Personality is a factor which is often considered when assessing the work performance of individuals, yet there is no evidence which would prove that it certainly has any influence on it. The term personality refers to certain behavioral patterns characteristic of a person and ones governing their actions in different situations. According to the Big Five theory, there are five personality dimensions, namely, openness to experience, conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness, and the presence of these components varies among individuals.
Essentially, personality is a unique element which every person has and which can be described based on the five dimensions. The relation between personality and work performance is difficult to measure, and, as a result, there are studies which both establish and reject the link between these two phenomena. Conscientiousness is the component which has been found particularly intertwined with work performance since it concerns competence and the ability to be orderly. Extraversion has also been discovered to be positively associated with the successful performance of tasks. Thus, it is possible to assume that certain personal characteristics do play a role in the ability of a person to perform their job in a proper way.
For example, a person who wants to become a police officer will have to possess composure and the capacity to function effectively under extreme pressure. In terms of personality, such an individual should have a low score on neuroticism and therefore not get anxious in stressful situations. Another example is an accountant, a job which requires being attentive and study every detail in order to avoid missing important information. An individual who aspires to become an accountant has to score high in terms of conscientiousness since it is a personality trait responsible for being competent.
