Hiring someone who fits both the job and the culture—it feels like magic when it works. But when it doesn’t? You feel it fast. That’s where the Big Five Personality Traits—aka OCEAN—can help. Not by giving you black-and-white answers, but by shining light on how people work, interact, and adapt.
What Makes Up OCEAN?
You’re probably familiar with the five traits, but let’s swap descriptions for real-world vibes:
| Trait | What It Shows | On the Job That Looks Like |
| Openness | Curiosity, creativity, flexibility | Brainstorm star. Finds new angles. |
| Conscientiousness | Organization, follow-through, reliability | The planner. Deadlines happen because of them. |
| Extraversion | Energy, sociability, assertiveness | The connector. Meetings spark when they show up. |
| Agreeableness | Empathy, cooperation, thoughtfulness | Team glue. Diffuses conflict with a calm word. |
| Neuroticism | Stress, emotional reactivity | Anxiety spike? That’s a sign. Low scores = cool head. |
No one trait is “best.” High Openness may drive innovation, but too much in a rigid environment? It can backfire. Same with low Agreeableness—it’s fine if your role values debate, not so much in customer support.
Curious how these work with hiring? Our guide on Big Five Personality Test for Hiring breaks it down.
Why Big Five Matters in Recruitment
There’s something grounding about numbers and scales, instead of gut feelings alone. In hiring:
- You cut through resume polish.
- You gain insight into workplace behaviour before day one.
- You spot potential early—like how someone handles stress or teamwork breakdowns.
Here’s a scenario. Say your customer service tripled overnight. You need hires who can stay steady under noise. Through OCEAN, you find candidates with high Conscientiousness, strong Agreeableness, and low Neuroticism. It’s not a silver bullet—it doesn’t predict skill—but it helps you match people to roles that demand emotional resilience.
Reality Check: Traits Aren’t Profiles
A trap I see often—people treat personality as a strict profile. That’s wrong. Traits are on a dial, not a label.
So if someone scores moderately on Neuroticism, that doesn’t mean they’ll fall apart in stress. It means maybe they feel it more than others. And that’s a cue for tailored onboarding or support—not a hiring red flag.
Practical Use: Pair With Other Tools
Personality by itself isn’t enough. That’s where thoughtful combinations shine:
- Combined with situational judgment tests, OCEAN fills in “how they feel about stress”.
- Paired with skills tests, it shows you both can do the job and will shine in your environment.
We’ve seen teams pairing the OCEAN assessment with performance simulation tools—like detail checks or scenario questions—see a clearer picture in candidate profiles.
How to Roll It Out Smartly
No need to overhaul your process overnight. Try this:
- Pick a role with people skills or autonomy—say, a project manager.
- Administer Big Five assessments early, before interviews.
- Compare scores against past top performers.
- Track performance post-hire.
- Refine expectations—maybe high Conscientiousness matters more than you thought.
If you’d rather explore standardized options first, take a look at Top Big Five Personality Tests. Or download a printable version from our PDF guide and test it in workshops or local hiring teams.
How to Talk to Candidates About It
Bring it into conversation casually:
- “We’re curious about how you like to tackle new problems—that creativity side of things.”
- “We use personality insights to help us shape our training. No right or wrong answers.”
This honesty ensures candidates don’t feel judged and you get more genuine responses.
OCEAN vs Other Models
There are plenty of personality “types” out there. OCEAN stands out because it’s backed by data and decades of research. It doesn’t compartmentalize people into categories. It tracks real nuance.
If you’ve used Myers-Briggs or DISC, you’ll feel a bit more grounded with OCEAN—it’s less pop culture, more evidence-based. See more comparisons in our pillar guide: What Is Big Five (OCEAN) Personality Test.
One Final Story
Last month, a Dhaka startup asked us for help. Their hiring boomed. But turnover hit 40% in six months. Most left said they “felt emotionally burnt.” They were hiring based on skill, not stress-handling.
We added OCEAN. They saw patterns—higher Neuroticism was clustering in teams without stress support. They adjusted onboarding, added mentoring, and turnover dipped to 18% within two months. Not perfect—but a solid start.