How to attract and assess Entrepreneur (ESTP) candidates during the hiring process

ESTP "Entrepreneurs" bring dynamism and strategic flair to your team. But it’s essential to identify their strengths and limitations early on so they don’t end up in unsuitable roles.

Entrepreneurs excel in environments that demand agility and quick decision-making. But highly routine or overly structured roles could dampen their enthusiasm and limit their problem-solving prowess. Assigning an ESTP to a role with monotonous daily tasks or strict procedural work might lead to job dissatisfaction, poor team morale, and higher turnover. 

In this guide, we’ll help you understand Entrepreneurs’ unique characteristics and how they align with various work environments. We also offer strategies for attracting and effectively assessing these proactive individuals using TestGorilla’s library of skills and personality tests.

ESTP Candidates: Key strengths, limitations, and personality traits 

ESTPs, known as "Entrepreneurs" in the 16 Personalities test framework, are distinguished by their dynamic, action-oriented nature and pragmatic problem-solving skills. 

They thrive in environments that require quick thinking and adaptability. But their preference for spontaneity can clash with structured settings that demand long-term planning.

Let's delve into the strengths and challenges of ESTP types to better understand this energetic and strategic personality profile.

Key strengths of ESTP types

• Pragmatic and problem-solving skills: Adept at navigating complex situations with strategic finesse, quickly identifying and implementing effective solutions on the fly.

• Adaptability and flexibility: Excel in fluid environments, effortlessly adjusting to new challenges and shifting dynamics with confidence.

• Interpersonal skills: Charismatic and persuasive, able to communicate and negotiate effectively in various social settings.

• Entrepreneurial spirit: Possess a natural entrepreneurial flair, often taking initiative and embracing risks in pursuit of innovation.

• Hands-on approach: Action-oriented, preferring hands-on tasks and learning through experience rather than theoretical discussion.

Challenges for ESTP types

• Impatience with detailed planning: May find detailed planning and prolonged analytical tasks constraining, preferring a more spontaneous approach.

• Avoidance of routine: Find repetitive tasks draining, as they seek variety and excitement in their work.

• Risk-taking tendencies: Love for excitement can lead to risky decisions, sometimes overlooking potential long-term consequences.

• Sensitivity to constraints: May struggle in environments with strict rules and limitations, feeling stifled by too much structure.

• Blunt communication: Like to get straight to the point, which is usually productive but can occasionally come across as harsh or too direct.

Personality traits of ESTP types

ESTPs are energetic and strategic, often excelling in roles that allow for flexibility, innovation, and direct impact. They approach tasks with a practical mindset, valuing efficiency and results over processes, but they also thrive in a fast-paced environment.

In project management, an ESTP might prioritize action and adaptability, ensuring that projects move forward swiftly and efficiently. They tend to lead projects with a focus on achieving immediate results and leveraging individual strengths.

What ESTP applicants look for in a workplace 

To attract ESTP candidates in the job market, it's crucial to understand their distinct preferences and needs, four of which we outline below.

Opportunity for strategic impact and innovation

ESTPs are attracted to roles that allow them to use their strategic thinking and innovative skills. They want to directly influence outcomes and drive change through their pragmatic and action-oriented approach.

To appeal to ESTP candidates, consider showing how a project was saved by quick decision-making or how a fresh approach led to a significant win for the company. 

During interviews, engage candidates by discussing potential challenges they might face and asking for their input on hypothetical projects. This approach demonstrates the real-world impact of their strategic contributions and creativity in your organization.

Dynamic and entrepreneurial work environments

ESTPs thrive in fast-paced and entrepreneurial settings that offer them autonomy and the chance to tackle new challenges regularly. They prefer workplaces that provide flexibility and the opportunity to wear multiple hats.

When recruiting, showcase how the role answers those needs. For example, you might describe a scenario where quick adaptation to industry changes led to a groundbreaking business strategy.

Or you could share a story about how an innovative solution to a client problem opened up new business avenues. These examples demonstrate the kind of agile and proactive environment that ESTPs find stimulating and rewarding.

Engagement in high-impact, tangible projects

Entrepreneurs value engaging in projects where they can see the immediate impact of their work. Highlighting opportunities for involvement in projects with clear, tangible outcomes can attract ESTPs.

To show how the role satisfies these desires, you could mention a time when a team had to pivot strategy overnight to meet a sudden market demand, resulting in a highly successful product launch. 

Or you could describe a scenario where an employee's immediate response to a client's feedback led to a service improvement that significantly boosted customer satisfaction and retention. 

Opportunities for personal achievement and leadership

This personality type is drawn to roles that offer opportunities for personal achievement and leadership development. They want to know that their efforts lead to recognition and advancement.

In your communications, highlight specific ways your company celebrates individual successes and nurtures leadership potential. For instance, you might share a story about an employee who started in an entry-level position and quickly climbed the ranks to a managerial role because of their creative solutions and leadership in team projects.

This will appeal to the entrepreneurial spirit of ESTP candidates, showing them they can rise far in your organization by using their talents.

How to assess ESTP type candidates

The results from the 16 personalities test will help you identify ESTPs in your candidate pool and understand their approach to work. But while using personality tests in the hiring process offers valuable insights into an ESTP candidate’s behaviors, it's crucial to also gauge their job-related abilities.

This is where TestGorilla comes in. We provide hundreds of pre-employment tests designed to assess critical thinking, strategic decision-making, and role-specific skills, as well as personality.

For example, TestGorilla's Problem Solving test spots candidates who thrive at locating problems and thinking through strategies to solve them. This is useful given that ESTPs are recognized for their strategic problem-solving abilities.

Given their action-oriented nature, you can use our Project Management test to evaluate their ability to lead projects and drive results, and assess their organizational skills and effectiveness in a leadership role.

Our Leadership and People Management test is an additional tool to learn what kind of leader your ESTP candidate would be in your organization. This test measures how well they can guide and inspire others within an organization.

If ESTPs’ tendency for blunt communication is a concern, try our Communication Skills test to see whether your Entrepreneur candidates can communicate professionally and responsibly. 

To finish, while recognizing the 16 personality types at work is beneficial, complementing this with skills assessments offers a more comprehensive evaluation of ESTP candidates. It also helps avoid common hiring biases, like the tendency to prefer certain personality types, by evenly weighing skills and personality traits, helping you ensure you get the right person for the job.

Find the ideal ESTP talent with TestGorilla

ESTPs can inject your team with a dynamic blend of strategic thinking and adaptability, but pinpointing their preferences and strengths is key during recruitment.

Without the right evaluation, they might end up in roles that are too repetitive or constraining, which can stifle their creativity and problem-solving skills, leading to dissatisfaction and a drop in performance. Without an evaluation, you might also not know how to support ESTPs in the workplace.

TestGorilla’s combination of personality and skills tests offers a thorough understanding of each ESTP candidate. Using these, you can match their proactive and adaptable qualities with suitable positions, ensuring your hiring choices are fruitful for all involved.

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