How DISC Helps You Hire the Right People-And What It Can’t Do
If you’re hiring in Carroll or nearby towns like Boone, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines, or Ankeny, you know finding the right person can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. DISC assessments can make your search easier-but they don’t do it all. Here’s how you can use DISC to build a stronger team, and where you’ll need to rely on your own good judgment.
What DISC Tells You During Hiring
DISC is a personality assessment that highlights how people prefer to communicate and work with others. It’s not about good or bad personalities-it’s about fit. Using DISC profiles in your hiring process can help you:
- See how a candidate might work with your current team
- Spot communication strengths and blind spots early
- Understand what motivates each person
- Balance your team with different working styles
For example, if you’re building a fast-moving project team and most of your employees prefer steady, detail-oriented work, adding someone with a high “D” (Decisive) or “I” (Influential) DISC style can help you take action and bring energy to the group. On the other hand, if you’re hiring for a role that requires patience and careful listening, a “S” (Steady) or “C” (Conscientious) style may be a better fit.
Tip: Compare each candidate’s DISC profile with the needs of your role and your team’s current mix. Think about how different styles will work together on a day-to-day basis.
What DISC Can’t Do for Your Hiring
DISC training and assessments are powerful, but they’re not a crystal ball. Here’s what DISC won’t tell you:
- Technical skills or job experience-A DISC profile won’t show you if someone can run a forklift or balance a budget.
- Moral character-DISC doesn’t measure honesty, reliability, or work ethic.
- Culture fit-While DISC helps with communication, it doesn’t cover values, humor, or whether a person enjoys the Friday fish fry at the local diner.
- Ability to learn new skills-DISC focuses on behavioral style, not trainability or ambition.
Takeaway: Use DISC as one tool in your hiring toolbox-but don’t ignore interviews, background checks, and skill tests.
How to Use DISC the Right Way
DISC assessments work best when you use them to spark conversations, not make snap decisions. Here’s how you can put DISC to work:
- Start with the job description. Identify what personality traits will help someone succeed in the role.
- Ask candidates to take a DISC assessment. Use the results as a starting point for interview questions.
- Think about team balance. Are you hiring more of the same, or mixing things up?
- Talk about the results. Ask candidates how their DISC style has helped-or challenged-them at work.
If you’re from Ames or commute from Des Moines, you know each workplace has its own vibe. Use DISC to match personalities with your team’s rhythm, whether that’s fast-paced, steady, or somewhere in between.
Next Step: Try using a simple DISC chart during your next round of interviews. It’s a quick way to see how candidates might fit together.
Bringing DISC to Your Team
Whether your business is based in Carroll or you’re traveling in from Boone, Fort Dodge, Ankeny, or Ames, DISC training can make a big difference in how your team works together. When everyone understands their own style and how others tick, you’ll notice:
- Fewer misunderstandings and mixed signals
- Stronger communication-fewer long emails, more face-to-face conversations
- More respect for different points of view
- Better problem-solving, since people bring different strengths
Tip: After a new hire joins, share everyone’s DISC profiles and talk openly about how to work together. It breaks the ice and sets up new team members for success.
What to Remember About DISC and Hiring
DISC assessments can help you see the people behind the resumes. They make it easier to build a team that works well together, whether you’re running a shop on Main Street in Carroll or managing a growing business with employees from Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines, Boone, or Ankeny.
- Use DISC to understand communication styles and motivators
- Don’t rely on DISC alone-combine it with solid interviewing and job tests
- Keep DISC results private and use them to support-not judge-your candidates
Hiring is always a mix of science and gut feeling. With DISC, you have a reliable tool to help you fill in the gaps, ask better questions, and build a team that gets along and gets results. Try it out at your next interview and see the difference firsthand.