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The labour market has never been as dynamic as it has been in recent years. Career directors and education managers face a major challenge: synchronizing student education with business requirements.
As the professional landscape evolves rapidly, the importance of soft skills is becoming a prerequisite in many recruitment procedures.
In this trend, personality tests such as the HEXACO and the Soft Skill Scan are paving the way. But do they really help us know what skills businesses are looking for?
The HEXACO personality test is based on one of the most popular personality models studied by Canadian psychologists Kibeom Lee and Michael Ashton.
Developed in the late 1990s as an extension of the big five personality traits (Big Five model), the HEXACO model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding individual differences in behavior, attitudes, and interpersonal relationships. Based on psychological research, the HEXACO test makes it possible to understand the various aspects of personality that influence social interactions and professional environments.
Recruiters can use personality assessment to determine how a candidate fits the job description and company culture, or if they will easily fit into a team.
It is also a tool for a variety of applications, such as team building and personal development.
This model breaks down personality into six key dimensions:
Most of the time, it is difficult to understand the differences between personality tests, even for psychologists, so here we will describe these nuances succinctly:
The Big Five model encompasses five dimensions: Openness, Awareness, Awareness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (also called OCEAN). In contrast, the HEXACO model includes an additional dimension called Honesty-Humility, which is not explicitly taken into account in the Big Five test.
The Honesty-Humility dimension, specific to the HEXACO model, focuses on aspects related to sincerity, equity, modesty or even generosity. This additional dimension reflects the attitudes of individuals including their honesty, integrity and ethical behavior in interactions and social relationships at work but also in their lives in general. This more ethical aspect allows the recruiter to make informed decisions in sectors where integrity and reliability are paramount.
Although both models include a dimension related to emotional tendencies, they approach it differently.
The Big Five model uses the neuroticism dimension to assess emotional stability and calmness. This can typically result in people who tend to experience negative emotions that last over time, and which can lead to anxiety, depressive episodes, or even burn out in the long term. This aspect provides a better understanding of a candidate's ability to manage stress and adapt to change, which is valuable in dynamic and high-pressure work environments.
The HEXACO model also includes the emotionality dimension, but encompasses a wider range of emotional traits. In particular, it explores how individuals respond to fear, anxiety, and their need for emotional support.
Another difference is observed in terms of agreeableness. For the HEXACO model, agreeableness encompasses qualities such as patience, gentleness, and flexibility, with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships.
While including cooperation, the Big Five focuses more broadly on trust and candor.
The structure of the HEXACO model is slightly different from that of the Big Five. The dimensions of the Big Five are generally orthogonal, meaning they are independent of each other. This can encourage the emergence of a one-dimensional and simplistic vision of an individual's character, which limits the depth of understanding. All of this can lead to inaccuracies in personality analysis.
In contrast, the dimensions of HEXACO may present some interrelationships, such as negative correlations between honesty-humility and extroversion, as well as between emotionality and conscientiousness.
As we said just above, the HEXACO personality model is a comprehensive psychometric tool developed by two psychologists, Kibeom Lee and Michael C. Ashton. It was born out of a series of studies carried out in the early 2000s, which highlighted the existence of a sixth personality factor that was not taken into account by the other models.
This six-dimensional model allows for a more nuanced understanding of human personality, by capturing facets not covered by the Big Five model.
You should know that the HEXACO personality model was built on the basis of lexical analyses of adjectives describing personality in many languages. The six dimensions that emerge capture certain aspects of an individual's personality.
This facet focuses on a person's level of authenticity and integrity. It reflects traits associated with sincerity, fairness, modesty, and the absence of greed. People who score high on honesty and humility value truthfulness and avoid manipulating others for personal gain. In contrast, people with lower scores may be more prone to deception, manipulation, and personal enrichment.
This assesses a person's degree of resilience, independence, and empathy. It is similar to the opposite of emotional stability in the Big Five model. It measures the degree to which an individual experiences fear and anxiety, as well as their need for emotional support from others. People who score high are generally sensitive and anxious, while people who score low are more emotionally resilient and less easily disturbed.
This dimension is similar to that of the Big Five, measuring sociability, assertiveness, and alertness. Extroversion also measures an individual's overall enthusiasm, while People with a high level of extroversion are extroverted and energetic, while those who score lower tend to be more reserved and introspective.
It reflects a person's temperament when it comes to patience, gentleness, and flexibility. Agreeableness also probes the levels of compassion, patience, and consideration that the individual is likely to show. People with a high score are generally cooperative and thoughtful, while people with a low score may be more critical and unsympathetic.
This dimension assesses conscientiousness, in particular speed, attention to detail and organization. It refers to a person's tendency to be organized, careful, and rigorous. People with a high score are reliable and disciplined, while people with a lower score may be more spontaneous, impulsive, and disorganized.
This factor describes how curious and creative a person is. For example, it reflects the desire to try new things and to get out of your comfort zone. People who score high in this dimension are generally open-minded and imaginative, while those who score lower may be more conventional and resistant to change.
