Development vs. Selection: Using MBTI Type Appropriately

3-minute read

Written by Psychometrics Canada

When hosting our MBTI^® Certification programs,  it’s not unusual to meet participants who are curious about using the assessment to help with hiring decisions. After all, understanding how someone prefers to communicate, solve problems, and approach work seems like valuable insight for selecting the “right” candidate. 

It’s an easy leap to make – many organizations first experience the MBTI in a development context and are tempted to apply those same insights during the hiring process. But while the MBTI assessment is powerful for personal and professional growth, it’s not appropriate, or ethical, for use in employee selection. 

This is where HR professionals and Certified practitioners often step in as educators. Many organizations – especially those new to psychometric assessments for selection – don’t always understand the differences between developing people and evaluating them. That misunderstanding can lead to some common mistakes, and to the most frequent misuse of personality type. 

Here are three key differences to help guide conversations when questions about using type in hiring arise: 

1. Changing The Focus

Developmental applications are centered on the individual: 

• How do you prefer to communicate? 
• How do you make decisions? 
• How do your preferences support or challenge you in your role? 
• How can you grow? 

These kinds of questions help individuals build self-awareness, strengthen relationships, and develop their leadership or teamwork skills. This is where the MBTI^® assessment really shines. 

In contrast, selection is focused on the job. It’s less about exploring preferences and more about identifying consistent behaviours and traits that align with role requirements.
The questions shift to things like: 

• What are the key tasks and responsibilities of the role? 
• What characteristics are required for someone to succeed in this position? 

In selection, the goal is not self-discovery – it’s person-job fit. 

2. Changing the Assessments

As the focus shifts, so should the tools. 

The MBTI assessment is designed for development – it helps people explore their preferences and identify opportunities for growth. It’s reflective, insightful, and ideal for coaching, leadership development, and team building. 

However, it’s not built for comparing candidates or predicting job performance. 

When it comes to hiring decisions, organizations should use assessments that are scientifically validated for evaluation and selection purposes. These selection-focused assessments measure the traits and behaviours that are statistically linked to success in a specific role. They allow employers to identify key differences between candidates in areas like ambition, resilience, flexibility, and problem-solving. 

Using a development-focused tool like the MBTI® for hiring can lead to misinformed decisions—and introduce legal risk if the assessment isn’t validated for selection. 

3. Changing The Decisions

In development, decisions revolve around growth: 

• What are your strengths? 
• Where are the opportunities for improvement? 
• How can you become more effective? 

These decisions are all about working with what you’ve got and stretching to improve. 

Selection decisions, however, are about fit: 

• Does this candidate’s profile match the job’s requirements? 
• How do they compare to others? 

These are two very different decision-making processes, and they demand different types of data. 

So the Next Time You’re Asked…

When someone asks whether they can use the MBTI in a hiring context, you can clarify the differences using these three points: 

• Different Focus 
• Different Assessments 
• Different Decisions 

If you’re looking for the right tools for your organization’s needs, our assessment experts are happy to help!  

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