Personality traits that drive success can derail employees under pressure, study finds

Hogan Assessment highlighted that personality traits that fuel success can become liabilities when employees face heightened pressure, urging firms to cultivate “strategic self‑awareness” rather than attempting to alter innate dispositions. Alise Dabdoub, Hogan’s director of product innovation and data science, explained that the same characteristic that propels a person forward in one context may create problems in another, especially under stress. The company’s research points to the need for workers to recognize early signs of “derailers” – the triggers that push a trait into counterproductive behavior – so they can adjust their actions before negative outcomes emerge. Psychologist and Hogan consultant Ryan Rush illustrated this with the “mischievous” leader archetype: a risk‑taking, charismatic individual who excels at building rapport and driving results, but who can become impulsive, bored, and prone to breaking team trust when pressure mounts, ultimately risking credibility through irrational decisions.

The findings align with a recent Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll survey of more than 1,000 hiring managers, in which 86 % said the right personality can outweigh a candidate’s skills gap. Respondents placed the highest value on reliability, honesty, adaptability, flexibility and self‑motivation—traits deemed crucial for navigating rapid technology transitions in the workplace. Experts at the 2023 Society for Human Resource Management conference added that managers can further improve relationships by tailoring communication to employees’ cognitive styles, such as presenting analytical thinkers with data visualizations rather than bullet‑point narratives. This nuanced approach to personality and cognition underscores the growing emphasis on matching personal attributes with job demands, rather than relying solely on technical qualifications.

Implementing Hogan’s strategic self‑awareness framework could reshape performance management and hiring practices, prompting organizations to focus on early identification of derailment triggers and personalized development plans. As companies adopt these insights, employees with high‑impact traits like risk‑taking may learn to balance ambition with prudence, preserving team trust and credibility. The broader implication is a shift toward more holistic talent strategies that integrate personality diagnostics, cognitive style considerations, and the evolving expectations of modern work environments.

⚡ Effects Interpreter