Putting together a dynamic and diverse workforce is one of the key aims of every business. Many bosses will strive to finding that perfect combination of complementary skill sets that allows the company to take on a wide array of challenges, safe in the knowledge that you have the knowhow and attitude to deliver.

However, is the key to a successful workforce not just about assembling a team with complementary skill sets, but also, and possibly more importantly, complementary personality types?

For many, what is meant by different personality types is just the simple dichotomy of ‘Introvert’ and ‘Extrovert’. But studies have shown that is far from the case. In the 1940s, Katherine Cook-Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers devised their own Personality Type Indicator, based largely on the works of Karl Jung. The ‘Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator’ showed that all in all, there were 16 distinct personality types that a person could be, ranging from the introspective and methodical to the cautious realist to the outgoing daydreamer.

Here at SQN, we have become well versed in the study of personality types, ever since sitting down to take Myers-Briggs tests ourselves during one lunch break. In our office alone, we were amazed to see the range of different personality types that made up our team.

By breaking down ideas of simple introversion and extroversion, businesses can understand that there are many more subtle nuances to what constitutes a person’s personality. In developing a better understanding of this, perhaps managers can not only ensure that they put together a more harmonious balance of personalities in their teams, but also better understand how to get the very best out of each individual worker.

PS A quick Google search will no doubt spring up countless personality tests, but the site we used was this one: https://www.16personalities.com/