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People often ask us why we based our AI-powered personality and communication analysis on the Big 5 Model instead of other methods, such as Enneagram, and MBTI. Accordingly, we will give you a summary of these common assessment methods and talk about their differences and connections.

In the field of psychology, the five dimensions (the ‘Big Five’) are commonly used in the research and study of personality. Since the late 20th Century, these factors have been used to measure, and develop a better understanding of individual differences in personality. It's commonly used as a pre-employment assessment---and as a basis for other personality systems. The Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs pull from the science-based Big Five.

What Is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram consists of nine main, overarching types that interact with each other in unique ways. Another feature of the Enneagram is that it has “wings,” which highlights a few other dimensions of personality. A person’s wing illustrates their secondary Enneagram type. It’s common for a person to exhibit traits of another Enneagram type.

What is MBTI?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has 4 dimensions that reveals how an individual gathers information and makes decisions. The 4 dimensions can come in 16 different combinations, ultimately creating 16 different types of personalities.

The 8 Functions

Extraverted Thinking (Te)/ Introverted Thinking (Ti)

Extraverted Feeling (Fe)/ Introverted Feeling (Fi)

Extraverted Intuition (Ne)/ Introverted Intuition (Ni)

Extraverted Sensing (Se)/ Introverted Sensing (Si)

The Big Five Personality Traits (or OCEAN) is a result of researched trait theory. Personality is one of the most complex areas to understand. After decades, researches narrowed down personality into 5 main characteristics. 

How Does the Big 5 Differ from MBTI and Enneagram?

Most significantly, the MBTI and Enneagram give a personality type—rather than a personality trait. The Big Five are individual characteristics that can be placed high or low. Given the Big 5 is a science-wide consensus, psychologists use traits versus types to talk about personality. Because personality is characterized as a collection of traits, it’s especially valuable to workplace items like pre-employment assessments. Type descriptions, used in MBTI and Enneagram, do have some correlations with the Big 5. How scientific these correlations may be up for debate, but MBTI and Enneagram do pull from the Big 5. These systems share similarities. 

Big 5 Model

1. Openness to experience

2. Conscientiousness

3. Extraversion

4. Agreeableness

5. Neuroticism

The Big 5 theory stems from the lexicon of adjectives used to describe a person. They assumed traits are basically adjectives or short, descriptive phrases. Therefore the early practice of what would be personality research involved thumbing through the dictionary. Yes, really. The whole theory is rooted in the idea that individual differences that are socially relevant would naturally arise in their language. The more common the word becomes, the greater the likelihood that a significant difference is summarized in a single world.

The scientific community regards the Big Five as the only scientific consensus in personality psychology.

  Defining the Big 5

Openness to experience

Think of those people who have a willingness to try new activities or who are open to unconventional, new ideas. This dimension expressed in the willingness to try out the unknown.Traveling to new places and visiting new cultures are a few indicators of a person more “open”. Those who have low levels are generally skeptical about the unknown and questioning the status quo.

Conscientiousness

This personality trait found in the Five Factor Personality Model examines impulse control. Individuals who are more conscientious on this particular facet of the personality scale are able to control impulse. They’re the classmates who tend to organize their class assignments by color; the co-workers who use a desk calendar in addition to their online calendar and journal calendar.

Extraversion-Introversion

This dimension refers to how people gain their energy. Extroverts to gain energy from activities and people. Introverts prefer the world of ideas and internal thoughts. Extroverts possess the special ability to advance projects quickly. Introvert’s special skills include picking up the moving dynamics of a particular situation.

Agreeableness

Agreeable individuals take a rather maternal and a more cooperative approach to situations. They care deeply about people, more so than themselves. They are far more likely to consider and incorporate the feelings of others in decisions. Those who score low in agreeableness are viewed as “competitive”.

Neuroticism

Neuroticism refers to the emotional stability a person has. If they tend to be emotionally stable ---meaning their moods tend to stay pretty constant--- they would be termed as “low neuroticism”. If their moods and feelings fluctuate over a period of time, they are labeled with “high neuroticism”.

The Big 5, the Enneagram, and the MBTI share similarities. The biggest distinction is that the personality type tests pull from the research-based Big 5 model. Here you find out more about the foundations of the Big 5 model and how it is used by professionals around the globe.

