IT professionals must perform for a business to perform, and thankfully, you can find a high-performing IT employee using the evidence gathered in a pre-employment personality test. Traits including Emotional Stability, Optimism, Extroversion and Openness should be high on your list when searching for an IT professional who fits the needs of the job.
Whether you are hiring one IT professional for the whole organization or a team made of various Information Technology positions, start with personality. Here’s what to look for.
HOW DO THEY HANDLE STRESS? LOOK FOR EMOTIONAL STABILITY.
Information Technology jobs are stressful because of the changing nature of the profession and the constant pressure for greater efficiency and faster results – often up against variables outside of the employee’s control. 90% of IT directors report negative health effects attributable to large workloads, demands from managers, unrealistic expectations and feelings of job insecurity (Savvas, 2004).
IT professionals require a strong ability to work under stress and bounce back from repeated and unexpected job challenges. A high degree of Emotional Stability will highlight a candidate who is resilient and up to the challenge.
OPTIMISM: NOT THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN CONSIDERING AN IT PROFESSIONAL
Information Technology staff benefit from a positive outlook, something that’s likely present with candidates who show a good degree of Optimism. They’ll be more successful when they view themselves as the source of solutions and positive outcomes and regard negative situations as external and understand that they can control how they respond.
Pessimists turn this process upside down and blame themselves for negative outcomes, and feel as if they have no ability to have a positive impact if they change how they respond to their circumstances.
An optimistic perspective, when combined with resilience, enables technology employees to avoid cumulative stress buildup and burnout.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXTROVERSION
Emotional Stability and Optimism make sense for long-term success in a high-stress job, but IT professionals benefit from some unexpected traits – ones you might not instantly associate with “the IT person.” Extroversion is one such trait.
IT workers who possess a degree of extroversion and a teamwork-oriented disposition fit well in a corporate culture where members to work together and engage in more social interactions than would be expected from a field that is traditionally regarded as rich with introverts.
Those who are extroverts will feel comfortable with group projects, communication with stakeholders, and interaction with employees in departments throughout their company.
HIRE AN IT PROFESSIONAL WHO IS “OPEN” TO NEW IDEAS
Openness is a personality trait that works well in today’s IT culture as frequent, and often unexpected, change is constant – and integral. The presence of Openness to New Experience signals adaptability, a tolerance for change and new ways of doing things. It also correlates to better stress tolerance and potentially more job and career satisfaction in the rapidly-evolving IT world.
PERSONALITY TRAITS HELP PREDICT FUTURE PERFORMANCE
Emotional Stability, Optimism, Extroversion and Openness are personality traits that should matter during the hiring process, but their importance continues years into the future. The presence of these traits forecast an employee’s long-term value to a company, from how they’ll develop and improve as a result of training programs to the impact they’ll make on the organization’s growth.
All of the above-mentioned personality traits can be measured in pre-employment personality tests that are designed for the work place. They help hiring managers add scientific evidence to the hiring process that goes beyond skillsets, resumes and background checks to select candidates most suited for roles in Information Technology—and keep them.
