Predicting Athletic Performance with Personality Assessment

Can personality predict the success of professional athletes? Whether helping NBA teams predict rookie-year performance or NFL teams perfect their draft, personality assessment meets the talent management needs of professional sports organizations.

Nadine Maliakkal, PhD, talent analytics consultant at Hogan, has been at the forefront of Hogan’s research in athletic performance prediction. Apart from working at Hogan, she is a competitive synchronized figure skater. “For me, synchronized skating fostered such a deep appreciation for team sports and equipping the sports industry with personality insights,” she said.

Using personality assessment in sports is relatively new, but personality has already shown itself to be a prime differentiator in athletic talent strategy.

Why Do Sports Organizations Use Personality Assessment?

Sports organizations have recently undergone a seismic shift, Nadine explained. From the professionalization of collegiate athletes to the record-high valuations of global sports franchises, sports organizations increasingly resemble businesses. In fact, sports organizations and corporations already have a lot of similarities. Both are focused on performance goals, leadership effectiveness, and team dynamics.

Evaluating talent is critical to avoid the financial cost of poor performance and to predict the outcomes for the team. “Athletes know assessment is important,” Nadine said. “They want to know who is going to be successful.” Personality assessment helps sports organizations better understand and predict talent beyond what physical performance can show. The demand for accurate prediction applies to selection for professional athletes as well as coaches.

Hogan partners with US-based football teams, basketball teams, and other professional sports organizations. Here are some of the trends we’ve seen in what makes a professional athlete successful.

How Does Socioanalytic Theory Apply to Professional Athletes?

The Hogan assessments are based on socioanalytic theory. Very briefly, socioanalytic theory holds that people always live in groups with hierarchy and are driven by the motivation to seek social acceptance, status, and meaning.¹ Individuals differ in the degree to which they pursue these motives and in their ability to achieve them. “In the context of sports, socioanalytic theory comes to life,” Nadine said.

One main way that people can meet these three core needs is through interpersonal interactions with the people in their group. Professional athletes are surrounded by people: teammates, coaches, agents, trainers, psychologists, nutritionists, technical specialists, and more. The groups also have a status hierarchy: coaches, managers, owners, officials, referees, leagues, and associations. The sports industry has a culture of meaningful achievement and lasting impact, such as breaking historical records or leaving legacies.

Now, professional athletes have a much higher need for status compared to the everyday individual. Every aspect of their athletic performance is evaluated on an extremely high standard. Thus, they also have a greater ability to acquire status, hence becoming the most elite players in their game. They do, however, share some common characteristics that help them stand out.

Competencies for Professional Athletes

Coaches and sports organizations consistently look for talent with a few essential competencies: discipline, drive, and coachability.

• Discipline - Elite athletes are prepared to work, follow schedules and protocols, and show up for their teams.
• Drive - Professional athletes are intrinsically motivated to excel. They show confidence and are willing to persevere through challenges to succeed.
• Coachability - The best players respond to coaching, listen to others, and take accountability for their performance.

“Hogan personality insights work everywhere, but they also work specifically within the world of sports,” Nadine said.

* Article provided by courtesy of Hogan Assessment