Improving the Use of Personality Questionnaires in Selection: How Information and Direct Experience Shape Applicant Acceptance

Personality questionnaires are established predictors of job-relevant outcomes, yet their use in personnel selection remains limited, often due to concerns about applicant acceptance. This study examines whether structured information and direct test experience improve acceptance and whether their effects are complementary. Using an extended Solomon design with seven randomized groups, participants received either a standardized information reader, completed a validated personality inventory, both, or neither; acceptance was measured before and after the interventions. Prior exposure to personality tests did not relate to baseline acceptance. Providing clear, evidence-based information increased acceptance, and the combination of information with direct test experience produced the strongest gains. Test experience on its own did not meaningfully change acceptance. These results suggest that acceptance depends not only on psychometric quality but on how assessments are framed and experienced. Practically, organizations can improve applicant reactions by pairing validated instruments with concise, job-linked explanations provided before administration. Limitations include the use of a student sample, focus on a single instrument, and the absence of measured mediators such as trust or perceived face validity. Future research should extend to applicant populations, multiple test formats, and longitudinal designs to clarify mechanisms and downstream outcomes.