Question

What are some of the reasons that traits like conscientiousness or core self-evaluations, as measured by personality tests are likely to relate to job performance across many occupations? Why isn't extroversion as consistently beneficial on the job?

Answer 1

Reasons why traits measured by personality traits are related to job performance across many occupations

The main reason, why there is a high amount of correlation between job performance and personality traits is the presence of use of soft skills more in the jobs than of hard skills in most of the occupation. It is the traits of the person like taking responsibility, conscientiousness, empathy, innovative thinking, creativity, teamwork which helps a person to perform the job. There are very few jobs in which very high amount of technical skill is required and in that, your knowledge & skills are more important than your personality traits

Employees having traits like conscientiousness, openness to experience, are more detail orientated, having more ambition for job achievement and are more driven towards their goals. Similarly having personality traits like high emotional intelligence helps them to understand their work colleagues and subordinates well and also they are able to maintain their emotions in pressure times as well

In many surveys done by companies, it is found that employees who are honest, ethical, strong values perform much better in a job in the long run than employees who want instant success. It is because the methods used by latter employees might give a quick surge in work but in the longer run, it's not likely to help a company in the future and the methods used by employees having integrity build strong foundations in the company. They build a culture based on strong values and not built on cheating.

Different personality traits are required for different types of jobs, like sales, marketing, customer service guys required to be more extrovert, gel-up easily with new people and should be able to present themselves. Extrovert people make an environment of positivity, emotions and their tendency for social stimulation helps them to mingle with strangers in very less time. but it is not consistently beneficial on the job because of other personality traits associated with extraversion. These personality traits include lack of consistency, giving your work to others, lack of seriousness about your work, which makes them not reliable for the job This is why extraversion is not so consistently beneficial on the job.