DISC TEST

There are many ways to assess a person's skills or attitudes, and to

this way predict their probable behavior. At the end of a scale are the simple tests
to evaluate specific skills and abilities (exams, driving tests, etc.). In the
Another extreme is the Personality Test batteries, developed to create a
complete photograph of the style and attitudes of a person. The DISC is among
these two poles. While it is not a complete Personality Test in the technical sense, of
In the same way, it provides a view of an individual's behavior style that results in
sufficiently adequate to predict future behavior trends.
Achieve this objective by evaluating 4 key factors in a person's style, instead of
to analyze 16 or more as required in a complete personality test (by
The DISC example does not analyze factors such as 'intelligence', etc.). These characteristics
constitute the comparative advantage of the DISC, because when a battery of tests
it contains hundreds of questions and takes hours to complete, a DISC with only 24 questions
It takes no more than 10 minutes to make it. There is also an important advantage in
the area of interpretation of the Test: while the interpretation of a complete Test
The results of the DISC are left to the Experts, the Personality remains private.
sufficiently well defined to allow for automation. To our
understanding the most important advantage of DISC in relation to test batteries
personality, are the Correlation Coefficient in the results. The test batteries
projectives, offer a low correlation when a population is examined by more
from an Expert. The weakness of the DISC is that it requires voluntary participation and
the honesty of the interviewee cannot be taken under pressure or in a situation that
threatened with the loss of their job depending on the result. For this reason, the DISC is
more appropriate for evaluating Personnel Development, identifying needs of
Training, Team Building, etc. In the Selection Processes it can be used but with
a lot of caution and delicacy.

What can DISC tell us?

At its most basic level, the DISC measures 4 behavioral factors: Dominance.
social influence
cooperation) and Compliance (structure, obedience, precision). The power of DISC
it arises from the ability to interpret the relationships between these 4 factors. The
combined factors theoretically add up to more than 1 million different profiles. The DISC
synthesize these possible combinations into 15 profiles (14 combining factors + 1 profile)
Overwhelmed, which is when the factors are not differentiated). Using the information that
the factors provide, the DISC can be used to describe a person's style,
including their motivations and demotivations, strengths and weaknesses. And going a
a little further, the information also helps to predict future behavior towards
a certain circumstance.
Principles of DISC

In the graph, the extreme areas (upper and lower) are shown with a color tone.
darker colors represent the most significant values of each Factor. When one or more
the Factors fall in this area, they are very significant from the point of view
statistical. In the central area (values between 35 and 65%), framed by a line
dotted, the values are very close to the statistical average, they are not considered
significant and are not used to define a Profile.

II. The Profile Series.

The DISC has several types of charts:

a) Internal Profile: reveals internal behavior patterns. These factors emerge

when external factors are not applied (for example generally the factors
internals arise in comfortable social situations or when a person is placed under
high pressure.

b) External Profile: it is completely normal for a Candidate to try when preparing the Test.
to present themselves in the best possible way. DISC takes this into account and is able to filter
this information to provide a Profile that shows exactly how the person was
trying to present herself. This External Profile reflects exactly the type of behavior
what an individual thinks is expected of him in a given situation.

c) Summary Profile: it is the most basic and common profile of the DISC and provides a complete
photograph of a person's possible behavior. This profile is often referred to as 'Snapshot',
does not provide very specific information like the other Profiles, but it is useful for obtaining
an overview. When a person's behavior must be described by a single
Profile, the Summary is usually the chosen one.

d) Changes in Profile Patterns: shows the differences between Internal Profiles

Externally. They are the signs of the modifications that an individual is making in their
natural behavior to adapt to a given situation.

DISC Factors

The 4 DISC Factors are: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness

(stability, perseverance, and cooperation) and Compliance (structure, obedience and
precision). There is no good or better Factor and one that is bad or worse. Each style of
behavior has its own strengths and weaknesses, different from others.
Statistically, 16% of the population has a single factor as dominant.
most people have 2 or 3 dominant factors above the dotted line
65%. The latter offer greater complexity for their interpretation.
It is important to understand the properties of each of the 4 basic Factors for
achieve an adequate interpretation of the DISC Profile. The Factors help define the
motivations, aversions, tastes, predominant instincts, and conduct style of a
person

a) Dominance (D) is the factor that relates to control, power, and assertiveness. It is the
factor of proactivity and control. It is a mix of positive and negative aspects.
From the positives, we find independence, motivation to be successful in achieving it.
what they want. However, they can also be strong-tempered and aggressive.
People with these characteristics like to have authority and power over others.
competitive, ambitious, and they like challenges. They do not easily trust others and
They will try to succeed on their own, without help. In case they need it, they will give
orders instead of asking for collaboration.

