Conscientiousness is a personality trait that represents the ability to overcome impulsive desires and achieve long-term goals.
It encompasses both the moral qualities of integrity, conscience, diligence, and moderation, as well as the practical aspects of planning, realism, and sense of responsibility.
Conscientiousness is a crucial competency required in all types of professions and industries. Decider® utilizes it as a measure of "Work tolerance".
High Conscientiousness: Merit and risk
People with high Conscientiousness excel in demonstrating orderly behavior both in terms of moral conduct and practical work. They possess certain managerial qualities and are well-suited for businesses that require implicit trust relationships with customers.
On the other hand, they may have a strong inclination towards seriousness and perfectionism, which can make them more susceptible to developing depression due to the significant impact of failure. In professions where reducing the incidence of depression is a concern, excessively reliable individuals may be perceived as having a higher long-term hiring risk.
Low Conscientiousness: Hiring risk
People with low Conscientiousness tend to have difficulty perceiving long-term projects or situations as their own responsibility, even if they extend over several months or weeks.
In severe cases, Decider® indicates then with a red marker, there is a tendency to exhibit "quick-fix" behaviors. There is a risk of making excuses such as feigning illness or fabricating improbable lies, as well as a low tolerance for gambling or alcohol dependence.
Furthermore, individuals with low Conscientiousness and a strong inclination towards personal interactions can develop impulsive and isolated personality profiles, which, according to DSM-5, are associated with antisocial personality disorder.
Work-related anticipated issues and countermeasures
In general, individuals with low Conscientiousness tend to avoid accountability, making them unsuitable for tasks that involve multiple stages and require teamwork and division of labor until completion. When activities become opaque, where it is unclear to others what they are actually doing, it often leads to the team members having to fill in the gaps.
Moreover, due to their tendency to easily get bored, they are not well-suited for jobs that require expertise. Short-term or one-off tasks tend to have fewer troubles in such cases. If the job is more closely aligned with a full commission-based system where activity results are directly tied to rewards, such as in direct sales, it can help reduce misalignment of expectations between the employer and employee.
Interview points to assess Conscientiousness
The low level of Conscientiousness leads to observable problematic behavior in various job positions and industries, making it a crucial checkpoint during interviews.
When considering candidates for executive positions, higher Conscientiousness standards are applied, while for staff-level positions, the focus is on ensuring that Conscientiousness is not excessively low.
During interviews, it is important to assess a certain level of sincerity in speech and actions, as well as verify the presence of planning and organization in behavior. This verification holds significance across all job positions and industries.
