workplace, dark triade of personality, personality test, narcissism, machiavellianism, subclinical psychopathy 

In a complex workplace, assessing the dark triad of personality (narcissism, Machiavellianism and subclinical psychopathy) is increasingly critical.

From a practitioner perspective, it is vital to be able to pinpoint not only an employee's 'bright side' but also the potential derailers that can impact performance and lead to serious financial and personal implications for employees and the organisation. Rather than assessing these derailers over a wide range, the TOP focuses in on the three that make the biggest difference to individual performance and organisational impact.

The TOP focuses unflinchingly and unapologetically on the 'dark side' via the dark triad of work behaviours. Dark traits are shown in research to be very effective predictors of job performance - and industry professionals can't afford to shy away from using the most effective, valid and valuable tools at their disposal. 

The TOP measures work-related components of the dark triad of personality (which is composed of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and subclinical psychopathy). It is important to acknowledge that TOP does not measure the whole of the dark triad traits, but only the parts that are relevant to work. This makes the TOP usable and relevant to use in organisations, and in particular in the selection process.

Because the TOP measures only the work-related aspects of the original dark triad, it is appropriate to refer to them as the following:

Self-centred work approach

Claim to leadership
Belief in persuasive power
Need for authority
Appetite for risk
Sense of superiority

Enforcement-focused work attitude

Unsentimentality
Assertiveness
Scepticism

Uncommitted-impulsive style

Flexibility
Impulsivity
Extenuation