Your first few months in your new job can be tough because you’re getting to know new people and adjusting to the new environment. Having a good understanding of your personality will help you deal with new or intimidating colleagues and environments. 

Different personalities can affect how quickly and efficiently a job gets done. The work you are asked to do is also influenced by how others feel about it. Don’t you remember small group projects at school: weren’t you scared of being stuck with the kid who didn’t contribute? Would you be able to speak your mind if you were grouped with the control freak? Identifying personality is important when you look at an organization from a group level.

Team chemistry was studied in depth by Deloitte’s national managing director Kim Christfort and Suzanne M. Johnson Vickberg. Business-relevant traits and preferences were included in questionnaires, like pre-employment assessments. Some teams consistently perform well while others struggle. Their conclusion was personality – and how different personalities work together.

“A job that’s not a good fit can be like having unmet needs for belonging, accomplishment, freedom, competence, and satisfaction,” says Dr. Tracie Lazaroo. “In addition, the dichotomy could lead to feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence. They may carry these traits into future jobs and affect their performance.”

That’s why personality is the new paradigm of hiring: it means more engagement and more fulfillment for everyone.

Here’s the question for you: how much do you know about your personality and work style? When you’re job-hunting, it can be tempting to try and fit your imagination into every opportunity that interests you. But if you truly want to find a job that is the right one for you, you need to dig deeper. Personality tests can help you learn more about yourself and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Plus, it can help you figure out what career you want.

You can also ask your past and current colleagues about your workplace personality if personality tests aren’t your thing. Make a list of people you know who can give you unbiased feedback.

Let’s start with some basics:

• What’s your take on my personality at work?
• What was my best work moment? 
• What were my best tasks, deliverables, or contributions?
• How would you describe my ideal workplace culture? Why?

Take some time to consider how their responses are reflecting your work personality especially if you find several people giving similar answers! Every person falls somewhere along the continuum of openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

After you figure out what your work personality is and what type of work environment and culture you need to succeed, it’s time to research jobs and companies you’re interested in. You can also engage in AI-powered platforms such as MatcHub to aid in your job search to match suitable job roles to you based on your personality, work styles, and career aspirations.

The more you go through life and experience different scenarios at work, the more likely you are to change and grow. If you’ve hit a professional wall, don’t discount the possibility of changing careers. After all, psychological repercussions can come from working in a job you don’t like. Research suggests passionate people should avoid places where their passion foments bottom-line thinking. You should avoid pressure cooker environments if you’re neurotic, and you should avoid work-at-home settings if you’re extraverted or less conscientious. Ultimately, we encourage all of us, regardless of our personality type, to pursue jobs that provide us with a high level of satisfaction and belonging.