The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week

Written by Gorillas

21st February 2025

The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week

When a new hire doesn’t succeed in a role, is it a matter of a lack of expertise or something else? And if that it’s the latter — a somewhat vague “something else” — how can hiring managers and talent professionals avoid it when filling their next open req? According to a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, some companies are turning to psychologists, astrologists, and even graphologists (also known as handwriting analysts).

“Managers consistently [say] that when hires don’t work out,” writes the WSJ, “it’s usually because they turn out to be incompatible, not incapable. Impressions of someone can be off-base or biased — even more so when a lot of interviews are held on Zoom — so businesses are hungry for something better than gut instincts.”

In order to sate this appetite, some companies are adding personality tests — often with the help of psychologists — to the application process. Job seekers shared with the WSJ that they’re increasingly encountering questions from these types of assessments, including the well-known Myers-Briggs Type Indication. “I’ve gotten some really weird questions,” one job seeker says.

This likely doesn’t come as a surprise to veteran recruiters who have seen the popularity of personality tests in the hiring process rise and fall over the years, but what about assessments involving astrology, numerology, and even handwriting analysis?

“The use of astrology in hiring and team building is far from mainstream,” a business astrologer told the WSJ, “but more common than many job seekers realize. Bosses who consult with her come up with alternative explanations for their decisions, instead of telling people they missed out because they’re Libras or Scorpios.”

To learn more about this new wave of personality tests infiltrating the hiring process — including what it may mean if your signature is markedly different from your regular penmanship — be sure to check out the top spot in our list of must-read articles for talent professionals. And further down our list, you can also find out how the best organizations scale their recruiting efforts; why trust will be a bedrock of successful recruiting; and why we shouldn’t dismiss feelings of heartbreak when something goes wrong in our careers.