DISC Test: Learn about this behavioral assessment mechanism and how it can be useful in your management efforts
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:53 am
Working with people management is not easy, after all, you have to deal with different styles, generations and profiles in the same team, in addition to getting the most out of each professional to increase work productivity and achieve the company's goals .
The good news is that there are some tools that can make this task more efficient, such as DISC.
Based on an evaluation based on four pillars, you can, for example, car owner database identify how a certain professional can fit into your team or even what they should do to be more productive. In practice, it is a method of evaluating collaborators and, of course, the work carried out by your team.
So, how about delving a little deeper into this topic, learning about the DISC assessment and knowing how to work with the behavioral profile of the professionals in your team? Below, we will put forward some ideas that may be valuable for this task:
What is the DISC test?
What is the impact of behavioral profile on the company?
What are the 4 behavioral profiles of the DISC assessment?
How does the DISC test work?
What is the purpose of DISC?
What are the best tips for dealing with the behavioral profile of employees?
Why is it important to know your behavioral profile?
You want to know more, right? Then, continue reading and clear up all your doubts about this concept!
What is the DISC test?
The DISC test is a tool that allows the identification of the dominant profile of the individual, and is frequently used in the Human Resources sector to understand the characteristics of a company's employees.
It is based on the theory of the four behaviors, created by Maston. Therefore, it is composed of questions about personal characteristics, with the aim of guiding the result to one of the four matrices that the psychologist bets on:
dominance;
influence;
stability;
compliance.
Basically, it can be said that the evaluation is based on psychological factors that help evaluate human behavior, taking into account the profiles and patterns that predominate in a certain type of environment.
The person being evaluated can answer the questionnaire by hand or using specific software.
The assessment responses help managers, recruiters and HR analysts to study the behaviour patterns and characteristics that predominate in an employee or candidate for the vacancy offered and, in this way, detect what can be improved.
What is the impact of behavioral profile on the company?
In an increasingly competitive environment, which includes digital transformation and extremely demanding consumers regarding what they buy - whether products or services - companies must do everything to qualify.
For a manager, this means making the most of your budget and allocating the available resources to your team in the best possible way .
This work is not just about finding the best tools and processes or adopting the most efficient Digital Marketing strategies , for example.
After all, your team is made up of people and deciphering that behavior can be vital. Understanding how to motivate employees and what their profile is is a necessity.
What's the point of having fully qualified professionals if, in practice, they don't perform sufficiently?
The reasons for poor performance can be diverse, such as adaptation to your company's organizational culture or even the employee's ability to fill a certain role or not. That's why the DISC assessment can be useful.
In addition to remuneration, lack of recognition, professional stagnation and low productivity are the main causes of employee dissatisfaction in different Latin American countries.
In other words, these are problems that can be solved by understanding the behavioral profile of employees . After all, placing each professional in a position that is more suitable for him, for example, will increase his productivity and satisfaction in the work environment, also helping to retain the company's talents .
What are the 4 behavioral profiles of the DISC assessment?
The concept of DISC first appeared in the late 1920s in the book The Emotions of Normal People, written by psychologist William Moulton Marston, the same creator of Wonder Woman.
It is one of the most accurate assessment tools and attempts to better understand the behavioural patterns of individuals .
It has several uses, for example, Human Resources teams can use this assessment in a recruitment process or to identify points that employees need to develop. It can also contribute to improving internal communication and understanding between professionals on your team.
Motivation, management, guidance, in short, the possibilities of using DISC are the most varied. But in practice, what does this acronym mean? Dominance, Influence, Stability and Compliance , which are the 4 behavioral profiles used within this concept and, therefore, we are going to explain what each one means.
Dominance
The first indicator shows how the professional behaves in challenging situations or when solving problems. Normally, this competence is highlighted for those who have characteristics such as competitiveness, determination, demand and control over certain situations.
Influence
On the other hand, influence reflects how the individual acts in relation to other members of a team or clients , for example. In practice, it represents the ability to exert influence over other people, whether to obtain a job vacancy or to make a sale. Persuasion , optimism and enthusiasm are its main characteristics.
