Gift 2: Funny business - what your humor at work says about you

The second study we’d like to gift you as a key insight for your organization comes from Hogan Assessments’ research on humor in the workplace. The central takeaway is simple: context matters. Let’s take a closer look!

On average, how many times a day do adults over the age of 35 laugh? Research shows the answer is 15!

Most of us instinctively know that humor plays a role at work. Actually, a meta-analysis conducted in 2012 found that humor is associated with positive employee health outcomes, such as lower burnout and stress levels, better overall health, and greater coping effectiveness. It is also linked to important work-related outcomes, including higher performance, increased job satisfaction, stronger group cohesion, and lower work withdrawal.

So why not start hiring people who can help foster these outcomes? We can support you in identifying them — from a personality perspective.

Humor vs. a sense of humor

One of the most useful insights from the research is this:

• Sense of humor is a personality characteristic
• Humor is a behavior

In other words, someone may naturally enjoy humor, but that doesn’t guarantee their jokes land well in every situation. Behavior is shaped not only by personality, but also by self-awareness and context.

This distinction matters because it means humor can be managed and adapted, even if personality remains relatively stable.

General humor and Hogan assessments

Which Hogan scales are correlated with a general sense of humor? The strongest relationships appear with:

• high Sociability,
• high Colorful
• high Hedonism.

This aligns with what we might expect. But let’s go deeper and explore the four distinct types of humor.

The two questions that define workplace humor

All humor at work can be understood by answering two simple questions:

1. Is the impact positive or negative?
2. Is the humor directed at others or at oneself?

These two dimensions create four common humor styles.

1. Affiliative Humor

Positive | Other-directed

This is the kind of humor that brings people together. It’s inclusive, light, and shared—jokes that make others feel comfortable rather than singled out.

From a Hogan perspective, affiliative humor tends to show up in people who are:

• In the HPI: high Adjustment, Sociability and Interpersonal Sensitivity
• In the HDS: high Colorful, low Excitable, Skeptical, Leisurely, Dutiful
• In the MVPI: high Hedonism, Affiliation and Altruism

This style is consistently linked to trust, collaboration, and positive team climates.

2. Self-Enhancing Humor

Positive | Self-directed

This humor isn’t about getting laughs—it’s about coping. People who use self-enhancing humor can laugh at stressful situations and maintain perspective when things go wrong.

It’s often associated with:

• In the HPI: high Adjustment, Sociability, Ambition and Inquisitive
• In the HDS: high Colorful and Bold, low Excitable, Skeptical, Leisurely
• In the MVPI: high Hedonism, Affiliation and Power

At work, this style supports adaptability and steadiness, especially in high-pressure environments.

3. Aggressive Humor

Negative | Other-directed

Sarcasm. Teasing. “I’m just joking” comments that land a little too sharply.

Aggressive humor is often used to assert dominance, gain recognition, or test boundaries. While it may earn laughs in the short term, it carries real risks—especially in leadership roles.

In Hogan terms, this style tends to appear when:

• In the HPI: high Adjustment, Sociability and low Interpersonal Sensivity and Prudence
• In the HDS: high Colorful and Mischievous, low Excitable, Skeptical, Leisurely and Dutiful
• In the MVPI: high Hedonism, Power and Recognition

Over time, aggressive humor is more likely to erode trust than build it.

4. Self-Defeating Humor

Negative | Self-directed

This is humor that relies on self-put-downs to gain approval or avoid conflict. While it may seem harmless—or even endearing—it can quietly undermine credibility and confidence.

This style is often linked to:

• In the HPI: high Adjustment, Sociability and low Ambition
• In the HDS: high Colorful and low Excitable, Skeptical, Leisurely
• In the MVPI: high Hedonism

In professional settings, it can leave others unsure how seriously to take the person using it.

The real key: context and self-awareness

The same joke can strengthen a relationship—or damage it—depending on:

• Organizational culture
• The moment and situation
• The people involved

As research on trust reminds us, trust isn’t built in grand gestures. It’s built in small, everyday moments—including how we use humor!

Your Personality Guides

References:

Aaker, J., Bagdonas, N. (2021, February 5). How to Be Funny at Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/02/how-to-be-funny-at-work

Aaker, J. & Bagdonas, N. (2021). Humor, Seriously: Why humor is a secret weapon in business and life. Penguin Random House LLC.

Beard, A. (2014, May). Leading with Humor. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/05/leading-with-humor

Burford, C. (1987). Humor of principals and its impact on teachers and the school. Journal of Educational Administration, 25(1), 29-54.

Cooper, C. D. (2005). Just joking around? Employee humor expression as an ingratiatory behavior. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), 765-776.

Martin, R. A., Puhlik-Doris, P., Larsen, G., Gray, J., & Weir, K. (2003). Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(1), 48-75.

Mesmer-Magnus, J., Glew, D. J., & Viswesvaran, C. (2012). A meta-analysis of positive humor in the workplace, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 27(2), 155-190.

Robert, C., Dunne, T. C., & Iun, J. (2016). The impact of leader humor on subordinate job satisfaction: The crucial role of leader-subordinate relationship quality. Group and Organization Management, 41(3), 375-407.

Romero, E. J., & Cruthirds, K. W. (2006). The use of humor in the workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(2), 58-69.

Tremblay, M. (2017). Humor in Teams: Multilevel relationships between humor climate, inclusion, trust, and citizenship behaviors. Journal of Business Psychology, 32, 363-378.

Measures used for Humor Data Collection:

1. Hogan Assessments
2. Humor Styles Questionnaire (HQS; Martin, Puklik-Doris, Larsen, Gray, & Weir, 2003)