Creative Commons

Engaged employees are the core asset of any organization and the most distinct competitive advantage. This study aims enhancing insights into the relation between personality traits and employee engagement. In particular, with the assistance of a paper-based survey, data were collected from 76 subordinate technical personnel working in automotive and heavy machinery sectors. The independent variables were the five core personality traits - Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism – which were measured by selecting a Five Factor Model specifically developed for the workplace. The dependent variable was employee engagement and its three sub-dimensions –Vigor, Dedication, Adsorption - using W. Schaufeli validated inventory. Descriptive and inferential analyses indicated Conscientiousness as the most significant predictor of employee engagement. Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis showed Extraversion and Openness to be positively correlated with engagement. On the contrary, Agreeableness was negatively correlated with engagement. The main contribution of this study is to provide managers and recruiters within the field of this sector the tendency of which personality traits are most likely to predispose technicians to engage at work. However, survey’s moderate number of participants registered a tendency and set the foundations for future studies that should further test and analysis larger group of data for better understanding the impact of personality on employee engagement.