Toward Theory-Based Volitional Personality Development Interventions at Work

Abstract

In this article, we respond to four commentaries (Li et al., 2024; Hennecke & Ingold, 2025; Perossa & Connelly, 2024; Ones et al., 2024) on our article “Personality development goals at work: A new frontier in personality assessment in organizations.” We start by addressing four overarching considerations from the commentaries, including (a) how to approach PDG assessment, (b) the feasibility of personality development interventions, (c) potential trade-offs involved, and (d) the value of personality development beyond established HR practices. Next, in an attempt to integrate these considerations and stimulate future research in this area, we outline three critical elements of what we believe can be the foundation of theory-based personality development interventions at work. For this purpose, we first posit that personality development at work can be rethought such that the focus shifts from “changing an employee's trait levels” to “expanding that employee's comfort zone across a range of personality states.” Second, to have sustained effects, interventions need to accomplish more than simply “learning new behaviors,” by effectively targeting all layers of personality—behavioral, cognitive, and emotional. Finally, we introduce optimal functioning, encompassing both performance and well-being aspects, as the ultimate criterion for evaluating the success of personality development interventions. We hope these reactions and integrative ideas will inspire future research on personality development goals assessment and personality development interventions in the work context.