Stability
This profile is related to reactions to standards, routines and, of course, the ability to deal with changes, for example. Loyalty, persistence, team spirit and consistency are the main descriptors of this factor.
Compliance
Discipline, precision, analytical and careful work are common characteristics of those with this profile. Compliance is an indicator of how the professional reacts to what others establish, such as rules and processes within a company.
How does the DISC test work?
But how does the DISC test work in practice? The first step is to understand that the final result is not going to be good or bad, it simply indicates the professional's behavioural profile.
The result alone does not have a meaning of its own and it is up to the evaluator to understand, for example, what is the best position or function for that collaborator.
The DISC test can therefore be used to find a professional on your team to manage a particular project , for example, a leadership position . The profile serves as a guide to how that person behaves in certain situations and, thus, to try to understand if they are the most suitable person to carry out a job.
In a very straightforward manner, only one question is asked in this assessment: "Which of the following words best defines your behavior?" It is generally repeated between 15 and 30 times, depending on the depth and objective of the person taking the questionnaire. What changes are the answers, which always have four alternatives in multiple choice.
The idea is that the professional answers quickly , without much evaluation, in a natural, objective and direct way. Normally, the four possible answers are very different, such as: "calm, sociable, energetic or methodical?" Then, the same question is repeated and other options appear: "organized, confident, shy or spontaneous?"
After the last question, you will have one of four profiles as your dominant result: dominance, influence, stability and compliance, which will indicate to the tester how best to deal with you, what functions and activities fit best with your behavior or even whether or not you fit within the organization.
What is the purpose of DISC?
Increasingly used by companies, the DISC assessment is becoming a very useful tool for identifying a person's behavioural profile. Its application helps to better understand how a professional behaves in certain everyday situations, according to the context in which they are.
As a result, the DISC test provides advantages for both the professional and the company. This is because it allows to verify which attitudes are most appropriate and which ones need to be improved .
In this way, there is a better basis for creating an efficient personal development project, which helps the individual achieve his or her goals and dreams and has greater opportunities for success.
What are the best tips for dealing with the behavioral profile of employees?
With the results ready, it's important to use them correctly, right?
For this reason, we have separated some tips so that you know how to deal with the behavioral profile of each collaborator and, thus, you can make the most of the DISC test, enhancing all the work carried out within your team or, even, your entire company.
A/B test your equipment's performance
A/B testing is widely used in marketing , isn't it? But it can also be useful for people management work .
In a sales team , for example, you can create a team to deal with older clients and, after a month, change some professionals. Then, buy some indicators and find out who fits best.
Create an individual development plan
More suitable for those professionals who do not have dominance as a behavioural profile, the individual development plan (IDP) is an excellent solution to stimulate those who have a more analytical mindset and like stability. In other words, those who want data, information and solutions that help them grow professionally.
Perform endomarketing actions
Some professional profiles, such as those with a dominant stability and conformity, know how to deal well with stimuli and actions. Therefore, investing in some Endomarketing (or Internal Marketing) practices can contribute to the creation of a closer and more stable relationship with these collaborators, as well as being useful for motivating them.
The DISC test is therefore an excellent ally for any manager who is always attentive to the performance of his team and does everything to improve the performance of each professional. With the variety of applications of this methodology, it is possible to find one that best fits the objectives, profile and needs of your company .
Applying this concept ends up impacting various situations and sectors within an organization. For example, it allows you to create a favorable climate so that you can keep the best professionals on your team.
Why is it important to know your behavioral profile?
Knowing your behavioural profile provides you with various benefits for your personal and professional life. Firstly, you have more self-knowledge, better understanding all your potential, how you react to everyday circumstances and what you need to improve.
According to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dave Winsborough, in a text published in the Harvard Business Review , knowing your personality helps professionals improve their ability to work in a team, since it is possible to adapt better to the work environment.
Furthermore, using DISC is a starting point for your personal development , as it allows you to identify negative and positive behaviors and work to correct weak points, giving you the opportunity to direct your actions, studies and career.
Not to mention that this process is also important for those who want to take on leadership positions, since by becoming aware of your characteristics you understand what kind of leader you will be and how you can involve people.
