Study Finds People With This Specific Personality Trait Earn More Money

Whenever we think about getting promotions or raises at work that can lead to higher pay, we tend to emphasize working harder, making sure we go above and beyond our expectations on the workplace and demonstrate how dedicated we are to the success of a business.

However, while our productivity levels can lead to professional growth, our personality can also play a larger role.

A study found that people with a specific personality trait earn more money.

A study conducted by economists at the University of Cambridge has shared its findings for anyone looking to maximize their bank account. When scientists seek to measure a person’s personality, they turn to the Big 5. This system of personality description places people on five sliding scales that measure key traits:

Extroversion: Do others undermine or energize you?
Consciousness: Are you doing what you say you will do?
Agreeableness: How much do you try to please others?
Neuroticism: are you emotionally stable?
Openness: How much do you like or avoid new things?

Researchers analyzed how personality and income were related using the big five personality groups.

Other studies have shown that our Big 5 personalities can impact certain aspects of life, including romantic relationships and career paths. For this study, a team of economists wanted to see if the Big 5 also affected a person’s income.

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According to an article published on The Conversation by Weilong Zhang, who participated in the research, ranking high in agreeableness appears to reduce the amount people earn.

On the other hand, conscientiousness increases the chances that a person can go home with a big salary.

“We found that conscientiousness and emotional stability are power players in the labor market. These characteristics positively influence wages and help reduce time spent unemployed for both men and women,” Zhang wrote.

“Conscientious people are often seen as reliable and hardworking, while emotional stability allows people to manage stress effectively, two aspects that employers highly value.”

An extremely agreeable person tends to be “conflict avoidant,” which can impact their ability to earn a significant salary.

Zhang explained that women tend to score higher on characteristics such as agreeableness, which, combined with the gender wage gap, could be a trait that leads to lower salaries due to bargaining power necessary to obtain higher wages.

Likewise, emotional stability, a trait that predicts resilience and composure, is also linked to higher income. However, research shows that women report higher levels of neuroticism (actually, the opposite of emotional stability) than men.

“Highly agreeable people tend to avoid conflict, which can make them less assertive in negotiations. This trait disproportionately affects women, who on average score higher on agreeableness,” Zhang explained.

“Women, who tend to display higher levels of agreeableness, face a double penalty in the job market. Not only are they seen as less assertive negotiators, but the economic value of their agreeableness is often lower to that of men.”

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Zhang provided some resources that businesses can use to bridge the gap and help alleviate these disparities. Some of these tips included redefining workplace norms and how some companies reward traits like agreeableness and emotional stability, by providing negotiation training, particularly for women, where they can develop stronger negotiation skills. These may take the form of role-playing exercises and/or workshops to help workers learn how to properly defend themselves.

Finally, Zhang encouraged employers to be mindful of how they address structural bias in the workplace. They need to be aware of how their implicit biases shape the type of people they hire, promote, and pay.

Understanding which groups of people tend to face more challenges in the workplace can help shift the narrative to provide resources that can help people, especially women, navigate the job market without having to feeling like their voice is being ignored.

Nia Tipton is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics focused on psychology, relationships and the human experience.