[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] "Do I have to pretend to have an MBTI that the company would like?" "I hope I’m not rejected because I’m an ISFP?"
The personality type indicator MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), which is popular mainly among the MZ generation, has appeared even in the official recruitment market, sparking controversy.
According to the financial sector on the 18th, Sh Suhyup Bank, which is currently conducting new employee recruitment, has made it mandatory to fill out the MBTI section in the self-introduction part of the application form. Applicants are asked to introduce their MBTI type and strengths and weaknesses, and based on that, to specifically write about the job field they think suits them and the reasons for their judgment.
Regarding Suhyup Bank’s requirement, job seekers in the financial sector expressed confusion. On online communities for sharing financial job information, posts such as "How are those applying to Suhyup Bank handling the MBTI question?" and "Do I have to pretend to have an MBTI that the company would like?" were posted.
One applicant preparing for a job in finance said, "I feel a sense of self-disgust as I wonder if I have to retake the MBTI test imagining the image the company wants." Another applicant pointed out, "Using MBTI, which can be manipulated at will, as part of the recruitment process is inappropriate."
Suhyup Bank stated that the MBTI section is not an absolute factor determining acceptance. A Suhyup Bank official explained, "The purpose is to describe how your strengths and weaknesses relate to the applied job and how you can utilize your core competencies."
There was even a cafe that required a specific MBTI as a qualification for employee applications. According to a recent announcement posted on social networking services (SNS), one cafe said, "We hire based on MBTI," and "We ask many extroverted (E) applicants to apply."
They even said that five MBTI types, including ENTJ, are not allowed to apply at all.
Netizens who saw this responded negatively, saying, "MBTI obsession is too extreme," "How is this different from guessing based on blood type?" and "I was really shocked. There are people like that."
On the other hand, some responded that there is no problem, saying, "Even before MBTI became popular, there were many part-time job ads saying 'We hire cheerful and bright people,'" and "This is just expressing that with MBTI."
Meanwhile, experts expressed concern about the use of MBTI in the recruitment process itself. They said MBTI only reflects personal tendencies and has nothing to do with competence.
Kim Myunghee, CEO of the education consulting company Culture Tree, pointed out, "People should never be defined by MBTI," and "People can change depending on who they are with. Even introverted people can act passionately."
Kim emphasized, "Many American companies use MBTI not in recruitment but in leadership or team workshops," and "It is one of the tools for members of the same organization to get to know each other."
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