Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Personality Tests: Why They're Harmful and Unreliable
The global psychometric testing industry is worth more than USD 6 billion annually — and most of it is built on tools that do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. In this video I break down what the peer-reviewed research actually says about the most popular personality frameworks used in workplaces today, including MBTI, DISC, the Enneagram, StrengthsFinder, and the Big Five.
I am a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult, a published researcher on employment law and workplace systems, and a senior safety and risk professional. I wrote Leading Beyond Labels: Rethinking Personality, Performance, and Inclusion at Work because I sat in a profiling workshop and realised halfway through that I was gaming the test. Years of masking had taught me exactly how to sound balanced, sociable, and just the right amount of confident. That moment became the seed of a full research-led argument about what these tools are actually measuring when neurodivergent people are in the room.
Multiple studies show that commonly used personality tests including MBTI and DISC have poor test-retest reliability and limited predictive validity for job performance. For neurodivergent people specifically, the research shows that self-report instruments are less reliable due to differences in self-perception and the impact of masking on how questions are answered. The test stops measuring personality and starts measuring how well someone can perform neurotypicality.
In this video I cover what the research says about the most popular frameworks, how neurodivergent people are specifically disadvantaged by personality profiling, what inclusive recruitment looks like without these tools, and what you can do if your organisation relies on psychometric testing.
Personality Tests: Why They're Harmful and Unreliable
The global psychometric testing industry is worth more than USD 6 billion annually — and most of it is built on tools that do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. In this video I break down what the peer-reviewed research actually says about the most popular personality frameworks used in workplaces today, including MBTI, DISC, the Enneagram, StrengthsFinder, and the Big Five.
I am a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult, a published researcher on employment law and workplace systems, and a senior safety and risk professional. I wrote Leading Beyond Labels: Rethinking Personality, Performance, and Inclusion at Work because I sat in a profiling workshop and realised halfway through that I was gaming the test. Years of masking had taught me exactly how to sound balanced, sociable, and just the right amount of confident. That moment became the seed of a full research-led argument about what these tools are actually measuring when neurodivergent people are in the room.
Multiple studies show that commonly used personality tests including MBTI and DISC have poor test-retest reliability and limited predictive validity for job performance. For neurodivergent people specifically, the research shows that self-report instruments are less reliable due to differences in self-perception and the impact of masking on how questions are answered. The test stops measuring personality and starts measuring how well someone can perform neurotypicality.
In this video I cover what the research says about the most popular frameworks, how neurodivergent people are specifically disadvantaged by personality profiling, what inclusive recruitment looks like without these tools, and what you can do if your organisation relies on psychometric testing.
