Highly conscientious women tended to not enter the work force and didn't do as well when they did, said Brent Roberts, PhD, of the University of Tulsa. But these women had to swim against the current to enter the workforce when they did, said Roberts. Furthermore, successful, ambitious women, low on conscientiousness, became more conscientious the longer they worked. This implies that ambition gets the job and working promotes conscientiousness, which helps keep the job, said Roberts. Interpersonal skills have recently caught Hogan's attention as predictors of job performance.
Interpersonal skills can energize or inhibit natural personality tendencies.
For example, a naturally introverted person with good interpersonal skills can muster enough extraversion to make a public speech, she said. Likewise, a naturally hostile and aggressive person can appear sweet and charming, she added. As the workplace moves toward teamwork and service oriented jobs, evaluating interpersonal skills becomes increasingly important, said Hogan. But it's difficult to study these skills because no classification system exists. She is working on a model classification system that would include sensitivity to others, trust and confidence, responsibility, accountability, leadership and consistency.