Michael McIntyre thinks so. The University of Tennessee professor and a colleague recently finished designing a test they say reliably reveals aggressive tendencies in potential hires. Yes, a well-designed and subtly administered test can uncover violent tendencies. It's hard to say. I like to think there's a way to detect these tendencies, but I'm not sure a test can do it.
Personality testing is only as good as the moment a test is given.
Later, if things go sour, so may a personality. McIntyre is a professor of industrial psychology at UT's College of Business Administration in Knoxville. CMG Associates is a consulting firm to employers on issues including stress and workplace violence. There's a lot of talk about it. Personality tests range from written exams to group interviews and team-building exercises and other sessions geared toward gauging how a job candidate might work with others, Georgallis says.