A new study has found that getting a second opinion on an employee's personality can lead to better hiring decisions.

The study, which was published in the journal "Personality and Individual Differences," found that people who were rated by their peers on personality traits such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were more likely to be successful in their jobs.

The researchers believe that this is because peers are able to provide a more objective assessment of a person's personality than the person themselves. This is because peers are not as likely to be influenced by the person's social desirability bias, which is the tendency to present oneself in a positive light.

The researchers also found that peer ratings were more predictive of job performance than self-ratings, even when the self-ratings were collected months after the peer ratings.

This suggests that peer ratings provide a more stable assessment of a person's personality over time, and that can make them more useful for hiring decisions.

"Our findings suggest that getting a second opinion on an employee's personality can be a valuable tool for making better hiring decisions," said the study's lead author, Dr. Brian Connelly of the University of Georgia. "Peer ratings can provide a more objective assessment of a person's personality than self-ratings, and they are more predictive of job performance."

Here are some tips for getting useful peer ratings:

- Ask for ratings from multiple peers. This will help you to get a more well-rounded view of the person's personality.

- Be specific about the personality traits you want to assess. This will help the raters to focus on the most relevant information.

- Encourage the raters to be honest. Let them know that your goal is to get an accurate assessment of the person's personality, not just to hear positive things.

By following these tips, you can get useful peer ratings that can help you make better hiring decisions.

In addition to using peer ratings, there are other things you can do to improve your hiring decisions, such as:

- Using structured interviews. Structured interviews use a predetermined list of questions, which helps to ensure that all candidates are asked the same questions. This makes it easier to compare candidates and identify the best person for the job.

- Checking references. References can provide valuable information about a candidate's work history and performance. Be sure to check references from multiple sources, including both former supervisors and peers.

- Making a realistic job offer. A realistic job offer will help to ensure that the candidate is a good fit for the job and that they are happy in the role.

By following these tips, you can increase the likelihood of hiring the best employees for your company.