Each of the 24 traits is measured using three statements asking candidates to indicate how well they agree with the behavior described on a five-point scale.
Here is an example of how questions are worded:
Although the HEXACO test provides information on broad personality dimensions, its application to specific professional development needs may be limited. Career directors, education managers, and talent managers often need assessments that offer more focused insight into skill development, career readiness, and leadership potential, something that the HEXACO test may not adequately answer. Moreover, the words used to describe personality traits are complex and not necessarily familiar to everyone. Then finally, the results of these tests cannot be used to value them in a CV or even in an interview in view of the current need of companies in terms of soft-skills.
The HEXACO test focuses primarily on innate personality traits and may not sufficiently take into account soft skills that are crucial for success in today's rapidly changing job market. Career directors and educational managers are increasingly emphasizing the importance of soft skills such as communication, influence, logical reasoning, speaking, teamwork, problem solving, and global adaptability. These cannot be fully evaluated by the HEXACO test.
The HEXACO test, like any psychological assessment, may have inherent cultural biases that could impact its validity and reliability in diverse populations. Career directors and educational managers who work with students from multicultural backgrounds may find that the HEXACO test does not sufficiently account for cultural variations in personality expression and interpretation, which limits its applicability in a variety of educational and professional contexts. Recognizing these limitations can help career directors and educational managers make informed decisions about the use of personality assessments in their programs and initiatives, ensuring that they align with the specific needs and goals of their students and institutions.
Unlike “hard skills”, which are precise, taught, and measurable, “soft skills” are often elusive and difficult to measure.
However, thanks to discoveries in cognitive science, we can better understand the definition of soft skills and their evaluation. At Rising Up, a team of cognitive researchers created the first validated scientific assessment of soft skills from scratch.
The Soft Skill Scan offers a comprehensive assessment platform that allows, for example, career managers to access their students' current soft skills gaps. By taking an in-depth look at 25 specific soft skills, this tool reveals areas where students excel and highlights critical gaps that need to be paid attention to. With reports that are both concise, educational teams can accurately identify the areas where intervention and support are most needed, ensuring that no soft skills gap goes unnoticed or overlooked.
Moreover, the Soft Skill Scan doesn't just provide a diagnosis; it provides actionable information and personalized recommendations. Thanks to detailed reports, career directors and educational directors receive a roadmap for improving student soft skills. Armed with this information, educational teams can implement targeted strategies that provide 360° training to students ready to succeed in a constantly changing job market.
In short, the Soft Skill Scan is not only a testing tool, it is a catalyst for transforming education and career development. By drawing on his knowledge and recommendations, career directors and teaching teams can cultivate students' soft skills with precision, equipping them with crucial skills to enter the professional world while standing out.
The Soft Kill Scan assesses 25 soft skills that are essential in today's job market, including communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem solving, and leadership.
Unlike more general personality assessments, the Soft Skill Scan provides a tailored assessment that focuses directly on the skills most sought after by employers. This focused approach allows career directors and education managers to better understand the strengths and areas for improvement of their students compared to real-world professional requirements.
A way to precisely align the soft-skills needs of students with the demand of companies.
The Soft Skills Scan provides a dynamic and engaging assessment experience through the use of quizzes, GIFs, interactive videos, and other digital elements. This interactive approach not only improves user engagement but also provides a more immersive learning experience for students.
By making the assessment process enjoyable and interactive, the Soft Skills Scan encourages active participation and promotes a better understanding of soft skills among students.
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The Soft Skill Scan is designed to adapt to changing job market requirements and industry trends. As the professional requirements and expectations of professionals continue to change, the Soft Skills Scan remains flexible and responsive, ensuring that the soft skills assessed remain relevant and up to date.
Career directors and education managers can rely on the Soft Skill Scan to gain insights into the ever-changing landscape of soft skills needed to succeed in today's dynamic workplace, helping students stay competitive and prepared for future career opportunities.
By taking advantage of the unique features and benefits of the Soft Skill Scan, career directors and education managers can assess, develop, and equip students with the soft skills they need to thrive in their studies and professional activities.
In conclusion, the comparison between HEXACO and Soft Skills Scan highlights the evolution of the talent assessment and development landscape. While the HEXACO offers valuable information on the main dimensions of personality, the Soft Skills Scan is distinguished by its personalized assessment of the skills essential to succeed in today's dynamic job market.
If you are a manager or school director in higher education, you should definitely try our tools.
Send us a message 📩 to hello@risinguparis.com and we'll organize a 15-minute demo for you within a week.
Disclaimer: Rising Up does not intend to replicate or replace the Big Five or HEXACO tests, as the two tests follow different methodologies, while providing similar value. Both tests help participants get to know their own talents, strengths, and personalities better. Rising Up does not dispute or diminish the value of these tests and encourages people to try out the various tests, inventory and whatever tools are available. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at hello@risinguparis.com
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