5 Things you should consider if you use DiSC for hiring

When HR professionals work to vet a candidate, they are often met with timid, carefully crafted responses that reveal very few insights. Many organizations use a DiSC behavioral assessment because it is a validated and cost effective tool that provides objective data. A DiSC profile will provide an accurate window into a candidate’s behavior, but is that enough?

Let’s think about a position in terms of two big buckets: The “What of the Job,” and the “How of the Job.”

The “What of the Job” is the deliverable. To understand this bucket ask yourself, “What results do you pay an employee to deliver for the organization?” Is the position’s priority to increase sales? Improve your organization’s culture? Does the position aim to develop innovative products to beat your competition? All of these deliverables are part of the “What” that a candidate is responsible for after they are hired.

The “How of the Job” is the approach utilized to get the “What” done. How does a person interact as a teammate, as a team leader, or as a manager? Is she collaborative or commanding? Does he move quickly into action or meticulously study all of the options before moving forward? Does she make the forty calls per hour but fail at being friendly?

Both aspects of the job are important, but when using DiSC to hire you are only measuring the “How” aspect of your candidate because DiSC only measures behavior. Will it matter who a person is behaviorally if they do not have the cognitive skills required to perform their role? Perhaps it’s better to assess the most fundamental need first: Can this candidate perform the job competently?

As an example, a candidate is applying for a customer service role, and her DiSC report indicates that she has an “i” behavioral style. This suggests that she is expressive and comfortable in verbal roles. DiSC, in this instance, gives you insights into “How” a candidate with this style might approach the position. This candidate enjoys developing relationships with customers and engaging them in conversation.

To understand the “What of the Job” bucket, you need to know if a candidate has the cognitive skills and interests needed to carry out day-to-day tasks effectively. Does she have adequate reasoning and problem solving skills? Is she capable of communicating at the required vocabulary level? Can she perform any necessary numerical calculations? Is she interested in maintaining your customers’ satisfaction with your organization? These essential cognitive skills and interests are not measured in a DiSC assessment, yet they can be key to finding the best candidate for the job.