November 23, 2004 5:12 PM

Forget eHarmony, what's your Myers-Briggs type?
Posted by Colin Moorat 5:12 PM

Ever had your tarot cards read? No, how about taking the Myers-Briggs? Personality tests are back. Assessment testing has enjoyed erratic popularity since the 1950's and more recently assessment testing is being used by more organizations to evaluate and support team building,talent search and worker motivation. >Alison Overholt at FastCompany has researched this revitalized trend and offers up some comforting analysis.

Today's personality tests are less about comparing your expected performance to others' and more about discovering the things about work that motivate you. The idea is to help employees and managers alike understand and appreciate each other's individual styles and greatest strengths, so working together becomes smoother and so employees can be matched with jobs where they'll naturally shine. "We're looking for what is hardwired into a person. What do people naturally gravitate to, where do they get lost in the moment, where do they get intense satisfaction?" says Vandana Allman, Gallup's global practice leader for talent-based hiring.

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