Recruiting for success--the potential for using occupational personality questionnaires for the assessment of doctors.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the Saville and Holdsworth Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) to assess its potential and validity as a tool in the recruitment of doctors. To determine the range of personality characteristics in a group of general practitioners. DESIGN: an administered commercially available questionnaire. SETTING: general practitioners in North and Mid. Stafftordshire. SUBJECTS: 133 general practitioners or trainees. RESULTS: 44% of general practitioners agreed to participate. The majority found it useful and recognised its potential to increase self-awareness, highlight weaknesses that might be improved and for future recruitment of others to their teams. Doctors' personality traits were similar to those of managerial/professional norms. The validity of the OPQ was supported by (a) significant associations with subjects' previously reported mental health problems and (b) 83% of respondents confirming that their reports correctly described their personalities at work. CONCLUSIONS: OPQs have a place in the recruitment of doctors by identifying appropriate people to strengthen the team.