Personality Assessment of Global Talent: Conceptual and Methodological Issues

The recruitment of managers who will operate in a culturally heterogeneous context (as expatriate managers, managers in a global company, or managers of a multicultural workforce) is increasingly important in an age of globalization. This article describes conceptual and methodological issues in the assessment of such managers, notably in the domain of personality. It is argued that this assessment can build on the well-supported cross-cultural equivalence of various personality measures. Methodological issues, such as the applicability of test norms, are particularly important in culturally heterogeneous applicant groups. Ways to deal with this heterogeneity are suggested. The predictive validity of personality measures can often be increased by measuring constructs that come from the intercultural communication and acculturation literature, such as cultural empathy, cultural distance, and intercultural competency.