your business unit may not receive wider recognition in the company because of your manager’s tendency to stay out of the company’s strategic direction.

If any of your employees are Proletarians, the good news is that performance management is unlikely to be a big issue. With clear tasks and assignments in front of them, Proletarians tend to work hard and do not need much guidance. Furthermore, your Proletarian employees will likely have little interest in developmental discussions, perhaps even finding them to be a waste of time. They are typically quite happy in their roles and not looking to move up. Still, you will likely need to address the personality profile of Proletarians tendencies to be uncommunicative and withdraw from conflict. You won’t know when Proletarians have something to say, so you will have to draw it out of them.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests

Two weeks ago, we revealed the eight most common personality types found in the Hogan suite of assessments. Last week we took an in-depth look at the first personality type, Rebels. This week we continue our dive into these personality types by closely examining the personality profile of Marketers.

Marketers make up approximately 18% of the working population. Their Hogan profile is highlighted by high scores on Recognition, Power, Commerce, Aesthetics, and Science on the MVPI; high scores on Ambition, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Inquisitive, and Learning Approach, with only moderate Prudence on the HPI; and high scores on the so-called moving against cluster of the HDS; Bold, Mischievous, Colorful, and Imaginative. See Figure 1 below for the full profile.

Figure 1. Hogan Personality Profile of Marketers

The Reputation of Marketers

We had eight Hogan consultants with a combined 82 years of experience provide independent, written interpretations of the personality profile of Marketers shown above. Some of the words our experts most frequently used to describe Marketers were “individual,” “idea,” “assertive,” “convince,” “charming,” “leadership,” “speak,” and most prominently “confident.” Additionally, we examined the workplace reputation of Marketers by drawing on Hogan 360 data gathered with Hogan distributor Peter Berry Consultancy. Colleagues, supervisors, and even their subordinates said Marketers are “very competitive and driven,” “think long-term about opportunities,” “have the passion to make a difference,” and “promote a long-term vision for the organization.” At the same time, their work colleagues also said Marketers do a poor job of being “open, straightforward, and communicating honestly.” In other words, Marketers are seen by their co-workers as motivated, passionate, and strategic, but somewhat untrustworthy.

Lastly, our job performance archive also tells us that Marketers score high on “competing with others,” “presenting to others,” “displaying confidence,” “self-management,” and “overcoming obstacles.” Overall, Marketers appear highly motivated to compete, win, push for results, and to make money. They are bright, sociable, and ambitious at work, but also likely to take big chances and fall prey to overconfidence.

Common Careers for Marketers

Marketers will prefer careers where they can compete with others and be measured on their performance. They have confidence in their ability to outperform the competition and will generally prefer pay-for-performance programs.

Not surprisingly, our data show that the personality profile of Marketers is heavily overrepresented in sales jobs. While only 18% of the population fits the personality profile of a Marketer, 28% of people working in sales jobs fit this profile. We also found the Marketers are slightly overrepresented in both entry-level supervisor and executive job roles. They are above-average performers at work, and it is likely that this is the main contributor – along with their charm and persuasion skills – that leads to their overrepresentation in some leadership roles. In popular media, characters such as Pepper Potts (Ironman), Chris Treager (Parks and Recreation), and Mulan (Disney’s Mulan) are prototypical Marketers – ambitious and full of confidence.

Advice for Marketers

If you are a Marketer, you need to be aware that your self-confidence will come across to many as overconfident and arrogant. In individual contributor roles, you may over-promise what can actually be delivered and ultimately take on more than you can handle. As a leader, you will have the tendency to focus on large, strategic, and long-term issues without attending to the day-to-day details that are critical to any plan’s success.

In meetings, you will tend to take over and run the show without letting other people have their say. It will be important for you to step off the pulpit and listen to others. Nonetheless, many will find your confidence inspiring and motivating, so long as you do not promise more than your team can deliver. Successful Marketers use their social skills to their advantage, motivate others to perform, and are able to limit their own ambition to projects and tasks that can actually be completed.

How to Deal with the Personality Profile of Marketers

If your boss is a Marketer, be prepared to deliver on promises that you didn’t make. A Marketer boss is bound to have more faith in what the team can accomplish than might actually be possible and it will ultimately fall on you to deliver. You should also realize that your Marketer boss is not going to want to talk about the details of getting a project done, but how that project fits in with the bigger picture. If possible, you will want to talk through strategic initiatives with your Marketer boss before s/he goes off to corporate strategy meetings. This will give you an opportunity to remind your boss of the critical details and time necessary to deliver on the objectives s/he might have in mind before big promises are made. In meetings, you will need to be assertive to get your point across as your Marketer boss will otherwise dominate the speaking time.

If any of your employees have the personality profile of a Marketer, the good news is that you will have few performance management issues. The bad news is that it will be your task to reign in their confidence and to keep them from taking on too much. You should also be prepared to have discussions about processes and reporting. Many individuals with the personality profile of Marketers will see things like logging calls and completing expense reports as needless details, preferring to focus on big-picture issues like their sales figures. It will be your job to ensure that they are spending the appropriate amount of time doing the necessary paperwork.

Want to learn more about personality tests? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Personality Tests