How to Use the OCEAN Personality Test in Recruitment [Updated!]

This neat test is a personality X-ray: it shows you who’s got the skills and the vibe to crush it on your remote team.

What is the OCEAN Personality Test?

The OCEAN test is a five-part personality snapshot. OCEAN stands for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism - each trait offering a glimpse into how someone operates at work and in life.

Open people thrive on new ideas and experiences. Conscientious types are detail-driven and organized. Extraverts draw energy from others, while Agreeable folks prioritize harmony and teamwork. Neuroticism reflects emotional sensitivity - those who score higher often feel things more intensely.

The test is also called The Big Five Personality Test, or the big five model.

Why Use It for Remote Hiring?

When it comes to building a top-performing remote team, the OCEAN personality test in recruitment is your secret weapon. It goes beyond resumes to reveal the real human behind the Zoom screen.

Resumes are dead-in-the-water, and they can only tell you so much. With the rise of AI, there’s no telling who has doctored their resume to be more impressive.

When you're hiring remotely, it's tough to get a feel for someone's true colors over video calls. The OCEAN test gives you a sneak peek into their inner world, showing you how they might handle challenges, work with others, and fit into your team dynamic.

It’s a bit of extra data to top off your remote recruitment process.

How to Use the OCEAN Test Like a Pro

1. Know Your Job Needs: Before unleashing the test, figure out which traits matter most for the role. Need a creative whiz? Look for high Openness. Task requiring laser focus? Conscientiousness is your friend.
2. Decode the Results: Each OCEAN trait has its own benefit for different jobs. Open minds crush it in innovative roles, Conscientious masters of detail excel in code-wrangling, and Extraverted team players bring the energy to leadership positions.
3. Mix and Match: The OCEAN test is a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture. Use it alongside interviews, skills tests, and references to get a complete view of the remote candidate.
4. Better Recruiting: Many recruiters are now embedding the OCEAN personality test in recruitment workflows to make smarter, more human-centered hiring decisions. Especially in remote-first environments, personality fit can make or break a team - and this test gives you the intel you need to hire with confidence.

OCEAN in Action: Tech Recruitment Edition

Innovation and collaboration fuel the technology space - and the OCEAN test helps you hire for both.

High Openness in a candidate might reveal their ability to adapt to unpredictable tech landscapes, while Conscientiousness could point to the meticulousness needed for coding and project management. 

Think of it as finding the perfect puzzle piece for your tech team.

No One-Size-Fits-All Score

There's no magic "gold standard" OCEAN score for every role. 

What rocks a startup might not fly in a corporate giant. The key is matching the candidate's personality profile to the specific needs of the job and your company culture. 

And to balance out the existing OCEAN traits of your current tech team!

The Power of Personality Tests

Studies show that around 80% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests, and HR pros find them helpful in predicting job performance.

While this test alone isn't a crystal ball, it can give you valuable insights that go beyond traditional hiring methods. Personalities matter after all.

The OCEAN test is a powerful tool, but it's not a solo act. Use it alongside other assessment methods for a well-rounded approach to remote hiring.

Whether you're scaling fast or hiring for niche roles, using the OCEAN personality test in recruitment will help you identify culture-fit candidates and boost long-term retention.

By combining insights from different sources, you can build a dream team that clicks, collaborates, and conquers the remote work world. Use the OCEAN personality test as an added insight in your candidate profiles this year.