Dear Ready to Hire:
In assessing potential applications of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument, it’s helpful to think of it as an owner’s manual, rather than a buyer’s guide. You don’t use the MBTI to predict performance — you use it to get the best performance. It doesn’t hold any type as better than another; that’s not the point. Just like you don’t use the owner’s manual to select a product but rather to make best use of one that you already own, the MBTI helps to make people into better versions of themselves. This value-neutral approach makes it a very valuable tool for unlocking human potential, and may be the secret to its enduring popularity.
As a psychometrically validated tool built on decades of research, it is continually updated and conforms to all requirements for educational and psychological tests. However, while its value is well established in settings such as conflict management, leadership development and team building, the MBTI isn’t designed for selection, and using it as a hiring tool can mean overlooking otherwise excellent candidates.
CPP, the tool’s publisher, has always been against using it for any kind of selection, as it would generate invalid results in such a context. While instruments such as the California Psychological Inventor are designed to predict performance, the purpose of the MBTI has always been to develop people.
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