Understanding Thinker Personalities at Work


thinker personality traits

Secondary Personality Type: Thinker

The four main personality types (A, B, C, and D) used by Hire Success® only begin to tell the story about someone’s character. Secondary personality types — along with the sliding scale of 20 character trait descriptions — give you much more insight into how a person thinks, acts, and prefers to work. Having this kind of information is invaluable when you need to find just the right person for the job. Below, we’ll dig deeper into the Thinker personality type.

How to identify a Thinker personality type

Thinkers use facts, reason, logic, and research to solve problems and get things done. They have no trouble sharing their opinions and are likely to speak up about them. It takes hard data — and a rational, well-thought-out argument — to get them to change their minds.

You may very well have encountered job applicants with these qualities. Read the detailed list of Thinker personality traits below to see if any more ring a bell.

Thinker Personality Traits

  • Unusual ability to get along well with others
  • Detail oriented
  • Usually correct
  • First to express opinion
  • Thoroughly researches the facts
  • Hard to understand and relate to at times
  • Nature is complex and abstract
  • Sets own high standards
  • Seeks and respects quality and fine things
  • Concerned about how things appear to others
  • Good at controlling emotions
  • Annoyed with irrational or illogical people
  • Worries under stress
  • Discerns consequences
  • Able to avert disastrous situations

What are the best Thinker career options?

Thinker personality types are often found in leadership roles because of their high standards, as well as their ability to see both the important details and possible big-picture outcomes in different scenarios. Coworkers who are overly emotional or make irrational choices drive Thinkers crazy. In fact, they’re so good at controlling their own emotions that they can appear unfeeling, unsympathetic, or hard to relate to at times. Still, they may be able to smooth things over with their overall ability to get along well with people and their concern for how things appear to others.

With their ability to think strategically, do their homework, and set high standards for themselves and others, the best Thinker career options often include roles as entrepreneurs, business executives, professors, scientists, military commanders, lawyers, and judges.

Learn about other secondary personality types