The OCEAN Model Explained: Complete Guide for HR

The OCEAN model is based on the Big Five, the most scientifically validated personality framework in the history of psychology. With more than 15,000 published studies in the last three decades, it’s the foundation upon which we build Talen.to’s assessments.

At Talen.to, we’ve extended the standard Big Five model to include an additional dimension that captures critical aspects of work behavior: Relational Engagement (ER). This gives us a 6-dimension model that better predicts success in organizational contexts.

But what does each dimension really mean? And how can you use them to make better hiring decisions?

What is the OCEAN Model?

OCEAN is an acronym representing the fundamental dimensions of human personality. At Talen.to, we assess 6 dimensions:

• Openness (Openness to experience)
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• EE (Emotional Stability - inverse of Neuroticism)
• ER (Relational Engagement - additional dimension)

The first 5 dimensions are based on the scientifically validated Big Five model. The ER (Relational Engagement) dimension is an extension that measures the ability to build and maintain effective professional relationships, a critical predictor of success in modern collaborative environments.

Unlike popular tests like the MBTI (which lacks scientific validation), the OCEAN model has real predictive power. This means scores on these dimensions correlate significantly with job outcomes like performance, retention, and satisfaction.

The 6 Dimensions Explained

1. Openness (Openness to Experience)

What it measures: Intellectual curiosity, creativity, preference for novelty, and openness to new ideas.

High scores (75-100) indicate people who:

• Enjoy learning new things constantly
• Seek diverse and unconventional experiences
• Think abstractly and conceptually
• Adapt well to changes and ambiguity
• Tend to question the status quo

Low scores (0-40) indicate people who:

• Prefer established and predictable routines
• Are practical and concrete-oriented
• Value tradition and proven methods
• May resist unnecessary changes
• Excellent at maintaining stable processes

Ideal roles for high Openness: UX Designers, Product Managers, Researchers, Innovation Leads, Founders.

Ideal roles for low Openness: Operations, Quality Assurance, Compliance, Accounting.

Key insight: In the AI era, Openness has become critical. Our data shows that employees with O > 75 adopt new AI tools 3.2x faster than those with O < 50.

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2. Conscientiousness

What it measures: Organization, self-discipline, achievement orientation, and reliability.

This is the most predictive dimension of job performance according to research. The correlation between Conscientiousness and work success is r = 0.31, the highest of all OCEAN dimensions.

High scores (75-100) indicate people who:

• Are meticulous and detail-oriented
• Meet deadlines consistently
• Plan and organize their work effectively
• Have high self-discipline
• Persist through obstacles

Low scores (0-40) indicate people who:

• Are more flexible and spontaneous
• Can adapt quickly to priority changes
• Less tied to rigid processes
• Can be more creative in chaotic environments
• Risk: inconsistency in deliveries

Ideal roles for high C: Software Engineers, Project Managers, Finance, Legal, Healthcare.

Important: A C that’s too high (>95) can indicate excessive rigidity. In high-growth startups, we’ve seen that C between 75-85 is the sweet spot—enough structure without inflexibility.

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3. Extraversion

What it measures: Social energy, assertiveness, stimulation-seeking, and positive emotions.

High scores (75-100) indicate people who:

• Get energy from social interactions
• Are assertive and take initiative
• Enjoy being the center of attention
• Communicate with enthusiasm
• Work well in collaborative teams

Low scores (0-40) indicate people who:

• Prefer independent work
• Need alone time to recharge
• Are reflective before speaking
• Excellent at deep focus work
• Communicate more reservedly

Myth debunked: Low Extraversion ≠ poor social skills. Introverts can be excellent communicators and leaders—they just process differently.

Ideal roles for high E: Sales, Customer Success, HR, Marketing, Community Management.

Ideal roles for low E: Developers (IC), Data Scientists, Writers, Researchers.

Talen.to data: 67% of successful Software Engineers in our database have E between 45-65. Enough to collaborate, not so much that they need constant interaction.

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4. Agreeableness

What it measures: Cooperation, empathy, trust in others, and harmony orientation.

High scores (75-100) indicate people who:

• Prioritize team harmony
• Are empathetic and considerate
• Avoid direct conflicts
• Excellent in service roles
• Trust others easily

Low scores (0-40) indicate people who:

• Are direct and frank
• Prioritize results over feelings
• Comfortable with constructive confrontation
• Excellent negotiators
• More skeptical by default

Important consideration: Neither high nor low is “better”—it depends on the role and culture.

• Customer Support: High A (85+) is critical
• Competitive Sales: Moderate-low A (50-65) can be an advantage
• Leadership: Balance is key—too high can avoid difficult decisions

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5. Emotional Stability (EE)

What it measures: Ability to handle stress, stay calm under pressure, and recover from setbacks.

Note: At Talen.to we use “Emotional Stability” (inverse of Neuroticism) so that high scores are positive.

