Conscientiousness Predicts Job Performance Across Occupations
A meta-analysis of 117 studies found that Conscientiousness is the most valid Big Five predictor of job performance across all occupational groups.
Personnel Psychology · 2025
Summary
Barrick and Mount (1991) conducted a landmark meta-analysis examining the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and job performance across five occupational groups: professionals, police, managers, sales, and skilled/semi-skilled workers.
Key Findings
- Conscientiousness showed consistent validity in predicting job performance across all five occupational groups (mean corrected validity = .23)
- Extraversion was a valid predictor specifically for sales and management roles
- Openness to Experience predicted trainability across all groups
- Agreeableness and Neuroticism showed limited predictive validity for performance overall
Why This Matters
This study established Conscientiousness as the "gold standard" non-cognitive predictor of workplace success, a finding that has been replicated across hundreds of subsequent studies. It provides the scientific foundation for Cogniself's Screening and Professional Growth reports.
Methodology
- 117 studies reviewed
- N = 23,994 employees
- Corrected for range restriction and measurement error
- Multi-occupational validity generalization
Primary Source
Barrick, M. R., & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. _Personnel Psychology_, 44(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1991.tb00688.x