NEW YORK – Jeremy Bernerth, an assistant professor in LSU’s Rucks Department of Management, conducted a study that was used in the recent MSNBC article “Lower credit score may mean a good hire.”

According to the article, Bernerth’s study found no connection exists between poor credit scores and employee behaviors, such as stealing or calling in sick. Rather, a common correlation was found between lower credit scores and employees with an agreeable personality. Bernerth further explained why employers should care about this trait.

“More and more companies have team-based structures,” Bernerth was quoted as saying in the article. “In a team-based environment, [agreeableness] is a necessary component for any team member.”

For the study, Bernerth and his colleagues used 142 volunteers who took a personality test and supplied a credit score. In addition, researchers were able to question the supervisors of the participants to measure their job performances.

“The bottom line,” Bernerth said, “is that employers are using a score that may indicate nothing — or something completely different from what they expect. You have to be a little cautious using credit scores and be aware that there are lots of things that adversely impact them.”

To read the article in its entirety, click here. The article ran November 10, 2011.