Beyond MBTI: why the Big Five matters
While MBTI still has its place, psychologists tend to rely on another model when scientific validity matters: the Big Five.
Also known as the OCEAN model, the Big Five outlines five core traits:
- Openness - imagination, creativity, curiosity
- Conscientiousness - organisation, discipline, reliability
- Extraversion - sociability, assertiveness, energy
- Agreeableness - compassion, cooperation, trust
- Neuroticism - emotional reactivity, anxiety, stress response
Unlike fixed personality “types,” the Big Five uses scales, capturing the nuance of how people behave and adapt. This framework is widely accepted in modern psychology and supported by decades of research (PositivePsychology).
Why it matters at work
The Big Five is frequently used in organisational psychology and behavioural science. Research shows strong correlations between certain traits and workplace outcomes:
- High Conscientiousness = better job performance across most roles
- High Openness = better problem solving and innovation
- High Agreeableness = stronger team cohesion
- Low Neuroticism = greater emotional resilience
These traits help HR teams and managers build more effective, balanced teams - without relying on guesswork or surface-level impressions (Verywellmind).
Behaviour-based personality reports
Ulla generates Big Five-style reports by analysing real team behaviour - how people speak, contribute, lead, follow, and respond under pressure.
🧠 Not self-assessments.📈 Not transcripts.🔍 Just observable interaction data, drawn from daily collaboration.
Ulla can even produce early-stage reports during pre-screening - providing hiring managers with a window into a candidate’s likely work style before the first interview.
What this looks like in practice
- A candidate with high Conscientiousness consistently shows up prepared and follows through on assigned tasks.
- A colleague with low Extraversion may contribute high-quality insights but only when prompted.
- A team showing elevated Neuroticism might experience frequent conflict or communication breakdowns during stressful projects.
Ulla spots these trends - not by reading minds, but by observing how people interact in meetings.
Why it works
📌 Ulla helps managers go beyond intuition📌 HR teams get a scalable way to personalise hiring and onboarding📌 Teams gain awareness of unspoken dynamics that affect trust, flow, and productivity
It’s not about labelling people. It’s about seeing how personality shows up in collaboration - and acting on that insight.
TL;DRThe Big Five is one of the most respected personality models in modern psychology.Ulla translates your team’s everyday behaviour into dynamic Big Five-style insights - before, during, and after hiring.No tests. No bias. Just people data that actually helps.
______________________
👉 Curious how it works? Try Ulla on your next shortlist or team call. Book a demo or start free at ulla.bot