Using the Enneagram Personality Test in Recruitment: A Modern Guide to Understanding Candidate Behavior
I remember sitting across from a candidate during an interview, thinking I had them all figured out. They seemed perfect on paper – great experience, impressive skills, and solid references. But something felt off, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. That’s when I first discovered the power of the Enneagram in recruitment, and it completely transformed how I approach hiring.
Today, I’m going to share how you can use this fascinating tool to peek behind the professional facade and truly understand what makes your candidates tick. Trust me, it’s like having a secret superpower in your hiring toolkit.
What Is the Enneagram and Why Should Recruiters Care?
Picture this: instead of just reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews, you could understand a candidate’s core motivations, stress responses, and growth patterns before they even start their first day. That’s exactly what the Enneagram offers.
The Enneagram isn’t just another personality test – it’s a dynamic system that identifies nine distinct personality types, each with its own set of core motivations, fears, and behavioral patterns. Unlike other assessments that put people in rigid boxes, the Enneagram recognizes that we’re all complex beings who can access different aspects of our personality depending on the situation.
Breaking Down the Nine Types in a Professional Context
Let’s look at how each type typically shows up in the workplace:
Type 1: The Perfectionist
- Strengths: Exceptional attention to detail, high ethical standards, and a drive for improvement
- Workplace Behavior: Creates and maintains high standards, excellent at quality control
- Potential Role Fit: Quality assurance, compliance, project management
Type 2: The Helper
- Strengths: Strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and natural networking abilities
- Workplace Behavior: Builds strong relationships, anticipates others’ needs
- Potential Role Fit: HR, customer service, team leadership
Type 3: The Achiever
- Strengths: Goal-oriented, highly motivated, adaptable, and driven by success
- Workplace Behavior: Focuses on achieving targets, thrives under deadlines, and excels in competitive environments
- Potential Role Fit: Sales, marketing, entrepreneurship
Type 4: The Individualist
- Strengths: Creative, emotionally expressive, and introspective with a unique perspective
- Workplace Behavior: Brings innovation to projects, values authenticity, and excels in roles requiring creativity
- Potential Role Fit: Arts, design, creative writing, branding
Type 5: The Investigator
- Strengths: Analytical, intellectual, and deeply curious with excellent problem-solving skills
- Workplace Behavior: Excels in independent research, values autonomy, and is detail-oriented
- Potential Role Fit: Research, data analysis, engineering, academia
Type 6: The Loyalist
- Strengths: Reliable, loyal, excellent at risk assessment, and strong in teamwork
- Workplace Behavior: Anticipates potential problems, ensures team safety and security, and fosters group cohesion
- Potential Role Fit: Risk management, security, operations, emergency services
Type 7: The Enthusiast
- Strengths: Optimistic, energetic, highly versatile, and innovative
- Workplace Behavior: Brings enthusiasm to projects, embraces challenges, and encourages team creativity
- Potential Role Fit: Event planning, entrepreneurship, marketing, entertainment
Type 8: The Challenger
- Strengths: Decisive, confident, assertive, and a natural leader
- Workplace Behavior: Stands up for the team, takes charge in difficult situations, and drives progress
- Potential Role Fit: Leadership roles, law, advocacy, executive management
Type 9: The Peacemaker
- Strengths: Calm, empathetic, adaptable, and skilled at conflict resolution
- Workplace Behavior: Encourages harmony, mediates disputes, and values inclusivity
- Potential Role Fit: Counseling, diplomacy, human resources, mediation
How to Implement Enneagram Testing in Your Recruitment Process
I’ve found that timing is everything when introducing personality assessments. Here’s my tried-and-tested approach:
- Pre-Interview Assessment
- Send the test after the initial screening but before in-depth interviews
- Use platforms like TestGorilla or Adaface for professional testing
- Results Integration
- Review results before the interview
- Prepare targeted questions based on type-specific insights
- Look for alignment between the role requirements and typical type characteristics
Common Concerns and How to Address Them
“Isn’t personality testing in recruitment controversial?” I hear this question a lot, and it’s a valid concern. Let’s address the elephant in the room – using any personality assessment in hiring requires careful consideration and proper implementation.
The Drawbacks and How to Mitigate Them
- Potential for Bias
- Solution: Use Enneagram insights as one data point among many
- Always pair with traditional evaluation methods
- Reliability Concerns
- Solution: Choose validated testing platforms
- Consider retesting after a set period
- Legal Considerations
- Solution: Ensure compliance with local employment laws
- Document how results factor into hiring decisions
Making the Most of Enneagram Insights
The real magic happens when you know how to apply these insights. Here’s what I’ve learned works best:
Interview Strategies by Type
| Type | Interview Focus | Key Questions to Ask |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quality standards | “How do you ensure accuracy in your work?” |
| 2 | Collaboration | “Tell me about a time you helped a colleague succeed” |
| 3 | Achievement | “What’s your proudest professional accomplishment?” |
| 4 | Creativity | “How do you bring your unique perspective to challenges?” |
| 5 | Knowledge | “How do you approach learning new systems or processes?” |
| 6 | Security | “How do you evaluate and mitigate risks in your work?” |
| 7 | Innovation | “How do you generate new ideas and maintain enthusiasm?” |
| 8 | Leadership | “How do you handle challenging situations or conflicts?” |
| 9 | Harmony | “How do you balance multiple stakeholders’ needs?” |
Real-World Success Stories
Let me share a quick story. We were hiring for a project manager role, and our top candidate tested as a Type 1. Their natural attention to detail and drive for improvement made them perfect for the role. Six months later, they’d already streamlined our project delivery process and increased team efficiency by 30%.
According to Barzel Group, companies that effectively incorporate Enneagram insights into their hiring process see:
- 25% reduction in turnover
- 40% improvement in team dynamics
- 35% better role-fit matches
Best Practices for Implementation
- Integration Timeline
- Week 1: Team training on Enneagram basics
- Week 2-3: Trial run with internal team
- Week 4+: Gradual implementation in recruitment
- Ethical Guidelines
- Always obtain explicit consent
- Provide clear explanation of how results will be used
- Offer alternative assessment options
Making the Decision: Is the Enneagram Right for Your Recruitment Process?
Consider these factors:
- Company size and hiring volume
- Available resources for implementation
- Current hiring pain points
- Team buy-in and understanding
Conclusion: The Future of Personality-Informed Hiring
The recruitment landscape is evolving, and understanding candidate behavior is more crucial than ever. While the Enneagram isn’t a magic bullet, it’s an invaluable tool when used thoughtfully and ethically.
Ready to transform your hiring process? Start small, perhaps with a pilot program, and watch how understanding personality types can lead to better hires and stronger teams.
