Personality Types Affect Individuals' Job Roles and Interactions: Study

People have their strengths and limitations. And an individual’s personality plays a crucial role in how they perform in a work environment. Each of the big five personality traits â€” openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism â€” represents a continuum, and every person falls somewhere along each of these traits.Â

To understand how an individual’s personality can shape the work-related aspects, such as the preferred job activities, career path, and interactions, Joblist recently conducted a study across the U.S. The study found that depending on the alignment of the five personality traits, some work situations may be more appropriate for a person. The study also found that while there are few differences between the personality types, there was also some common ground between them â€” for example, the type of tasks people enjoyed and disliked.Â

The following are a few insights from the study in detail.

See more: Personality and Demographics Influence Pandemic Reactions: Tech Provides the Necessary Flexibility

Personality May Affect the Kind of Industries People Are Drawn To

The study found that personality traits affected how people pursued occupations and the job roles they were attracted to. For example, people with high agreeableness scores were more likely to be in a job that was aligned with their intended career path. However, people with high neuroticism scores were most likely to deviate from that path. Conscientiousness was a dominant personality trait of employees across all industries. And this is a favorable trait to have concerning career outlook.

When it came to job levels, it was found that neurotic people were the least likely to be in leadership or senior executive levels and more likely to be at an associate or an entry-level. They were also more likely to earn $34,999 or less annually. On the other hand, highly conscientious people were more likely to earn $75,000 and above annually. People with high extroversion levels were more likely to have got a promotion last year.

Personality Traits Affect People’s Perseverance Differently

The COVID-19 pandemic affected almost everyone in terms of where they work. So, how do personality traits relate to the respondents’ work sites?

The study showed that 50% of the people who were highly neurotic worked on-site, while just about 32% were remote. Since these people often feel stressed out if there are frequent changes to their work environment, it is desirable that they stick to a particular work site. On the other hand, people with high extroversion scores dominated the hybrid working style, as they tend to perform well in dynamic roles. A few job fields that would suit them are customer service, sales, and public relations.

When it came to who dominated job searches, neurotic people were more likely to look for new jobs in the next 3-6 months as their lower happiness levels tend to affect their job satisfaction. These individuals tend to do well in environments that offer safety, security, and an outlet for self-expression. A few suitable jobs include art, design, and writing.

Personality Traits Impact Job Roles

The pandemic led to many people reevaluating their priorities and their current job roles. More people are becoming aware of what they enjoy about their work and what they do not. While they generally like most parts of their jobs, there are certain elements they do not like. The following are the best job aspects according to personality traits.Â

Best job aspects for different personalities

Source: Joblist surveyOpens a new window

For almost everyone except neurotic people, problem-solving was the most popular job aspect. Neurotics are more likely to be overwhelmed by problem-solving. They were the happiest when they were helping others. Yet, they were the least or joint-least to enjoy most of the above job elements.

Otherwise, the responses of people with the five personality types were quite similar. Having said that, people liked certain tasks less than others. For example, only about a fifth of people preferred physical labor across the personality types.

Personality Traits Affect Preferences Regarding Working With Others

Some people prefer working with teams, while others thrive when working independently. So, does personality type affect these preferences?Â

According to the study, extroverts were more likely to work in teams. Conscientious, open, and agreeable people preferred a mix of performing individually and in teams. Neurotic people prefer working independently. When it came to having good relationships with their co-workers, extroverts led the way. They had great chemistry with their immediate superiors and subordinates. Agreeable and conscientious people ranked next, followed by open people. Neurotic people generally have good relationships with their co-workers and subordinates, though some have trouble maintaining good relationships with their superiors.

See more: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Work From Home: Are You Facilitating Remote Work for Each Personality Type?

Different Personality Types Rank Work Life Elements Differently

How do people with different personality traits rate their happiness regarding the four key elements of work life? The following table gives an idea.

Job satisfaction by personality type

Source: Joblist surveyOpens a new window

Most respondents said that their productivity levels were good. When it came to work-life balance, job satisfaction, and mental health, highly open, followed by neurotic people were less satisfied. Agreeable people and extroverts fared better than the rest across these three elements. Open people may struggle due to their propensity to make decisions based on gut feeling.Â

How long do different personality types plan to stick around in their current job? Neurotic and open people were more likely to leave their current job within two years or felt more unsure than others. Conscientious and agreeable people and extroverts would more likely stay in their current jobs for a few more years.

Personality Types Play a Considerable Role in Determining Career Path

A major takeaway from the study is that personalities play a significant role in identifying what career path a person may pursue. For example, extroverts may find it easier to be team players and interact with others. On the other hand, neurotics may prefer to be independent, and such jobs may suit them better. People with high openness scores may suffer from poor job satisfaction and mental health and work-life balance problems.

Hence, while looking out for jobs, individuals should consider seeking opportunities that better suit their strengths. Organizations, too, should consider assigning roles and responsibilities that would be more suitable for an individual’s personality type to ensure better job satisfaction.

How are you working with employees with different personalities to ensure job satisfaction for them? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .Â