The Truth About Managing People, Third Edition

Truth 4. When in Doubt, Hire Conscientious People!

We know that people don’t have common personalities. Some are quiet and passive; others are loud and aggressive. Some are relaxed; others are tense.

An extensive amount of research has identified five basic dimensions that explain the significant variation in human personality. These five factors are

• Extraversion—Are you an extravert (outgoing, sociable) or an introvert (reserved, timid)?

• Agreeableness—Are you highly agreeable (cooperative, trusting) or low (disagreeable, antagonistic)?

• Conscientiousness—Are you highly conscientious (responsible, organized) or low (unreliable, disorganized)?

• Emotional stability—Are you stable (calm, self-confident) or unstable (anxious, insecure)?

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