By Michael Mercer, Ph.D.

Six pre-employment personality test scales warn you if a job applicant has Hyper-Emotional Personality. 

You probably want to avoid hiring such people.  They disrupt your workplace, decrease productivity, and create expensive problems.

WASTEFUL BEHAVIORS + PROBLEMS CAUSED BY HYPER-EMOTIONAL EMPLOYEES

Managers who hire applicants who have Hyper-Emotional Personality should get their heads examined!  A Hyper-Emotional employee is like a stick of dynamite.  Do not light a match near that person. 

In the workplace, such characters ooze negative emotions and behaviors.  They adore doing destructive actions, such as:

1.  Acting frightfully aggressive - pushy, obnoxious, and inconsiderate

2.  Hate following your company's rules and procedures -- and rebel when told to do so

3.  Complain a lot - creating an avalanche of negative feelings

4.  Ooze pessimism - feeling downhearted - and try to drag co-workers down

5.  Act excitable - hyped-up like live electric wire sitting in water

6.  Thrill in focusing on the above five negative emotions

Co-workers feel annoyed and distracted by the Hyper-Emotional employee who never should have been hired.  Also, horribly, co-workers question managers' judgment for hiring disruptive creatures.

Financially, your company suffers reduced productivity, bigger costs for less productivity, plus harm to customers.  Why?  Because the Hyper-Emotional employee wastes time on emotional purging, rather than keeping their nose to the grindstone working.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT PERSONALITY TEST CATCHES HYPER-EMOTIONAL APPLICANTS

A pre-employment personality test undoubtedly is the most accurate and quickest way to see if an applicant has Hyper-Emotional Personality.  Reason:  Such pre-hire tests are based on years of research to make sure they give you valid and reliable test scores. 

Also, you can make customized benchmark pre-employment test scores for each jobs in your company.  Then, you may focus on hiring applicants who get test scores like your best employees.  Your best or superstar employees' benchmark scores are unlikely show Hyper-Emotional Personality traits.

WHAT ARE PRE-HIRE TEST SCORES OF APPLICANT WITH HYPER-EMOTIONAL PERSONALITY?

Pre-employment personality test scores of an applicant with Hyper-Emotional Personality may include some or all of the following: 

1.  High score on Aggressiveness - i.e., pushy and obnoxious

2.  Low score on Following Rules, Policies & Procedures - i.e., 'anarchist' rebelling against structure

3.  Low score on Reactions to Pressure - i.e., loves to blame and complain

4.  Low score on Pessimism - i.e., down-in-the-dumps and unconfident

5.  High score on Excitable - i.e., cannot sit still, prowling for excitement

6.  Low score on Feeling/Emotion-Focused - i.e., loves dwelling non-stop on negative emotions 1-5

JOB INTERVIEW QUESTION YOU CAN USE

Unfortunately, job interviews typically do not uncover if an applicant has Hyper-Emotional Personality.  Why?  First, research shows most interviewers are lousy at guessing applicant's on-the-job behaviors.  Second, applicants typically act nice and enthusiastic in interviews.  They 'put on a show' to impress easily misled interviewers. 

But, here is a four-part interview question you can ask:  "Tell me two specific big problems you had with your . . . boss . . . co-workers . . . work assignments . . . organization you worked for."

Then, carefully listen.  First, did the applicant tell you two, as requested?  Second, did applicant tell you specific or general problems?  Third, did applicant solely complain (like a Hyper-Emotional person) or did applicant describe specific problems followed by solutions, without you asking for solutions? 

YOU CAN AVOID HIRING APPLICANTS WITH HYPER-EMOTIONAL PERSONALITIES

Six pre-employment personality test scales may warn you if an applicant exhibits Hyper-Emotional Personality.  On the pre-hire test, look for bad scores on Aggressiveness, Rebellion against Rules, Reaction to Pressure, Pessimism, Excitability, and Feeling/Emotion-Focus. 

Of course, use multiple prediction methods to evaluate job applicants.  Just remember pre-employment tests give you the most scientifically-based, accurate, customizable assessments of applicants.  Also, such pre-employment tests quickly can warn you, before you waste your valuable time in job interviews with applicants you probably want to avoid hiring.

COPYRIGHT 2012 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D. www.MercerSystems.com

Michael Mercer, Ph.D., authored the book "Hire the Best & Avoid the Rest(tm)."  Dr. Mercer created all 3 "Forecaster(tm) Tests."  These 3 pre-employment tests are used by many companies use to assess job applicants' personalities, mental abilities, and dependability.  Dr. Mercer also delivers speeches and seminars at companies and conferences.  You can subscribe to his newsletter, and learn about the 3 pre-employment tests at 

www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com.