Can Personality Predict Success?
We used to think the biggest predictor of success was intelligence. If you had a high IQ you had a pretty good chance of being successful and if not … maybe you need to accept that career success just isn’t in the cards for you. However this may not necessarily be the case. So are there personality traits that predict success? Let’s take a look at the Big 5 personality traits to find out.
Conscientiousness:
Conscientiousness is a trait that is often used to describe people who are goal-orientated, ambitious, organised and willing to make sacrifices in the short term for their long-term goals. Studies have consistently found that people high in conscientiousness are more satisfied with their jobs, appear to achieve greater career success, a higher income and even have a greater life satisfaction when compared to people who score low on conscientiousness. Conscientiousness encompasses a number of narrower traits including self-control, persistence and grit. Grit is defined as ‘passion and perseverance for long-term goals’ and has even been found to be a more important factor of success than IQ. People who have grit are determined and work hard on a daily basis despite challenges, failures or not receiving immediate gratification - all very important traits to have in the workplace. Conscientiousness is the most consistent personality trait across different jobs in predicting career success.
Openness:
If you are high in the trait of openness (or openness to experience) it is likely that you are creative, curious, receptive to change and eager to learn new things. On the other hand, if you are low in this trait you are likely more resistant to change, reluctant to embrace new ideas and lack creativity. Some studies suggest that people who score higher in this trait tend to experience upward job changes such as promotions into professional or managerial positions. This may be due to the flexibility, abstract thinking and creation of new ideas – skills which appear to be especially important in the workplace, particularly in highly professional and managerial positions. However these results appear to be inconsistent and vary across different jobs; it may be the case that this trait may be more useful in particular jobs that require greater levels of creativity.
Agreeableness:
Agreeableness is a trait often used to describe people who are friendly, kind and warm. These people generally see the good in others, have an optimistic view of human nature and put the needs of others before themselves. While agreeableness is by no means a bad trait to have, some evidence suggests that people who are higher in this trait may not advance in the workplace in the same way that non-agreeable people do; particularly when it comes to promotions, managerial positions and higher income. This may be due to the fact that agreeable people tend to be less assertive and may sacrifice their needs or desires for the sake of keeping peace in the workplace, maintaining harmonious relationships or pleasing others. However agreeableness may be useful in particular jobs such as in the healthcare or welfare system in which compassion, empathy and kindness are highly valued.
Neuroticism:
People high in neuroticism tend to be more prone to negative emotions and may experience feelings such as fear, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, jealousy, guilt, sadness and loneliness. Like conscientiousness, neuroticism is also a strong predictor of success across different jobs … however unlike conscientiousness, high levels of neuroticism negatively predict success and is also associated with lower earnings. These people will often make impulsive, emotionally charged decisions based on the way they are feeling in a particular moment rather than basing their decisions on carefully thought out processes or logical reasoning. This can lead to a number of negative outcomes including disputes with others, financial loss or a decline in reputation.
Extroversion:
Extraversion is a trait that is characterised by feeling energised from social interactions. Extraversion is characterised by getting energy from social interaction, talkativeness, and having a large number of acquaintances. People who are extraverted are also generally friendly, outgoing and sociable. While not as strong a predictor as conscientiousness, extroversion also appears to be a predictor of job success, job satisfaction and higher earnings. This may be because extroverted people are likely to build connections with others and therefore be considered for higher up positions, appear to be more confident giving the impression that they are therefore also more capable or put themselves out there in different ways. It is worth noting however, that this is often job specific. For example, extraversion may be particularly useful in a sales or marketing type of job however may not be as useful for jobs in which people are required to work in a solitary job.Overall, personality does appear to predict job success to an extent.
Of the Big Five personality traits, conscientiousness is by far the highest predictor of job success. If conscientiousness isn’t a trait that comes naturally to you, rest assured, it can be developed and improved upon over time and might be worth developing upon if you’d like to reach your highest potential in the workplace.