Hexaco Personality Test

The Hexaco personality tests provide a way for measuring a person's key personality traits.

  • What is a HEXACO personality test?

    Personality assessments are often used by employers for recruitment and hiring purposes because they provide valuable information about how candidates will approach their work.

    Our test is grounded in one of the most popular personality models called HEXACO, researched by Kibeom Lee and Michael Ashton. This model breaks down personality into six key dimensions:

    • Honesty-Humility
    • Emotionality
    • eXtraversion
    • Agreeableness
    • Conscientiousness
    • Openness to experience

    Employers can use the personality assessment to determine how a candidate will show up at work, whether they will fit easily into a team and what support they might need for optimal performance.

    Employers often use the HEXACO personality test as part of their recruitment process, along with other assessment tools such as job interviews and reference checks.

Identify the best candidates and hire faster

Our pre-employment tests let you drill down to the best candidates at the click of a button.

  • Find those candidates who will excel in the role.

    Select the assessments that match the skills or behaviours for the position. You can test for software or coding competency, soft skills like teamwork, or personality traits, to be sure those who pass have high potential.

  • Reduce costs and time.

    No more laborious sifting of resumes or cover letters. Pick your ideal assessment mix, invite your applicants to take them, see the results in your dashboard. Get to the interview stage fast.

  • Eliminate bias.

    All your candidates take the assessments on a level playing field. Only their results determine whether they get shortlisted.

  • The six dimensions of the HEXACO model

    The HEXACO personality model has been constructed through lexical analyses of personality-descriptive adjectives in many languages. The emerging six dimensions capture distinct aspects of an individual's personality.

    While Honesty-Humility is focused on a person's level of authenticity and integrity, Emotionality assesses how resilient, independent and empathetic one is.

    Extraversion measures an individual's sociability and general enthusiasm, and Agreeableness probes into the levels of compassion, patience and consideration they are likely to exhibit.

    Finally, Conscientiousness refers to one's tendency to be organized, cautious and disciplined, while Openness describes the extent to which a person is curious and creative.

    Each of the six dimensions is further divided into four narrower facets, which are measured through separate scales and allow for a more nuanced understanding of a candidate's traits and behavioral tendencies.

    According to a large number of research studies analyzing the link between personality and general job performance, each of the HEXACO dimensions provides important insights into a candidate's approach to their work and likely behaviors on the job.

    hexaco personality test diagram

What are the purposes of the HEXACO personality test?

Personality tests are a very common step in the pre-employment process, allowing hiring managers to get a comprehensive picture of candidates' characteristics. Due to their significant predictive ability, personality tests can also be useful in understanding how a candidate will behave on the job months or years after they have taken the test.

For example, high scores on the Conscientiousness dimension typically mean that the candidate will be detail-oriented and plan their work ahead of time. Similarly, if an applicant gets a low score on Emotionality, it means they are likely to tolerate stress well and work independently.

Although certain dimensions of the HEXACO model may be more or less relevant to particular job roles, the overall personality test is appropriate for all candidates applying to work with you.

Understanding their personality profiles will not only help you choose the best fit for the role but also manage and motivate your future employees in a way that will enable them to perform optimally.

How does the HEXACO personality test work?

The HEXACO personality model is one of the most widely used conceptualizations of personality in psychology. It provides an accurate and reliable way to assess individuality, and employers recognize it as an effective way of assessing potential employees. The test can also be used to help identify areas in which an employee may need more support.

Each of the 24 narrow traits is measured via three statements asking candidates to rate the degree to which they agree with the described behavior on a five-point scale. The statements have been developed following best practices, to make sure candidates do not feel social pressure to answer a certain way.

While developing the test, a pilot study was conducted on a representative sample of job candidates. The data collected was used to calculate group norms which helped establish the percentiles you will see as the candidates' results for each of the 24 traits. The percentiles are meant to indicate where a candidate sits on a particular characteristic in comparison to other test takers.

We also provide information about how that individual is likely to behave, together with a recommended question for further assessment during a potential follow-up interview.

To get a comprehensive overview of a candidate's fit for the role, we strongly advise combining this test with the other assessments we offer, such as aptitude tests.

Validated

Predictor of job success

Picked provides evidence-based recommendations for tests to use for over 750 jobs. Our recommendation engine leverages data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
  • Assessments

    A full suite of assessments

    Our platform comes with 12 tests across both foundation and advanced levels so they’re suitable for everyone. Including aptitude, behavioural and personality tests, you’ll have a full range of tests to help you find the candidates you’re seeking.

  • Analytics

    An array of candidate metrics

    For each of your candidates, you’ll be given a comprehensive report. Included will be all the metrics you need to build a detailed picture of each candidate and ensure you’re making the right hiring decisions.

Find the best candidate

Try out a Hexaco Personality Test.

“The platform is so simple to use. I had used competitor providers for over six years and will never go back. Fast, efficient and friendly!”
Greg Chambers, HR Business Partner, Littlefish Ltd
Greg Chambers, HR Business Partner, Littlefish Ltd

Hexaco Personality Test FAQs

Why are personality tests useful in the recruitment process?

A personality assessment test can help identify the best candidate for the job. Using a valid assessment tool and identifying personality traits relevant to the position you're hiring for will help you save resources and find a candidate who will contribute to your organization in a meaningful way.

What does the HEXACO Personality Test measure?

The HEXACO personality test measures six key dimensions of personality: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, eXtraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness to experience. Each of these dimensions is further analyzed through four narrower traits, providing a granular assessment of each candidate's characteristics.

Are these tests available in my plan?

We have a range of plans available. The difference between the plans is the number of test attempts permitted, not the type of tests. All our plans include our full test suite comprising all tests and all levels.

Can I see what the test is like?

Yes, of course. You can see a free example of the HEXACO personality test here.

“An unbeatable service, impressive platform and fantastic value for money.”
Laurence Fishman, Partner, NLPCA
Laurence Fishman, Partner, NLPCA

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