  What Really Counts: Self-Assessment vs. Observer-Ratings

More important than the differentiating between Big 5, Enneagram, and MBTI is the way in which they are measured. Personality tests can be based on self-assessments and on observer ratings.  Self-reporting concentrates on how an individual measures their own internal dynamics. Observer ratings focus on how a peer or a neutral observer perceives the personality of an individual.

Self-reporting and observer ratings do not provide redundant information, but actually capture complementary aspects of an individual’s personality. One explanation of the self-and-observer difference in personality evaluation is that observer evaluation is more shaped social behaviour and thus formed by how others perceive an individual. Conversely,personality self-ratings are comparatively more shaped by own feelings and motives.

If self-reporting and observer ratings are not necessarily measuring the same aspects of personality, which measurement method is more relevantin the workplace? In short, it depends on the question. In a workplace context, such as hiring and recruitment, it turns out observer ratings have an incremental predictive validity over self-reporting. For example, Mount et al. (1994) examined whether observer ratings from supervisors, co-workers, or customers could predict performance; they found that Conscientiousness and Extraversion assessed externally (e.g., supervisor) were valid predictors for job performance. Self-assessments usually do not offer the same predictive accuracy.

  AI-based Observer Ratings - Faster and Less Biased

In the past, observer-based personality tests required human observers. Accordingly they occured high costs and were prone to biases. Nowadays, more and more organizations rely on AI-based observer ratings to solve these issues. Retorio has developed neuronal networks that analyze human behavior in short video interviews or digital training simulations within seconds, free of bias.

Companies like BMW (Case Study), Happycar (Case Study), or Lufthansa use Retorio to gain faster and deeper insights into their talent pool. Retorio's machine learning algorithms support HR departments and executives around the world.

LEARN WHAT MAKES ELON MUSK, ELON MUSK?

Retorio is a video-based behavioral assessment powered by AI. It uses facial expression, language, gesture, and voice to create a Big 5 Personality profile.

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An applicant may not be a pop star, but word travels quickly in this digital age. Twitter. Glassdoor. Reddit. LinkedIn. Word on the street about a poor interview experience and a company could be trending hashtag.

Taylor Swift at the American Music Awards (AMA) may be now the new record holder for most wins (29) at the awards ceremony (surpassing Michael Jackson’s 24), but she’s become a defacto candidate experience coordinator of sorts. 

Swift’s kerfuffle with music mogul Scooter Braun backlights her current war with her former music label, Big Machine: she’s not legally allowed to redo her old songs. In an unprecedented move, Swift took to social media, notifying her fans of the legal stand-still and its effect on upcoming projects. Her experience in the music industry showcases how serious an issue it is that big industries continue to fail to prioritize candidates and their overall interaction with a company.

Swift’s publicized legal battle drew the attention from all different areas, including politicians, like Senator Elizabeth Warren. The saying, “any publicity is good publicity” may be popular, but also certain publicity could be the death knell of companies. Remember viewing the flight passenger that got dragged off a United Airlines flight? The airline's stock price fell after the and CEO Oscar Munoz was forced to issue two public apologies.

Companies must fundamentally understand this modern phenomena: the customer is the candidate.

As much as companies believe they prioritize customer service, they are failing to miss the biggest blindside: the people they hire. Ask Richard Branson’s Virgin Media. They calculated they lost more than $5 million in revenue due to poor candidate experience. Individuals coming in for an interview were met with inconsiderate interviewers, unclear interview procedures, and more. In turn, a considerable amount of applicants, 6%, canceled their Virgin Media subscriptions. Disgruntled applicants and former employees (like Swift) are looking for a candidate experience coordinator---a person or a system that respects the time and work it takes to apply to a position, work at record label, or wait years to re-record some tunes.

What can companies do now?

Create a transparent interview process

We understand what abuse of power is. It’s when a person of authority uses their position to prey on or demean those in less-powerful positions. Could it also not be termed to be an “abuse” when applicants are kept in the dark about the whole recruiting and hiring process? In each stage of the pipeline, individuals should be told in advance what the hiring manager is looking, what the role’s expectations are, and how the entire interview process shall proceed. Some HR departments fail to meet this standard, withholding valuable information from an applicant. Candidates may prepare for an interview by focusing on the wrong area; or they may be unaware of the person or department they’ll be working for.

Companies need to create a consistently transparent and easy recruiting process. Enhance and streamline HR functions like pre-screening assessment, mobile-friendly application process, and a “roadmap” of action items and hiring decision timelines. Edelman found that 1 in 3 employees don’t actually trust their employer. If a first interaction with an employer is confusing or humiliating, the relationship suffers, even if the employee signs on the bottom line. Hiring managers must build transparency into their employee experiences, which is the gateway to a trusting relationship.