b) Influence (I) relates to how a person faces a social situation and their
communication style. This factor is associated with a cheerful, outgoing personality,
warm, open, sociable, and gregarious. They need to communicate with others. What they value most
it is difficult to overcome this type of personality, it is the rejection. They need to interact in a way
positive with those around her, her gregarious nature helps bring others together
personalities that are not so much. They are trustworthy, but their need to be open
makes them reveal information or feelings that calmer personalities...
they would prefer to keep. Therefore, sometimes they lack tact, but their lack of diplomacy
compensates with her communicative nature and her ability to get out of any
difficulty.

c) Steadiness (S) is the factor of patience, perseverance, stability, and cooperation.

These personalities are patient, compassionate, and loyal to those around them. They are
interested in the problems of others and are good at filling support roles.
They have a persistent approach with concentration faculties. They resist the
changes and work better when given clear instructions and a lot of support. They take the
role of peacekeepers, conciliators.

d) Compliance (C) describes the way a person faces structure, the

organization and precision. These personalities denote high levels of precision and
accuracy. Due to their passive style, they will try to achieve control through the use of
structures and procedures, insisting on the rules and codes of conduct already
defined to fulfill their purposes. They do not like pressure and will try to avoid it.
difficult circumstances. They have personal codes of behavior and consider
important the label and the tradition. Due to their inherent interest in the facts and details,
they have a broad general knowledge or specific skills. They enjoy work
technical or involves organizing.
Interpretation of Profiles and Competencies

DISC provides information on 14 types of Classic Patterns and their variations (Profiles
Combined). The number 15 (Overwhelmed or Compressed Pattern) is not interpretable by the
under development of the 4 DISC Factors. The profiles interpreted by DISC are those in
those whose one or more of their Factors have a development higher than 65% (this is the line
superior dotted represented in the graphs.)

Depending on the intensity of development in each of the DISC Factors, the following arise
Combined patterns that have thousands of possible combinations. These patterns
they take as a basis the behavior scheme of the Classic Patterns and modify the
intensity of each behavior, according to the value achieved by each of the Factors.
 CLASSIC PATTERNS

Factors
Pattern Description Basic attitudinal competencies
high
Entrepreneur
1 D Efficiency - Independence - Self-motivation
Developer, etc
Self-motivation - Independence - Enthusiasm -
2 D+I Competitor
Self-confidence
Efficiency - Independence - Reflexivity -
3 D+S Uncommon profile
Perseverance
Efficiency
4 D+C Creative
Sensitivity
5 D + I + S Valuable profile Independence - Self-confidence + Perseverance
6 D + I + C Dynamic Self-motivation
Competitive analyst,
7 D+S+C Efficiency - Reflexivity - Precision
etc
8 I Promoter Friendly - Enthusiasm - Self-confidence
Friendly
9 I+S Counselor
Perseverance
Friendly - Enthusiasm + Cooperation +
10 I + C Evaluator
Sensitivity
Expert, Professional
11 I + S + C Friendly - Patience - Cooperativeness
etc
Planner,
12 S Patience - Reflectiveness - Perseverance
Specialist, etc
Perfectionist, Profile Patience - Reflectiveness - Cooperativeness -
13 S + C
Technician, etc. Precision
Objective Thinker,
14 C Cooperativity, Precision - Sensitivity
Analyst, etc.
15 none Overwhelmed profile The system cannot bypass opinion
Applications of the DISC

Although DISC is primarily applied in the area of personnel selection, there are other
areas where the DISC system is used effectively.

IMPORTANT: No decision that could affect a person's career should

to take only based on a personality test. There will always be other factors,
In addition to personality, how are skills, training, or experience?
what should be considered before reaching the final decision.

