Treat others in the way they want to be treated - An exploratory study on the usage of personality assessment tools and how it impacts employee engagement

Abstract: This thesis examines the usage of personality assessment tools for developmental purposes in the organizational context. The purpose of the thesis has been to investigate if personality assessment tools can be used as a mean to increase employee engagement, and if so, in what way. To answer this, a case study of two multinational companies has been conducted. In the companies, 20 in-depth interviews with employees from four different teams were carried out. The findings suggest the participants experienced the usage of assessment tools positively, where the most rewarding outcome was the increased knowledge about colleagues. The experienced value creation is mainly related to how the assessment test is bundled with associated activities, rather than the validity of the test itself. Further, the manager's interest in personality profiling is of significant importance when it comes to the way the assessment tools are looked upon and used. Theory and empirical findings support that the usage of personality assessment tools, through an increased awareness about one's own and others' preferences, enables opportunities for adaptation of behavior. If organizations adapt to expressed employee preferences regarding work design and rewards, the thesis supports that the usage of personality assessment tools has a positive impact on employee engagement.