Temperament Assessments Increase Organizational Awareness

The importance of understanding our co-workers’ temperament is directly related to managing people and time. Each time Human Resources hires an employee, we are exposing ourselves to another person’s temperament. Awareness of how that person functions and relates to the work environment and the people within their department could mean the difference between a smooth transition and a slow, conflict-filled production process.

Personality tests, or temperament assessment tests, began gaining interest during the life of Hippocrates. He initially introduced their importance under a theory of medicine, but over time, these tests have been scrutinized and linked to examine humanity’s emotional, mental, physical, moral and psychological characteristics.

Long story short, there are four temperament types, but sixteen different personality types.

Breaking Down of Temperaments

Temperaments are divided into four categories: Artisans, Guardians, Idealists and Rationales. Basically, the people who surround you in your work environment fall into a variety of classifications to include being either stronger in tactical, logistical, diplomatic or strategic thinking patterns. To break down the categories even further, you find people who gravitate toward being compliant, pragmatic, observant, practicing introspection, expressive and/or attentive. This list could go on and on.

Benefits of Awareness

Offering a personality type test to a group of employees would be a great way to promote self-discovery and discern where to place which employee on a specific project. If you believe your organization could do a better job producing its products, strategically organizing certain personality types may help you reach your goals. It could also increase company profits.

We will begin to walk through the four types of temperaments in the weeks to come. In the meantime, you may want to take the time to ponder the following questions: Do my instincts tell me that some of my employees are misplaced? Is it possible two people currently working together would produce more by adding a third? How can we administer personality testing in a fun and knowledgeable way?

Assessing the temperament of your employees is a wise move decision to move your organization to its next level. Investing in this kind of awareness demonstrates an organization’s commitment to success. This also indicates that you will invest your resources in the people who make your company thrive.