To be weirded out by this candidate's personality test

[salsamillion]

I'll keep things vague for reasons of obvious confidentiality. I'm recruiting a senior manager for a role in a large company. The post includes line management of around 10 staff as well as some direct customer facing responsibility. We are through to final (third) interview this week and one candidate has included a personality test they completed at their current employer. It shows them to be organised, target focussed etc, all good. BUT it also shows them to have unusually low levels of altruism.
Does anyone know what that actually means? I've contacted the company who did the test and they refuse to comment on individual cases without their written consent, which I don't want to do at this stage.
So what does it mean in real terms? Are they likely to be a sociopathic serial killer?

Lucky you're not then eh?

All I wanted to know is, if someone has LOW altruism (assuming it exists) then what does that say about them.

Nothing more or less.

Have you done the "colours" personality testing?

Red - extrovert, leader, direct, confident ...
Yellow - outgoing, friendly, innovative, tan player ...
Green - patient, compassionate, reliable ... ALTRUISTIC
Blue - organised, detailed, precise ...

I've got hardly any green in me but it doesn't mean I'm not a nice person who doesn't care about people! I just find it harder to use those softer skills in the workplace and need to make an effort on this area. I'm not ashamed of it, it's my personality.

I think a team thrives where there are diverse personalities and everyone is aware of how each person likes to be treated and how each other best performs.

I would want to explore this at interview- what it means really depends on the quality of the test/honesty of the candidate.

I mean it could mean they were answering 'to the test' and trying to appear like a 'company (wo)man' prepared to be ruthless in pursuit of cash. But actually they are a pretty decent human being.

Or it could mean that they don't give a flying fig about anyone else and would nick their grannys bus pass to go and get chips.

We just don't know do we?

TeaPleaseLouise I was surprised they had included it and I've never seen the like of it before.

And I'm not in HR.

Can't you tell if they're "nice" by talking to them? These sorts of personality tests are pure pseudo-scientific tosh.

I wouldn't trust these tests anyway...my DH was asked to do one by his company (amongst other employees) as they were thinking about bringing them in as a recruitment tool. The result for my DH could not have been further away from what he is really like and capable of. I know they are supposed to be the same questions asked in different ways so they are cheat proof but it totally got my DH wrong. He wasn't even applying for a job so he wasn't trying to answer what he thought they would like/was right. He had the job and it didn't make a difference.

I'd ask more at interview I think. They gave you the test, ask about it.

(It's not identifying anyone, I don't think any confidentiality has been breached fwiw)

I agree that this is unprofessional and not without risk. Especially with that joke that maybe the candidate is a serial killer People have been outed on here before, but usually the worst that could happen is mild embarrassment, not actual harm to their career. Nothing on the internet is 100% foolproof for anonymity.

(Also think these tests are bullshit on the whole)

OP... are you particularly hard of thinking?

You're sufficiently exercised about this test result to post on mumsnet, to people who understand the test about as well as you do - and you're going to use those opinions to what exactly?

Altruism is a word in the dictionary, fairly simple definition. What isn't so simple is to apply it in context of the test that you have no information about. Can you not see that this is a fool's errand?

You are extremely unprofessional and it's quite identifying for a client who:
a) Has foolishly given in a psychometric test result with an application
b) Has a marker of 'low altruisim' on that result

How many people in the UK do you think this could apply to?

You're so very unprofessional and being quite breathtakingly foolish. I will leave it to sink in.

It is unprofessional anyway, even if the candidate is not identified/identifiable. You are in charge of hiring senior managers, yet you go on social media asking how to interpret personality tests and joking that the candidates are serial killers. Doesn't instil confidence in your employer that you observe high professional standards. This remains true even if the serial killer candidate is not identifiable from your post.

Shit. I've applied for a job. I included a psychometric test as I thought it would help me stand out from the competition. Are you talking about me?

I haven't got the job, have I?

ONLY JOKING!!!!!!!!!1

Wow you are getting a hard time OP

OP I think you should ask yourself what would you think of the candidate if you hadn't seen this test.

If you were otherwise impressed with them, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you had doubts, which this has confirmed, then go with those doubts.

Low altruism just means they're not a very nice person. Doesn't mean they'll be bad at the job, but it might mean they don't make many friends while they're doing it.

Some psychometric tests are very easy to swing to fit what you think they are looking for or give a balanced profile. As long as you spot the few questions on included to check you are being honest or measure social desirability bias and give an honest looking answer to those then you can lie as much as you like on the rest of it.

Well I'd be concerned that he thought that those test results were something to boast about.

I don't really think it's appropriate to be posting this on here. You're breaching all sorts of confidentiality.

This^

It's a weird thing to include in a "brag file" IMO. For all the credibility it holds he may as well have told you he was a Scorpio.

I'd be concerned about unusually low levels of altruism. If the test's good enough, this score would suggest that, if you have a heart attack in front of them, this person will sooner steal your wallet than help you. If they have unusually high levels of honesty as well, maybe they won't steal your wallet - but just go for lunch without calling a doctor.

Obvs, we don't know whether the test is good (and the person who evaluated it.) But we do know the person doesn't see normal levels of altruism as desirable or necessary. I wouldn't want them in my life on a daily basis. It's probably great if you're wanting to hire a killer shark.

Good grief. She is concerned that the candidate seems proud of being low in altruism. What is not to understand?

If the person who applied reads this thread it'll give them a useful insight - don't include that test with your CV next time (or maybe include some analysis of it that covers the low altruism score) as it's not helping your application!

What a very unpleasant and overly dramatic post Lying