Invite the digital experience

Taylor Swift swung a mean punch by taking her Scooter Braun feud to Instagram. Not only did that provide a rare insider peek into the world of music celebrity, it highlighted how fundamental that an easy, digital experience is for applicants. Candidates want convenience, ease, and piece of mind. Think of LinkedIn’s Easy Apply feature. Thousands of job postings are listed daily on the global networking site. Companies, from big corporations to one-person agencies, are hunting for the most qualified talent. With LinkedIn, applicants can upload their resume (CV), save it, and then hit “Easy Apply” to certain job listings. With only a few clicks, a company tore down a huge barrier in creating a broad talent funnel. Technology could be considered the back office candidate experience coordinator: it could exponentially improve the lives of both hiring managers and candidates.

Integrate AI-powered chatbots to quickly answer candidate's common questions, like IBM does. Or make sure that interviews can be held via a video phone call. Or better, use a convenient tool like Retorio to have candidates record short video clips of their responses to interview questions, anywhere and at anytime. Pre-employment assessment does not have to be dull or reminiscent of a 1970s office tool. It can be convenient, intuitive, and streamline the entire interaction.

Keep it human

Most people just want to speak to a human. The ease of smart phones, the beauty of near-instant delivery services (hey Instacart!), and how we can sit in our pajamas to watch the latest blockbuster is all pretty useful. However when we’re making a life change or a key career move, like deciding whether to work at a company, we crave human interaction. We need the assurance that someone is invested in their work to find the best fit and because of that, we’ll receive humane and thoughtful treatment.

Taylor Swift at the AMAs revealed her need for fan support and how she wants to be treated fairly. Companies should take note of building trust with personable interaction. It could be training the assistant to greet applicants with warmth when they arrive for their in-person interviews. At Boston Consulting Group, candidates receive a little note telling them a bit about the person sitting across the table from them. All these little steps to add in the “human touch” means plenty to a candidate.

Companies are awaking how key a positive full-cycle is for their bottom-line. Many are creating a new position, that of a candidate experience coordinator. This person is in charge of creating and managing the entire interaction and operations in the candidate search funnel. They strategize with marketing to figure out how to reach candidates via social media, email, or other venues. They look to emanate personalization and authenticity to candidates with each and every touchpoint, even the undesired rejection email. A candidate experience coordinator can be a linchpin in securing the “good feeling” a candidate has about a company. Even if candidates are not offered a job, they’ll be able to walk away feeling valued and respected. This kind of trust can pay dividends in the future.

If trust is not delivered...well, ask Taylor Swift.

Retorio is a video-based behavioral assessment powered by AI. It uses facial expression, language, gesture, and voice to create a Big 5 Personality profile. Companies like BMW and Lufthansa use Retorio.

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Use These 5 Psychology Tricks for Your Next Video Interview

If you’ve ever wanted a one-stop, interview prep-shop, this is IT. 

From an in-person meeting or a video interview, we're here to help.Interviews can be the most intimidating thing in the entire world. A close second could be asking someone on a date—in real life. You know, not through an app. Swipes aside, we’re aiming to lay out the prep work for a fantastic interview.

 The kind that feels like you’re floating on air afterwards or the kind where you hear the cash register’s KA-CHING after an eloquent and to-the-point response.

We’ve outlined:

Interview homework: what to do to prepare for the (video) interview

During the interview: what to expect, what to avoid, and what to deliver

The interviewer's 3 essential questions 

Interview Homework

Like a quote on Pinterest once said, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance”. Abraham Lincoln may not have said it, but if he had a fondness for alliteration, he probably would have. After all, he is the figure that said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. Preparation is where you win the interview. The interview is where you show the interviewer you won.

Research the Company

The first line of defense is a good offense, a well-known military strategy. The same goes with an interview. Researching the company is essential to create a positive impression. It shows you’ve prepared well, take the opportunity seriously, and may possess a few ideas on how to contribute. Not all research is created equal. It’s important to land on a few key areas. These areas will prepare you to freestyle if any unexpected questions arise; they also showcase how thoughtfully you’ve considered the company, its industry, and its potential roadmap.

When researching, find the answer to these questions:

How do they view themselves?

What sets them apart in their particular niche or field?

What are keywords that showcase their uniqueness?

