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How the Big Five lays the foundation for the Career Personality Appraisal

What are the main traits of the Big Five?
Weavee
Science

Psychometrics is a scientific subfield of psychology that dates back to the 19th century when researchers began to study how relevant aspects of personality became encoded in language (Galton, 1884).

Fast-forward over 130 years and multiple different models, and scientists have finally agreed on the Five-Factor Model, or “Big 5” (Costa & McCrae, 1992, and Norman, 1963), as a model of personality which offers a robust and easily understood platform from which personality as a whole can be understood and performance predicted.

Openness

Openness high

Typical trends

  • Open to new ideas
  • Divergent and considered
  • Willing to undertake stimulating and inquisitive roles
  • Strong visual focus

Possible trends

  • Challenges Authority
  • Sloppy or careless
  • Cynical
  • Uncooperative
  • Temperamental

Openness low

Typical trends

  • Great at analyzing problems
  • Values knowledge above all else
  • Independent, unconventional and original
  • Not personally threatened by conflict or criticism

Possible trends

  • Not naturally good at expressing feelings
  • May seem dreamy and distant to others
  • May be prone to feelings of over self-importance
Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness high

Typical trends

  • Follows procedures and processes
  • Operates within organizational rules
  • Tends to assume solution is known

Possible trends

  • Slow, deliberate decision-making
  • Struggles with fast paced environments
  • Unable to cope with unexpected situations
  • May be too single-minded

Conscientiousness low

Typical trends

  • Tends to be fun-loving, optimistic, realistic, and focused on the here and now
  • Takes pride themselves on being unconventional, bold, and spontaneous

Possible trends

  • Can be troublesome leaders
  • Disorganized and scattered
  • Might be seen by others as lazy
  • Show poor follow-through, often failing to complete tasks
  • Tend to either ignore conflict situations or blow up in heated anger in response to them
Extraversion

Extraversion high

Typical trends

  • Are interested in what is happening around them
  • Are open and often talkative
  • Network well and socialize with co-workers
  • Like action and initiative

Possible trends

  • Easily bored without high levels of stimulation
  • Become impatient and bored when the work is slow or repetitive
  • Can overstep their boundary

Extraversion low

Typical trends

  • Like quiet for concentration
  • Prefer to stay in an office or cubicle rather than socializing
  • Like to work on long, complex problems and have good attention to detail

Possible trends

  • Tend not to talk much
  • Let others control the activities of groups
  • Do not reach out to others and are perceived as distant and reserved
  • Actively avoid large crowds
  • Can be overwhelmed by noise and commotion
Agreeableness

Agreeableness high

Typical trends

  • Trustworthy, ethical, fair
  • Courteous, tactful, sincere
  • Fair minded
  • Realistic opening position
  • Does not use threats
  • Willing to share information
  • Probes opponent's position

Possible trends

  • Dislike confrontations
  • Does not like to claim they are better than other people which can be viewed as low self-confidence or self-esteem
  • Willing to deny their own needs in order to get along with others

Agreeableness low

Typical trends

  • High comfort level with conflict and competition
  • Enjoys debating substantive issues
  • Direct, sometimes adversarial tone, words and body language
  • Strong desire to win
  • Enthusiastic attitude toward negotiations
  • Often at ease with risk and pressurized environment

Possible trends

  • Not great listeners, due at times to significant egos
  • Relatively impatient and aggressive in their offers and concessions
  • Style can appear stubborn, arrogant and/or untrustworthy
Neuroticism

Neuroticism high

Typical trends

  • Sensitive about what others think of them
  • Feel strong cravings and urges that they have difficulty resisting
  • Tendency to feel sad, dejected and discouraged
  • Strong visual focus

Possible trends

  • Enthusiasm
  • Passionate presenters
  • Obsessively determined
  • Reactive to feedback

Neuroticism low

Typical trends

  • Are more relaxed and do not get angry often or easily
  • Do not feel nervous in social situations
  • Low in anxiety, generally calm and fearless
  • Clear thinking when stressed
  • Free from depressive feelings

Possible trends

  • May seem to be uninteresting
  • Appear disengaged, unenthusiastic or lacking in passion
  • Calculative and unattached - may move on from roles without concern

Although often viewed as a “bad” trait, in reality, there is no such thing as a good or bad trait. Neuroticism is best understood as the level to which an individual is in touch with their emotions

These Big 5 is the foundation of the Weavee Career Personality Appraisal and the basis of analysis within the Weavee Platform, because wanted to use a tool scientifically proven and trusted to enable us to serve you with advice and tips to help you create the career you want.

Click here to continue learning more >
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