We are living and working in a world that seems to be moving faster and faster. Because of the new nature of work and the importance of being adaptive and responsive, team strength is no longer just about skills and experience. It's about how people think, communicate, and collaborate—skills that are heavily influenced by personality and temperament. When HR professionals and team leaders learn to recognize and embrace these personality differences, they unlock a competitive advantage that builds cohesion, boosts engagement, and enhances team performance. Understanding personality is the foundation to building strong, resilient teams. So where should you start?
Great teams aren’t made up of people who think the same way—they’re made up of people who think differently and respect those differences. Personality diversity brings a balance of perspectives, approaches, and strengths that help teams adapt, innovate, and problem-solve more effectively.
In fact, research published in the Harvard Business Review found that teams with higher cognitive diversity—differences in perspective, processing, and thinking style—solve problems faster than less diverse teams. One study showed that such teams outperform others by up to 30% in problem-solving speed. While cognitive diversity encompasses more than just personality, understanding individual personality styles is one of the most actionable ways to foster it.
Unfortunately, many teams still fall into the trap of hiring “culture fit” over “culture add.” That can lead to homogeneous teams that communicate well initially but lack the healthy tension needed for innovation. Without an intentional focus on personality diversity, teams risk groupthink, conflict avoidance, or siloed working styles that slow progress.
On the other hand, when HR teams proactively account for personality during hiring, onboarding, and team development, they can build high-functioning groups that are better at handling complexity and change.
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At McQuaig, we believe that personality isn’t about putting people in boxes—it’s about giving them a common language to understand themselves and each other better. Our behavioral assessments help teams go beyond surface-level interactions by tapping into deeper drivers of behavior, communication, and motivation.
Here are key ways personality insights can be used to strengthen teams:
Clarify working styles: Using a common personality framework makes it easier to understand how individuals prefer to work. Are they detail-oriented or big-picture thinkers? Do they need quiet time to recharge, or do they thrive in high-energy settings? Knowing this helps reduce friction and increase empathy within teams.
Strengthen collaboration: When teams understand how their members process information, handle stress, or make decisions, they can adjust their collaboration styles accordingly. This increases alignment and minimizes misunderstandings that often lead to conflict.
Support role clarity: Personality data helps align people to roles where they’ll naturally thrive. For example, someone who scores high on sociability might excel in stakeholder-facing roles, while someone with strong analytical tendencies may be more comfortable in research or planning.
Enhance leadership coaching: People managers can adapt their approach based on their team’s personality make-up. They can learn how to motivate, coach, and resolve issues in a way that resonates with each individual’s behavioral preferences.
McQuaig’s tools are designed to make these conversations accessible, insightful, and practical—so HR can stop guessing and start developing teams with intent.
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While assessment data offers a great starting point, building strong teams takes ongoing effort. Here are five practical strategies to create a team culture that respects and leverages personality differences:
Team development starts with self-awareness. When individuals understand their own personality traits, they’re better able to regulate their behavior, communicate clearly, and respond constructively to others. Make this part of your team onboarding or regular development conversations to create a shared culture of understanding.
Instead of expecting everyone to think or act the same, acknowledge and celebrate the different strengths each person brings. For example, analytical thinkers might slow down big decisions in a good way, while spontaneous thinkers help push past analysis paralysis.
Use team-building sessions or retrospectives to highlight how these complementary traits support collective goals. This helps build psychological safety on the team and supports ongoing innovation and exploration.
One of the most valuable outcomes of personality data is giving teams a shared language to discuss how they work best. Encourage conversations like:
“Here’s how I prefer to receive feedback…”
“When I’m under stress, I tend to…”
“My ideal workday looks like…”
These conversations build trust and reduce misinterpretations.
Whenever possible, assign tasks and responsibilities that align with a team member’s natural behavioral tendencies. While development and stretch goals are important, leaning into people’s strengths first ensures higher engagement and performance. People like to feel like their doing well and leveraging their strengths will set them up for success early.
Building strong teams isn’t a one-and-done event. As team dynamics evolve, it’s essential to provide ongoing coaching, tools, and resources that support growth and adaptability. And here's where McQuaig can be useful. McQuaig’s tools like TeamSync help visualize how team members align—and where friction may arise—while McQuaig Maven delivers personalized coaching strategies to help managers lead more effectively. Together, they make it easier to revisit goals, navigate change, and keep teams working in sync.
As the workplace evolves, so do the expectations placed on teams. Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or in-person, understanding the behavioral makeup of your people is essential to navigating ambiguity, managing change, and keeping engagement high.
By recognizing and embracing personality differences, HR leaders can build teams that aren’t just effective—they’re resilient, innovative, and deeply connected.
And that’s the kind of team that drives business forward.