What are some ways that their intention may fall short of the reality?

If possible, learn about these areas:

Recent news and/or highlights.

You can find this out in the PR/News section of their website—companies love to brag about themselves understandably. Check out their social media channels, including their Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for news. For negative things (or less-glamorous news), ask ye olde search engine, Google. Type in the company’s name and hit “News” and a slew of information will be listed.

Most famous client and/or project.

Check out who their customers are and check out whether these organisations are small, mid-sized, or giant corporations. You’ll be able to get a grasp onto who their audience is, giving you information on what their potential business goals may be. Additionally, it sheds light on a specific company’s niche: they may be selling accounting software to airlines or FitBits to dog food companies. If they’ve historically been selling FitBits to dog food manufacturers but also landed a big project with an agricultural firm, this could give you ideas about you’re a great fit as they expand.

Know the Job Position

This may be the most “Dad-like” advice—ahem, obvious—but it’s an important point to thoroughly investigate. Look over the job description, and take some notes. A little exercise might be helpful:

Print out the job description

Pick a colored marker or pen and circle skills or areas you have direct experience in, that was your main “job”.

Pick another colored marker and circle skills or areas you do not have direct experience in, but have been related. ie. you ran a company’s social media, but learned to create infographics.

Write down how you’ve developed and/or learned these skills, like attending a webinar or an online course.

Your “direct skills” education

Your “related skills” education

Write down why this job position stood out to you personally—do you have a particular passion about the product, the industry, etc? Why are YOU drawn to it?

Know Why You’re a Fit

Use the earlier job description analysis to help you build a story in your mind about why you’re a fit. This is the time to reflect on possible questions or concerns the interviewer might have, “You worked as cosmetics store manager and now you want to work as a Data Scientist at our company?” Highlight how you taught yourself, took online courses, and always had interest in computers (your thesis was on how cybersecurity after multi-stakeholder organizations). Don’t be ashamed of your past; this is your story: own it and then construct the narrative.

Practice Talking About Yourself

Now that you know you’re a fit and you’re taking control of your narrative, it’s practice time. Another quote coming your way: “Practice makes perfect”. Interviews are often a nerve-racking affair. However practice is the proverbial shot of Vodka to interview anxiety. It makes things a bit better. You’ll know what to expect and how to answer. Use the list of common interview questions below to make flashcards or have a friend interview you. Research by Rice University and Michigan State University shows that "deliberate practice” or “engagement in structured activities created specifically to improve performance” as the biggest predictor for success and performance improvement.

What is deliberate practice?

Deliberate practice is purposeful and systematic; it requires focused attention over a period of time. A famed golfer, Ben Hogan, broke down each section of the golf game and studied how to master each section.

Similarly, deliberately break down each step of the interview process:

the introduction/overview,

insight into skills and experiences

the “challenges” faced

odd-ball questions (questions about industry, position, random trivia)

availability

closing questions.

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Show up on time.

If you’re a person that has a habit of arriving late. Make it your goal to get there 30 minutes beforehand. Being late to an interview puts you on the weaker foot; remember YOU’RE the prize—finding dedicated and skilled talent these days is getting tough. When you’re running behind schedule, you forfeit that hand. Now you just look like the genius who is a jerk. Avoid being late at all costs. If you're lucky enough to be having a video interview (video interviews means worrying less about road traffic), still make eye contact and be on time.

Always Call Casual Cannibals Into Pink Washpots

Don’t worry, you won’t have to call a cannibal anywhere—it’s a pneumonic device to help you remember 8 essential characteristics to exude in an interview: be authentic, concise, confident, interested, passionate, and warm. The (video) interview should be a pleasure to hold, both for you and your interviewer(s). These traits are guideposts in what important feelings to project, from the moment you shake their hand till you send a follow-up email. With a video job interview, you may want to emphasize body language, eye contact, or vocal pauses or a bit more. In video interviews, sometimes the camera may disengage, so be sure to make the potential employer can see you emotionally connect with questions.

Authentic

No need to be anyone else but you, boo. Really. You got this interview, so be the best version of yourself. The real “you” may be a person who prefers to observe and stay silent or be a slob at home. At an interview, you’re showcasing how you’ll be at the workplace, what kind of colleague you’ll be. Remember, job interviews are meant to assess fit between the organization and employee. This experience, an in-person interview or video, should be unique and mutually beneficial. Being authentic is one way to assure a match.

