Occupational Personality Questionnaire

From CEOpedia | Management online

Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) is one of the world's most famous personality questionnaires used in more than 20 languages. This method is used for selection and development of employees at work. It shows information about the behaviour of people included in the 32 relevant characteristics.

The questionnaire is a computer program that by analysing the answers to several questions quickly and very efficiently gives description of job candidate. This analysis is very thorough and involves multiple questions probing deep psychological characteristic of people.

Occupational Personality Questionnaire construction

The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) is a personality assessment tool that measures 32 characteristics or traits that are relevant to work behavior. These traits are grouped into four main categories:

  • Thinking style: This category includes traits such as problem-solving ability, decision-making, and analytical thinking.
  • Interpersonal style: This category includes traits such as sociability, assertiveness, and emotional control.
  • Drive: This category includes traits such as ambition, motivation, and work ethic.
  • Emotional stability: This category includes traits such as stress tolerance, resilience, and adaptability.

The questionnaire is typically administered online and takes around 30-40 minutes to complete. The results are presented in the form of a report that provides an overview of an individual's strengths and weaknesses in relation to the 32 traits.

The OPQ is used for a variety of purposes, including selection, development, and team-building. It is often used as part of a larger assessment process, which may include other assessment methods such as cognitive testing, situational judgment tests, and interviews. The results of the OPQ can be used to identify potential areas of development, match individuals to specific roles or teams, and develop action plans for improving performance.

OPQ is widely used in more than 20 languages around the world and is considered a reliable and valid assessment tool. However, it is important to note that the OPQ should be used in conjunction with other assessment methods, and the results should be considered in the context of the specific job requirements and the individual's overall qualifications and experience.

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Examples of Occupational Personality Questionnaire

  • The OPQ is commonly used to assess potential employees at job interviews or to identify potential for development in existing employees. For instance, a retail manager may use the OPQ to determine the best fit for a sales position by looking at the candidate's results in the "influencing others" and "persuasiveness" categories.
  • The OPQ is also used in training and development programs. For example, a large engineering company may use the OPQ to identify their employees' strengths and weaknesses in decision making and problem solving, and then tailor their training accordingly.
  • The OPQ can be used to measure the fit between an individual and the job they are performing. For example, a marketing executive who scores highly in "creativity" may be better suited to a creative role than a managerial role.
  • The OPQ can also be used to identify team dynamics and measure the compatibility between team members. For instance, a software development team may use the OPQ to analyse the personality traits of each team member and identify the best combination of people for the task.

Advantages of Occupational Personality Questionnaire

The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) is a widely used personality questionnaire that is valuable for selection and development of employees. The following are some of the advantages of the OPQ:

  • The OPQ provides useful information regarding the behavior of individuals and is available in more than 20 languages.
  • The questionnaire consists of 32 relevant characteristics that are useful in profiling an individual.
  • The OPQ is a reliable tool for assessment, as it has a high degree of consistency, which makes it a valid tool for employee selection and development.
  • The questionnaire is relatively easy to understand and administer, making it a cost-effective tool for employers.
  • The OPQ provides a detailed picture of an individual's personality which can then be used to assess their suitability for a job.
  • The OPQ can be used as a tool for individual coaching and development, as it helps individuals to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Finally, the OPQ is a valuable tool for organizations to ensure that their workforce is composed of people with the right personality traits for the job.

Limitations of Occupational Personality Questionnaire

The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) is a popular personality questionnaire used for selection and development of employees in the workplace. Despite its widespread use, there are some limitations of the OPQ that should be taken into consideration. These include:

  • Limited predictive ability: While the OPQ can provide insight into a person’s traits, it may not accurately predict their behavior in a given situation.
  • Limitation of 32 characteristics: The OPQ only considers 32 characteristics, which may not be enough to fully assess an individual’s personality.
  • Assesses current behavior: The OPQ only assesses current behavior, so it does not provide information about potential or future behavior.
  • Subjective scoring: Since the OPQ is scored subjectively, there is a risk of bias in the results.
  • Cultural bias: The OPQ also may suffer from cultural bias, as it does not take into account cultural differences in how people express themselves.
  • Expense: The OPQ is a paid service, which may be cost-prohibitive for some businesses.

Other approaches related to Occupational Personality Questionnaire

In addition to the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), there are other approaches that are used to assess personality in the workplace. These include:

  • The Big Five Personality Test: This is a personality inventory that measures the five dimensions of personality - openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. It is used to identify individuals' strengths and weaknesses and to better understand how they interact with others.
  • The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): This is a personality questionnaire that measures four personality dimensions - extraversion, intuition, thinking and feeling. It is used to help people better understand their strengths and weaknesses, and how they interact with others.
  • The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF): This is a personality inventory that measures 16 different personality factors. It is used to assess how an individual's personality affects their behaviour in the workplace.
  • The NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI): This is a personality questionnaire that measures the five major dimensions of personality - openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. It is used to assess how an individual's personality affects their behaviour in the workplace.

In conclusion, there are several approaches that can be used to assess personality in the workplace, such as the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), the Big Five Personality Test, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) and the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI). Each of these approaches provides valuable insight into an individual's personality and how it affects their behaviour in the workplace.


Occupational Personality Questionnaire — recommended articles
Predictive Index System — Work sample test — Team selection techniques — Marston model — MBS Method — Thomas International method — Belbin team roles — Employee selection — Level of complexity

References

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