High stability (high EE, 70-100) indicates people who:

• Handle stress effectively
• Stay calm under pressure
• Recover quickly from setbacks
• Make rational decisions in crises
• Project confidence to the team

Low stability (low EE, 0-40) indicates people who:

• May be more sensitive to feedback
• Experience more anxiety with deadlines
• May over-analyze situations
• Higher burnout risk
• But also: greater empathy with stressed clients

High-pressure roles (Sales, Leadership, Medicine, etc.) benefit from high stability.

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6. Relational Engagement (ER)

What it measures: Ability to build and maintain effective professional relationships, genuine collaboration, and team commitment.

This is an additional dimension we’ve developed at Talen.to to capture critical aspects of work behavior that the standard Big Five doesn’t directly measure.

High scores (75-100) indicate people who:

• Build trust relationships quickly
• Genuinely commit to team objectives
• Facilitate communication and coordination
• Create positive collaborative environments
• Maintain long-term professional connections

Low scores (0-40) indicate people who:

• Prefer to work more independently
• May have difficulty building rapport
• Less inclined to internal networking
• May be more transactional in relationships

Ideal roles for high ER: HR, Customer Success, Management, Product, any role requiring constant collaboration.

Ideal roles for low ER: IC deep work roles (Developers, Researchers, Writers) where collaboration is more sporadic.

Key insight: In our data from 50,000+ assessments, ER is the second strongest predictor of 12-month retention (after Conscientiousness), especially in collaborative roles.

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How to Use OCEAN in Hiring

Step 1: Define the Ideal Role Profile

Before evaluating candidates, you need to know what you’re looking for. Example for Senior Software Engineer:

Dimension	Ideal Range	Why
Openness	70-85	Adopts new technologies, but doesn’t jump to every trend
Conscientiousness	80-90	Quality code, meets deadlines
Extraversion	50-70	Collaborates in team, but can do deep work
Agreeableness	60-75	Team player, but gives direct feedback in code reviews
Emotional Stability	70-85	Handles release pressure without burnout
Relational Engagement	65-80	Collaborates effectively without needing constant interaction

Step 2: Assess Candidates

Use a validated assessment (like Talen.to’s) to get objective scores. Never try to “guess” OCEAN in interviews—humans are terrible at this.

Step 3: Compare and Interpret

Don’t look for perfect matches. A candidate with 75% fit can be excellent. Look for:

• Deal breakers: Is any critical dimension way out of range?
• Complements: Does the current team need more diversity in any dimension?
• Development: Are the gaps developable or fundamental?

Step 4: Validate in Interview

Use results to ask smarter questions:

• If C is low: “Tell me about a project with a tight deadline. How did you handle it?”
• If E is high for an IC role: “How do you handle days of independent work without much interaction?”

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Common Mistakes When Using OCEAN

❌ Mistake 1: Looking for the “Perfect Candidate”

They don’t exist. A candidate with 100% match in all dimensions is statistically impossible—and probably not desirable.

❌ Mistake 2: Using OCEAN as the Only Criterion

OCEAN predicts behavior and cultural fit. It doesn’t predict technical skills. You need both.

❌ Mistake 3: Stereotyping by Dimension

“They’re introverted, they can’t lead” is false. Many exceptional leaders are introverts (Bill Gates, Warren Buffett). Dimensions are tendencies, not destinies.

❌ Mistake 4: Ignoring Team Context

A team of 100% high Openness can be chaotic. A team of 100% high Conscientiousness can be rigid. Balance matters.

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OCEAN and Organizational Values

At Talen.to, we complement the personality assessment (OCEAN) with the assessment of organizational values. Values capture specific cultural aspects that go beyond base personality.

For example, our clients can define values like:

• Sincerity: Keeping commitments and communicating transparently
• Perseverance: Maintaining a constructive attitude in the face of difficulties
• Make It Happen: Taking initiative without waiting for approval
• Team Player: Actively collaborating and helping others
• Best Version: Seeking feedback and improvement opportunities

These values map to OCEAN dimensions to create a complete cultural fit profile. A candidate may have an ideal OCEAN profile but low fit in critical values—or vice versa.

The combination of OCEAN + Values gives us the most complete picture of a candidate’s success potential.

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Conclusion

The OCEAN model (extended to 6 dimensions) is not a crystal ball, but it’s the most powerful tool we have to predict work behavior. Used correctly along with values assessment, it can:

• Reduce turnover by up to 40%
• Improve time-to-productivity by 35%
• Eliminate unconscious biases from the process
• Build more balanced and complementary teams

At Talen.to, we’ve validated these results with more than 50,000 assessments in 500+ LATAM companies.

Ready to start? Create your free account and assess your first candidate today.

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Additional Resources

• Download: 15 OCEAN Profiles by Role
• Quiz: Is your company ready for Culture Fit?
• Success Story: How TechCorp Reduced Turnover 50%