Concise

You’ve practiced your responses. Great. Be sure to keep responses under 90 seconds. That doesn’t necessarily mean taking the whole 90 seconds, but in general keep your answers to the point. Add emotion to them, if appropriate. In video interviews, be sure the camera is capturing your expressions.

Confidence

Keep things upbeat and positive. Remain confident in outlining how your skills align perfectly with the job requirements. Don’t feel ashamed or anxious about gaps in your resume; be confident in how you present them and how hard you worked to make up for any deficiencies. Employers want to see people who know their skillset is solid, but also confident to highlight their weak points and how they’re addressing them. In interview videos, be sure to come across sincere with marked pauses, emphatic head nods, and at least one ear-to-ear smile.

Passionate

Employers receive several applications for a position. If you’re interviewing for big corporations like Google, they receive thousands of applications. Share what excites you. Tell why this job aligns with your personal values and goals. Passion is one of those traits that’s difficult to hide or fake..

Warmth

Your hands may be a little clammy from nerves, but keep the conversation warm and easy-going. How to show warmth? When you’re doing prep work, jot down some potential warmth-inducing stories. Even if it's not in-person interview, a candidate story creates a special memory for the interviewer.

“Tell Me About Yourself”

This may be the most dreaded question in an interview. “Um…I studied Chemistry and like bread?” It’s a tough one as its encompassing and open-ended. This is simply an introductory question; as the interview progresses, they’ll be able to learn more about you from your later responses. To assist you in answering this, examine yourself:

What am I good at?

What do I enjoy?

What is the unique way I approach a problem?

Give an example of how that happened in the workplace

  The Interviewer’s Secret 3 Questions

At the core, a potential employer has 3 essential questions. The questions that interviewers wish they could ask, but try to answer for themselves:

“What’s it like working with you?”

They’re trying to answer whether you’ll be a cool person to work with. Again they know they’ll be spending considerable time alongside you; they don’t want to hire a jerk or someone that doesn’t contribute to a team project. The more you share, the better picture they’ll gain about working with you.

“Are you a willing learner?”

Are you a person that is teachable? Do you have a good attitude about trying to learn new things? Or are you a person that doesn’t really value trying to learn new skills as needed? Most employers understand if you don’t have the tools necessary for the job; they’re looking for someone who is an eager student.

“Do you take the initiative?”

No one wants a team member that waits for instruction. Are you an individual that has taken on new challenges and projects because that’s what your past employer needed—even before the employer realized it? Highlight your initiate with an example or two. Show the interviewer you can “pull your weight”, while still always trying to contribute to the larger team’s success. Self-starters are a great addition to any team.

Any other special tips if it's a video interview?

Interviewing videos and in-person interviews differ by only one variable: creating the best setting for a video interview. Luckily that's one variable within your control. Video interviewing is very much a candidate-centric approach to interviews. It gives a candidate and those scheduling job interviews a range of conveniences. For a video interview, you may want to keep these key choices in mind:

Use a well-lit space

Interviewers want to see your face; video interviews with good lighting goes a long way. It’s a little odd when people’s faces are in the dark. That may be the primates in us speaking, but we don’t really tend to trust those in dark lighting. Find a room or corner that has natural light that hits your face. Be sure that the light is not behind you, otherwise your face will be in a shadow.

Eliminate a distracting background

A video interview may be an excuse to clean up your living space. Clear out any distracting pieces of artwork, clothes, or anything else that may make an interviewer go, “Wow, that’s a little messy” or “That’s a bit inappropriate”. If you have any questions, stray on the more conservative side. If your prize, mounted stuffed pig head seems a bit too much, just take down for the video interview.

Check your tools (camera, phone, connection, etc.)

Double check that your Internet connection is fast and reliable. You may want to check out Speedtest.net the day before an interview. As a broadband speed testing tool, it assists in measuring how quickly your connection is. If you do it the day before, chances that connection will crash minimizes. Be sure your camera is up and running. You may want to do a test call with a sibling or friend. If your video interview is on-the-go, make sure your phone is charged, or have a charging cord nearby.

Dress simply

In a video interview, an employer typically sees only above your shoulders via the camera. Which is great if you're just wearing pajama pants. Focus on wearing non-distracting clothing. Sometimes even the most fabulous outfits don't translate that well on video. Wear a simple blouse or collared shirt for video interviews that will allow them to concentrate on you.

Interviews, video or not, don’t have to be intimidating. It’s a conversation where you get to showcase your professional narrative and interject what makes you so special.