Without self-knowledge, it is very difficult to define goals, make decisions and take better actions, which is essential for professional growth. By applying the DISC test, you can adopt a more appropriate position for the environment in which you operate.
The good news is that there are some tools that can make this task more efficient, such as DISC.
Based on an evaluation based on four pillars, you can, for example, car owner database identify how a certain professional can fit into your team or even what they should do to be more productive. In practice, it is a method of evaluating collaborators and, of course, the work carried out by your team.
So, how about delving a little deeper into this topic, learning about the DISC assessment and knowing how to work with the behavioral profile of the professionals in your team? Below, we will put forward some ideas that may be valuable for this task:
What is the DISC test?
What is the impact of behavioral profile on the company?
What are the 4 behavioral profiles of the DISC assessment?
How does the DISC test work?
What is the purpose of DISC?
What are the best tips for dealing with the behavioral profile of employees?
Why is it important to know your behavioral profile?
You want to know more, right? Then, continue reading and clear up all your doubts about this concept!
What is the DISC test?
The DISC test is a tool that allows the identification of the dominant profile of the individual, and is frequently used in the Human Resources sector to understand the characteristics of a company's employees.
It is based on the theory of the four behaviors, created by Maston. Therefore, it is composed of questions about personal characteristics, with the aim of guiding the result to one of the four matrices that the psychologist bets on:
dominance;
influence;
stability;
compliance.
Basically, it can be said that the evaluation is based on psychological factors that help evaluate human behavior, taking into account the profiles and patterns that predominate in a certain type of environment.
The person being evaluated can answer the questionnaire by hand or using specific software.
The assessment responses help managers, recruiters and HR analysts to study the behaviour patterns and characteristics that predominate in an employee or candidate for the vacancy offered and, in this way, detect what can be improved.
What is the impact of behavioral profile on the company?
In an increasingly competitive environment, which includes digital transformation and extremely demanding consumers regarding what they buy - whether products or services - companies must do everything to qualify.
For a manager, this means making the most of your budget and allocating the available resources to your team in the best possible way .
This work is not just about finding the best tools and processes or adopting the most efficient Digital Marketing strategies , for example.
After all, your team is made up of people and deciphering that behavior can be vital. Understanding how to motivate employees and what their profile is is a necessity.
What's the point of having fully qualified professionals if, in practice, they don't perform sufficiently?
The reasons for poor performance can be diverse, such as adaptation to your company's organizational culture or even the employee's ability to fill a certain role or not. That's why the DISC assessment can be useful.
In addition to remuneration, lack of recognition, professional stagnation and low productivity are the main causes of employee dissatisfaction in different Latin American countries.
In other words, these are problems that can be solved by understanding the behavioral profile of employees . After all, placing each professional in a position that is more suitable for him, for example, will increase his productivity and satisfaction in the work environment, also helping to retain the company's talents .
What are the 4 behavioral profiles of the DISC assessment?
The concept of DISC first appeared in the late 1920s in the book The Emotions of Normal People, written by psychologist William Moulton Marston, the same creator of Wonder Woman.
It is one of the most accurate assessment tools and attempts to better understand the behavioural patterns of individuals .
It has several uses, for example, Human Resources teams can use this assessment in a recruitment process or to identify points that employees need to develop. It can also contribute to improving internal communication and understanding between professionals on your team.
Motivation, management, guidance, in short, the possibilities of using DISC are the most varied. But in practice, what does this acronym mean? Dominance, Influence, Stability and Compliance , which are the 4 behavioral profiles used within this concept and, therefore, we are going to explain what each one means.
Dominance
The first indicator shows how the professional behaves in challenging situations or when solving problems. Normally, this competence is highlighted for those who have characteristics such as competitiveness, determination, demand and control over certain situations.
Influence
On the other hand, influence reflects how the individual acts in relation to other members of a team or clients , for example. In practice, it represents the ability to exert influence over other people, whether to obtain a job vacancy or to make a sale. Persuasion , optimism and enthusiasm are its main characteristics.
Stability
This profile is related to reactions to standards, routines and, of course, the ability to deal with changes, for example. Loyalty, persistence, team spirit and consistency are the main descriptors of this factor.
