The use of personality tests for recruitment purposes is nothing new, they are used by 89 of the Fortune 100 companies and almost 2.5 million people complete the Myers-Briggs test every year. It’s not just the business world that’s making the most of this psychological tool either, personality tests are very much in vogue amongst the younger generation and have become a strange product of a new age of ‘pop-psychology’. Although they can act as a stepping stone towards increased self-awareness, they aren’t particularly well-received in the professional realm of social sciences. While some claim them to be a ‘fad’ and ‘gimmick’, others are adamant about their utility for recruitment purposes. But do they have a role in the superyacht industry?

Liam Dobbin, Managing Director at Wilsonhalligan recruitment, believes they are a valuable tool for his line of work. Speaking to SuperyachtNews, Dobbin explains, “We use the 16 personalities test for growth and development purposes more so than for direct recruitment. It can increase self-awareness and show candidates that perhaps they are lacking in certain aspects such as communication or organisation… what I will say is it’s important that people understand what they are being tested for and that the person giving the debrief has at the very least a basic understand of psychology.”

Dobbin revealed that it is not uncommon for yachts to ask for specific personality types, for client-facing roles it can certainly help to have someone with charisma and strong social skills. “Everyone always wants an extroverted deckhand who is going to be really active and have…