Using personality assessments in hiring is a hot topic, and for good reason. Companies spend an average of $4,700 per hire according to SHRM data, and a bad hire can cost 30 percent or more of the employee's annual salary. Any tool that helps you make better hiring decisions is worth considering. DISC is one of the most popular options.
Here is how to use it effectively and responsibly.
What DISC Can Tell You in Hiring
DISC reveals behavioral tendencies. It tells you how a candidate is likely to communicate, handle pressure, make decisions, and interact with teammates. This is useful context that a resume and technical interview alone cannot provide.
For example, if you are hiring for a client-facing account manager role, a candidate with a strong I/S profile (high influence, high steadiness) may naturally excel at relationship building and client retention. If you are hiring for a data analyst position, a high-C candidate who values precision and thoroughness is a natural fit for the work.
DISC does not tell you whether someone is smart, skilled, or ethical. It tells you how they prefer to operate. That distinction matters.
When DISC Helps
1. Role fit conversations
DISC is most useful as a conversation tool during interviews, not as a filter. After a candidate takes the assessment, you can use the results to ask targeted questions. "Your profile suggests you prefer working independently with clear guidelines. This role involves a lot of ambiguity and cross-team collaboration. How have you handled that kind of environment in the past?"
This gives the candidate a chance to demonstrate self-awareness and explain how they adapt, which is far more valuable than the profile score itself.
2. Team composition planning
If your team is heavily skewed toward one DISC type, knowing a candidate's profile helps you think about what the team needs. A team of all D types might benefit from someone who brings steadiness and attention to detail. A team of all C types might benefit from an I-type who brings energy and client-facing confidence.
3. Onboarding preparation
When a new hire's DISC profile is available on day one, their manager can tailor the onboarding experience. A high-S new hire will want a structured, step-by-step introduction to the role. A high-D will want to know their top three priorities and be left to figure out the rest.
When DISC Does Not Help
1. As a screening tool
Using DISC to screen candidates in or out before an interview is a mistake. DISC measures behavioral preferences, not ability. A high-I candidate can absolutely be a great engineer. A high-C candidate can absolutely be a great salesperson. Rejecting someone based on a personality profile before you have even spoken to them is both unethical and ineffective.
2. For predicting job performance
Research on personality assessments and job performance is mixed. DISC can predict how someone will approach work, but it does not reliably predict whether they will be good at it. Skills, experience, motivation, and environment all play larger roles in performance than personality type.
3. In isolation
DISC should be one input among many, never the deciding factor. Structured interviews, skills assessments, reference checks, and work samples should all carry more weight than a personality profile. If a candidate nails the technical interview and has strong references, a DISC profile that does not match your expectations should give you pause, not a veto.
Ethical Considerations
Transparency
Candidates should know they are taking a DISC assessment, understand what it measures, and be told how the results will be used. Springing a personality test on someone without context is a fast way to damage your employer brand.
Equal opportunity
DISC is not a protected assessment under employment law in most jurisdictions, but using any assessment as a primary hiring criterion raises legal and ethical questions. If your assessment process disproportionately filters out candidates from specific demographic groups, you have a problem regardless of what tool you are using.
Voluntary participation
Best practice is to make the assessment optional during the interview process, or to administer it after the hiring decision as part of onboarding. This removes the pressure candidates feel to "game" the assessment and ensures it is being used for development, not judgment.
Data handling
DISC results contain personal behavioral information. Store them securely, limit access to people involved in the hiring or management process, and have a clear retention policy. Platforms like Culture Wheel handle DISC data with the same security standards as other employee information, keeping profiles accessible to the right people and protected from everyone else.
How to Integrate DISC Into Your Hiring Process
Step 1: Define the behavioral requirements of the role. What DISC tendencies are most relevant? Do not look for a perfect profile. Look for two or three behavioral traits that matter most for success.
Step 2: Administer the assessment after the initial interview round, not before. This ensures the candidate has already been evaluated on skills and experience.
Step 3: Use the results to guide the final interview conversation. Ask questions that explore how the candidate's style fits the role and the team, giving them room to demonstrate adaptability.
Step 4: Combine DISC results with all other data points to make a final decision. The profile informs the decision. It does not make it.
Step 5: Share the results with the hiring manager for onboarding planning. This is where DISC adds the most value: not in the hire/no-hire decision, but in setting the new employee up for success from day one.
The Bottom Line
DISC is a useful addition to a thoughtful hiring process. It adds behavioral insight that interviews alone can miss, and it gives hiring managers a head start on managing their new hire effectively. The key is to use it as a tool for understanding, not as a gate for admission.