what personality differences do you suspect would be found between
people who quit and those who choose to remain on their job??

Although there are probably exceptions, I believe it would be logical
to assume that those personality traits that lead to success on the
job are very similar to those that would lead to better job retention.

Here is what one writer for Employment Review lists at the 10
personality traits for reaching success:

1. Having a sense of purpose
2. Being inquisitive.
3. Being determined
4. Being brave
5. Being a team player
6. Having the ability to get things done quickly
7. Being a problem solver
8. Being likable
9. Being willing to be part of a community (using "we" instead of "I")
10. Not blaming others for one's mistakes

Source:
10 Best Personality Traits for Reaching Success
http://www.bestjobsusa.com/employmentReview/er_0399/0399003.asp

Here's another list from an article in Psychology at Work.
Interestingly, the article points out that personality is as important
as intelligence in predicting success:

1. Creativity
2. Leadership ability
3. Integrity
4. Attendance
5. Ability to cooperate
6. Conscientiousness
7. Social skills

There also are other traits discussed in this article.

Source:
Which Traits Predict Job Performance?
http://helping.apa.org/work/personal.html

There's also a list of five factors that are often stated as being
correlated with job success.

The Big Five Personality Factors
1. Emotional stability
2. Extraversion
3. Openness
4. Agreeableness
5. Conscientiousness

Source:
Universal Predictors of Employee Success
http://www.hrzone.com/articles/five_personality.html

Those traits were also referred to in the following two resources:

Personality May Be Key to Job Success
http://www.ur.ku.edu/News/97N/AprNews/Apr28/perstyle.html

Work, Performance and Personality
http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/staff/cl/c81hpe/handout6.pdf

It's important to note that the traits listed above are quite general,
and there are many jobs that require specific traits.  Even some of
the "universal" traits may not lead to success in some occupations. 
In fact, quite an industry has developed in helping employers find
employees with the desired personality traits.  You can find
information about this using the following Google search:

Search terms: employment success personality
://www.google.com/search?q=employment+success+personality

One trait I might add to those given above in terms of job retention
(as opposed to mere success on the job) is loyalty.  It would seem
that a highly loyal employee would be more likely to stay with a
company for a longer period of time than one who has a less strong
sense of the importance of belonging.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,

mvguy



Google search term used: "personality traits" job success
://www.google.com/search?num=25&hl=es&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&q=%22personality+traits%22+job+success

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Request for Answer Clarification by colin1981-ga on 26 Nov 2002 19:41 PST

can u give me a bit more information on what personality is the people
who quit the job?? thanks for your help

---

Clarification of Answer by mvguy-ga on 26 Nov 2002 22:12 PST

The corollary to the above is that people who quit would tend to have
less of a sense of purpose, are poor at problem solving, don't get
along well with others, aren't likable, aren't conscientious, are
disagreeable, and so on.  Browsing through sites that came up on
Google searches related to this topic also indicate that a common
factor among people who quit is personality conflicts with supervisors
or other workers, thus pointing to "not getting along with others" as
a major factor.

Here are some other references to personality and people who quit
their
employment:

ISTP Personal Growth
"ISTPs [those who score on the Myers-Briggs personality test as
introverted, sensing, thinking and perceiving] often resist and rebel
situations that are entirely new, or that require a great deal of
structured planning and thinking. This way of thinking is foreign to
the ISTP, and therefore uncomfortable. When someone tries to pu'walk
away' from that person without looking back. Their resistance to
structure may cause them to quit school early, quit jobs that they
find stifling, or quit relationships that have too many expectations."
http://www.personalitypage.com/ISTP_per.html

Tips on Work Habits
Common reasons people are dismissed include "unable to get along with
others ... is dishonest ... will not follow orders."
http://www.iupui.edu/~career1/workhabits.htm	

What's Your Quality Quotient
"Studies show that many people who quit jobs cite no recognition
and/or poor communication from managers or coworkers as problems."
[The implication is that whose who have a strong need for recognition
and/or clarity of communications would be more likely to quit.]
http://www.ivysea.com/pages/ct0499_1.html

Antisocial Personality Disorder
"Individuals with antisocial personality disorder find it easy to lie
if it serves their purpose. Physical aggression is common. Trouble at
work is the result of not arriving on time, missing too many days, not
doing their work or not following the rules.
"There is a general failure to follow society's rules either by
engaging in illegal activities or not honoring obligations. They quit
jobs without other work in sight..."
http://www.lifespan.org/Services/MentalHealth/Articles/Personality/antisocial.htm

An Innovative Approach for Cost-effective Turnover Reduction
"The assessment of employees’ sources of job-related discomfort and
frustration has proven to be a powerful predictor of turnover
(Bernardin, 1987). Survey results consistently indicate that workers'
negative emotional reactions to job situations do predict voluntary
turnover. Employees in any job have conscious and unconscious
emotional reactions to work. If these reactions are generally
positive, an employee is less likely to quit. On the other hand, if
these reactions are generally negative, an employee is more likely to
quit."
http://www.iplabs.com/hr/reducing-turnover.htm

I hope this more fully answers your question.

Best wishes,

mvguy

very good answer, and a lot of information,