While behavioral assessments and personality tests have gained wide popularity in businesses in recent decades, using assessments to evaluate potential employees is not a new practice. Some of the first standardized tests were used in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The Chinese imperial examination system, or Keju, was administered to evaluate and recruit individuals to enter the state bureaucracy, testing their knowledge of civil law, Confucian classics, writing, and military strategy, among other topics.
World War I
In the United States, the use of assessments — specifically personality assessments —originated during World War I. Many Allied soldiers experienced long-lasting physiological and psychological symptoms after combat and enemy bombardment. These symptoms were called “shell shock” and are now understood as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With the large number of soldiers rendered unfit for active duty by these symptoms, the Army requested the help of psychologists.
The American Psychological Association asked Robert S. Woodworth to develop a test to assist with the issue. The result was the Woodworth Psychoneurotic Inventory, a test used to measure the emotional stability and susceptibility of shell shock for servicemen. This “personal data questionary” consisted of Yes or No questions that pointed to the presence (or absence) of pathological responses. After an initial pilot of the questionnaire, it was used on a trial basis for the screening of new military recruits. If a participant showed potential to have a number of “unfavorable” symptoms, that individual was recommended to be interviewed by a military psychiatrist in more detail.
Though this test was created too late for large-scale recruit screening during the war effort, Woodworth adapted the test for industrial research. He renamed it the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet, and this test is considered by many to be the predecessor of all modern personality inventories and tests.
The rise of personality testing during WWI created interest from the industrial sector, and new personality assessments were created for use in the labor market. Many of these tests focused on the negative aspects of personality and were used to identify (and avoid hiring) individuals who may possess tendencies that could cause workplace disturbances.
A Shift in Focus
Many of the popular personality assessments in the first half of the twentieth century focused on negative, “maladaptive” aspects of personality. However, William Moulton Marston, a Harvard-educated psychologist, wanted to extend psychological understandings to include non-pathological behavior. In 1928, he published his first book, Emotions of Normal People. In this book, he discussed the impact of personality on behavior and introduced his behavioral model consisting of four categories of personality traits. Marston theorized that every person has a combination of these traits that influence their behavior and decision making.
William V. Clarke took Marston’s theory a step further. Clarke, an organizational psychologist who worked for a retailer in New York City, noticed inconsistent job performance in new employees. While some were successful and engaged, others were struggling and unfulfilled — despite similarities in their education and work histories. This inspired Clarke to develop a psychometric model to measure both behavioral styles and behavioral demands in the workplace.
Clarke posited that if employees’ jobs aligned with their natural behavioral traits, they would be more successful in their roles. In 1948, Clarke used his own extensive research, as well as Marston’s and Prescott Lecky’s studies, to create a personnel selection test called the Activity Vector Analysis. Clarke’s AVA was the first commercialization of Marston’s behavioral theories in the form of a personality test.
This rich history of personality assessments laid the groundwork for The Omnia Group. In 1985, John and Heather Caswell and Eastham Hockmeyer pioneered their own unique behavioral assessment that enabled businesses to determine the traits necessary for success in their specific positions and match those behaviors to job candidates, helping to ensure a fit that results in a win-win for companies and employees.
The Problem of (and Solution for) Assessment Bias
Personality tests have sometimes been accused of leading to bias by favoring some demographic groups over others and potentially leading to discrimination. This is something Omnia takes very seriously. We’ve undergone three independent validation studies conducted by organizational psychologists, the latest done in 2022-2023. The results of the study show that the Omnia Assessment is non-discriminatory with no adverse impact. It is free of cultural, race, age, and gender bias and complies with EEOC and ADA guidelines.
Additionally, the Omnia Assessment uses an adjective checklist rather than a forced-choice format. Participants can select the words they think describe them best. Our assessment also includes additional dimensions that can alert clients to the potential of stress or evasion on the participant’s part as well as the predictability of the traits the participant has selected.
Omnia also advises its clients to conduct standard and consistent interviewing and employee selection practices. This includes administering the assessment to all candidates at the same point in the selection process, ideally before phone screens and first interviews (there is no charge for a candidate to take the assessment). When a client orders a Custom Profile and/or Target Profile for their candidates of interest, Omnia advises them that the results of those profiles should account for no more than 20-25% of their hiring (or promotion/career development) decisions. Interviews, employment history, education, skills, reference checks, and other relevant factors should account for the remainder of the hiring decision.
Like the personality assessment itself, Omnia has a long history. For 40 years, we have helped organizations hire the right fit for the right role and keep employees engaged and successful. Contact our experts who can show you how our fast, accurate, scientifically validated behavioral assessment can put the power of data to work in your business, or take a complimentary assessment today!