Compliance
Discipline, precision, analytical and careful work are common characteristics of those with this profile. Compliance is an indicator of how the professional reacts to what others establish, such as rules and processes within a company.
How does the DISC test work?
But how does the DISC test work in practice? The first step is to understand that the final result is not going to be good or bad, it simply indicates the professional's behavioural profile.
The result alone does not have a meaning of its own and it is up to the evaluator to understand, for example, what is the best position or function for that collaborator.
The DISC test can therefore be used to find a professional on your team to manage a particular project , for example, a leadership position . The profile serves as a guide to how that person behaves in certain situations and, thus, to try to understand if they are the most suitable person to carry out a job.
In a very straightforward manner, only one question is asked in this assessment: "Which of the following words best defines your behavior?" It is generally repeated between 15 and 30 times, depending on the depth and objective of the person taking the questionnaire. What changes are the answers, which always have four alternatives in multiple choice.
The idea is that the professional answers quickly , without much evaluation, in a natural, objective and direct way. Normally, the four possible answers are very different, such as: "calm, sociable, energetic or methodical?" Then, the same question is repeated and other options appear: "organized, confident, shy or spontaneous?"
After the last question, you will have one of four profiles as your dominant result: dominance, influence, stability and compliance, which will indicate to the tester how best to deal with you, what functions and activities fit best with your behavior or even whether or not you fit within the organization.
What is the purpose of DISC?
Increasingly used by companies, the DISC assessment is becoming a very useful tool for identifying a person's behavioural profile. Its application helps to better understand how a professional behaves in certain everyday situations, according to the context in which they are.
As a result, the DISC test provides advantages for both the professional and the company. This is because it allows to verify which attitudes are most appropriate and which ones need to be improved .
In this way, there is a better basis for creating an efficient personal development project, which helps the individual achieve his or her goals and dreams and has greater opportunities for success.
What are the best tips for dealing with the behavioral profile of employees?
With the results ready, it's important to use them correctly, right?
For this reason, we have separated some tips so that you know how to deal with the behavioral profile of each collaborator and, thus, you can make the most of the DISC test, enhancing all the work carried out within your team or, even, your entire company.
A/B test your equipment's performance
A/B testing is widely used in marketing , isn't it? But it can also be useful for people management work .
In a sales team , for example, you can create a team to deal with older clients and, after a month, change some professionals. Then, buy some indicators and find out who fits best.
Create an individual development plan
More suitable for those professionals who do not have dominance as a behavioural profile, the individual development plan (IDP) is an excellent solution to stimulate those who have a more analytical mindset and like stability. In other words, those who want data, information and solutions that help them grow professionally.
Perform endomarketing actions
Some professional profiles, such as those with a dominant stability and conformity, know how to deal well with stimuli and actions. Therefore, investing in some Endomarketing (or Internal Marketing) practices can contribute to the creation of a closer and more stable relationship with these collaborators, as well as being useful for motivating them.
The DISC test is therefore an excellent ally for any manager who is always attentive to the performance of his team and does everything to improve the performance of each professional. With the variety of applications of this methodology, it is possible to find one that best fits the objectives, profile and needs of your company .
Applying this concept ends up impacting various situations and sectors within an organization. For example, it allows you to create a favorable climate so that you can keep the best professionals on your team.
Why is it important to know your behavioral profile?
Knowing your behavioural profile provides you with various benefits for your personal and professional life. Firstly, you have more self-knowledge, better understanding all your potential, how you react to everyday circumstances and what you need to improve.
According to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dave Winsborough, in a text published in the Harvard Business Review , knowing your personality helps professionals improve their ability to work in a team, since it is possible to adapt better to the work environment.
Furthermore, using DISC is a starting point for your personal development , as it allows you to identify negative and positive behaviors and work to correct weak points, giving you the opportunity to direct your actions, studies and career.
Not to mention that this process is also important for those who want to take on leadership positions, since by becoming aware of your characteristics you understand what kind of leader you will be and how you can involve people.
Without self-knowledge, it is very difficult to define goals, make decisions and take better actions, which is essential for professional growth. By applying the DISC test, you can adopt a more appropriate position for the environment in which you operate.