Should You Use DiSC for Hiring?

Many HR leaders and hiring managers are curious about tools that give deeper insight into candidates, especially in a world where resumes and interviews only scratch the surface. One question we often hear is: Should we use DiSC (Everything DiSC in particular) as part of our hiring process?

The short answer is: yes, but with clear boundaries and the right intent.

What DiSC Actually Measures

Before we go further, it’s important to remember what DiSC is designed to do.

DiSC assessments reveal a person’s behavioral preferences: how they tend to communicate, make decisions, and interact with others at work. It’s a window into work style, but it doesn’t assess skills or abilities.

The focus of Everything DiSC is on collaboration and self-awareness, not on grading candidates. It places the results in context of real workplace interactions.

When DiSC Makes Sense in Hiring

DiSC doesn’t measure skills, aptitude, or raw job ability. So it shouldn’t be used to screen people out of roles. Instead, it gives you a richer picture of how someone naturally prefers to work.

For example:

• Will this person communicate clearly with a task-oriented team?
• Are they likely to thrive in a collaborative environment?
• Do their work style preferences align with team dynamics?

Used this way, DiSC can add an extra layer of insight that interviews and resumes often miss.

When It Doesn’t Make Sense

There are clear limits to DiSC’s usefulness if used incorrectly:

❌ DiSC shouldn’t be a pass/fail filter: it doesn’t predict performance or cognitive ability.

❌ Don’t eliminate candidates based solely on style. People adapt to roles, and behavior alone isn’t enough to decide fit.

❌ Be careful not to oversimplify or box people: humans are complex and context matters.

❌ When you want to know the job fit and assess the role where the candidate is sought, it’s better to use a more specific tool like ProfileXT.

How to Use DiSC Well in Hiring

If you choose to integrate DiSC into your recruitment process, here are some smart ways to do it:

✓  Use it as a conversation catalyst

Use DiSC results to tailor interview questions. For example, if someone has a style that prefers structure, ask about a time they thrived without it.

✓  Combine it with other assessments

Pair DiSC with skills tests, cognitive assessments, or work samples: tools that measure can they do the job? versus how they approach it.

✓  Leverage it for onboarding

Once someone is hired, their DiSC profile can help managers tailor communication, expectations, and support, which improves early engagement and retention.

✓  Train your recruiter in interpretation

DiSC insights are only useful if people understand them. Invest in training or certification so results aren’t misread or over-interpreted.

In summary, when DiSC is used as part of a thoughtful, multi-step hiring process, it brings a deeper human layer that standard assessments don’t offer. And when used appropriately, it can help you make more informed, human-centered hiring decisions without replacing the fundamentals of recruitment.

Looking for a Non-DiSC Hiring Assessment?

Determining Job Fit with Non-DISC Assessments

When looking at non-DISC hiring assessments, we recommend finding a selection tool that measures a person based on their behavior and thinking abilities.

The ProfileXT® (also a Wiley brand) is an assessment tool used by millions of users in over 120 countries that helps to select candidates and match them with the job for which they are best suited, based on their core behaviors. It helps you identify if your best job applicants CAN do a job, if they WILL do a job, and if they WILL BE HAPPY doing so.