How DISC Can Help (and Where It Stops) in Hiring
When you’re looking to build a strong team, you want every advantage you can get. The DISC assessment is a popular tool for understanding different personalities at work-especially when you’re hiring. But how much can DISC actually tell you about your candidates? And what are its limits? If you work or lead a team in the Albany area, you probably move between places like Troy, Schenectady, Cohoes, Latham, and Saratoga Springs. No matter where you’re traveling for interviews or team meetings, knowing how to use DISC wisely can save you time and headaches.
DISC: What It Reveals About Candidates
The DISC assessment is all about behavior-how people prefer to work, communicate, and handle challenges. It breaks down personality into four main styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. Here’s what DISC can actually show you during the hiring process:
- Workplace Communication: You’ll get a sense of how a candidate likes to share ideas or receive feedback. For example, someone high in Influence may love talking through ideas, while a Conscientious type might prefer email with details.
- Response to Pressure: The assessment can highlight how someone acts under stress-do they take charge, keep the peace, need facts, or motivate others?
- Team Compatibility: DISC helps you see how a new hire might mesh with your current group. If your finance team in Latham is heavy with Dominance, adding a Steadiness profile could balance things out.
- Preferred Work Environment: Some people thrive in fast-paced settings, others want consistency. DISC highlights these preferences, so you can tailor roles or onboarding.
Takeaway: Use DISC to spot how someone will fit into your workflow and communicate with others, not as a crystal ball for job performance.
What DISC Won’t Tell You in Hiring
While DISC is a solid tool, it has its blind spots. Here’s what you won’t learn from a DISC personality assessment alone:
- Hard Skills: DISC can’t tell you who knows Excel inside and out, or who’s mastered your CRM. Technical skills and experience always need their own screening.
- Values and Motivation: Two people with the same DISC profile might be driven by totally different things. One may want growth, another job security-DISC doesn’t measure this.
- Cultural Fit: Every company, whether in Albany or Schenectady, has its own vibe. DISC can help with communication, but it won’t show if someone will love your company’s unique traditions or pace.
- Future Performance: DISC is about natural style, not potential. Someone could learn and adapt over time, regardless of their profile.
Tip: Combine DISC results with interviews, skill tests, and reference checks for a well-rounded view.
Putting DISC to Work in Your Hiring Process
If you’re interviewing in nearby locations like Cohoes or Troy, or holding second rounds in Saratoga Springs, you want your process to be consistent. Here’s how you can use DISC training and assessments wisely:
- Start With the Job: Before giving the DISC test, get clear about what the job requires. Is it fast-paced decision making, team collaboration, or careful analysis?
- Look for Fit, Not Clones: Use the DISC model to build teams with complementary strengths. If everyone has the same profile, you may miss out on new perspectives.
- Ask Better Interview Questions: If a candidate scores high in Steadiness, ask how they handle change or sudden deadlines. For Dominance, ask about collaboration, not just results.
- Train Your Team: Make sure your team understands the basics of DISC. This way, you avoid quick judgments and use results to support-not replace-your hiring decisions.
Next step: After your next round of interviews, have your team compare their observations with DISC results. Notice where you agree and where you see gaps. Use that insight to ask better follow-up questions.
DISC: A Tool, Not the Whole Toolbox
Whether you’re hiring new talent for your office in Albany or meeting candidates from Schenectady or Latham, remember that DISC is just one part of a thoughtful process. It gives you a clearer picture of how someone might communicate, handle pressure, or work with your team. But it’s not a shortcut for skills, values, or cultural fit.
- Pair DISC assessments with practical exercises, skill tests, and structured interviews.
- Use DISC results to support team building and onboarding, not just hiring.
- Keep the conversation open-people are more than just their assessment scores.
Final tip: If you’re new to DISC, try it with your current team first. Notice how it changes the way you give feedback or assign roles-then bring that insight into your hiring process, whether you’re working in Albany, Troy, or anywhere in between.