I Recruitment

a) Contraindication for taking the Test:

People must complete the Test voluntarily and cooperatively. It should not
to be taken if there is a situation of stress or pressure. For example, it should not be
taken in situations where the person perceives that the continuity of their employment
It depends on the result obtained. It is advisable to inform the Candidate of the result.
obtained in the Test so that they can achieve confidence. It should be emphasized that the Test does not provide
a good result or a bad one only indicates the style of work behavior.
b) Preselection:

It involves creating a shortlist of all candidates for a position and

interview only those shortlisted. But doing this requires a lot of effort
and time and it is difficult to obtain all the necessary information just from forms of
application and resume. That is where the DISC is useful. The content of the questionnaires
The DISC allows us to gain an insight into the candidate's personality in a way
quick. These results are compared to the ideal job profile, accelerating the
pre-selection process. But the DISC is just another tool since it cannot
examine other important aspects of the person, such as the qualifications or the
previous experience.

c) Pre-interview test:

The DISC system can be applied to reevaluate the candidate before the
interview. It is not advisable to do it twice with only a few days apart.
that the results may be affected. Except in the case of a Profile
Overwhelmed, in which case a second test may determine if such a result is
correct or is it due to a misunderstanding of the technical requirements.
d) Interview:

The interpretation of the DISC can bring potential difficulties to the surface that
they would never arise during a common interview. The interviewer can
test these problem areas to measure their importance in relation to work
in question. Almost all DISC systems can generate a list of disadvantages of
this type, but some more advanced and automated systems can go beyond and
generate a list of problem areas related to a particular job.
second place, DISC can help in communication during the interview. When
by knowing the motivating factors of the interviewee, the selector can make them reveal
more information thereby relieving quite a bit of pressure on the situation. Some selectors
they discuss the DISC results with the candidate, while others prefer to use the
information based on your own questions. Both methods are viable.

e) Rejection:

The DISC can also be used to reject unsuitable candidates for the
position. Some organizations include the DISC report in rejection letters,
giving the candidate a clear idea of the reasons for their rejection, as well as
offering them a guide to develop their career.

Cultural Integration

Any successful selection process is followed by an 'integration' phase.

cultural". This describes the process by which a new employee adapts to a new
organization and the particular culture of it. This section aims to facilitate the
candidate's transition to a new work environment. The culture of the organization is
the traditions, customs, and unwritten rules that define the way of working of a
group. And one of the most stressful aspects for a new employee is to understand these
cultural factors and adapting to them. In general, there are aspects of culture that
they suggest an analogy between the personality of the individual and that of the organization in
general. When comparing the individual's style with that of the organization, one can
underline the common or different areas. By using this information, it is easier
help the individual's induction into the new organization. The correct use of DISC in
this area is quite complicated, but it would be very useful to implement it since many
employees leave jobs shortly after starting, and this indicates the need for
place more emphasis on the phase of 'cultural integration'.

III Performance Evaluation

In many companies, there is an evaluation as part of the personnel policy.

employee periodic review. This helps management anticipate problems with the
employees and improve motivation and morale. Through it, one can
determine a broad overview of employee performance and isolate the problems
before they get worse. Below we detail the ways in which DISC helps to
isolate the problems and suggest possible solutions:

a) Divergent External Profiles.

If an individual shows great shifts between the Internal and External profiles, they may
being uncomfortable in their current position. Although this may indicate that the
the person is not suitable for the position, it can also reflect the perception
inaccurate about the requirements for that position that that person has.

Overwhelmed Profiles.

In a work environment, this type of profile demonstrates a lack of direction or certainty.

and suggests that the person feels insecure about the expectations of their colleagues and
managers.
c) Stress.

Calculating stress levels within the DISC profile can be a useful indicator of
mental state of a person. It can commonly be determined if stress arises
of the work environment or the individual's lifestyle.

d) Similarities of the External Profiles.

Managers with very strong personalities have a great impact on their staff.
to the point where the External Profiles of an entire department can reach
adapt to the expectations of the manager. While in a very environment
structured this could be convenient, this phenomenon is associated with
motivation problems. This is because employees feel forced to
suppress their natural abilities, thus impacting their performance. The great
changes between Internal and External profiles can decrease motivation, with a
negative effect on performance. Evaluation programs that use DISC
(Competency Assessment, etc.) should be used on the same person in
regular intervals (of 3, 6, or 12 months at most).

IV Training

The DISC is suitable for identifying training needs and for conducting the
monitoring of the results obtained from that training.
In Staff Relocation

This means the relocation of roles within a department or organization or the

transfer to other sectors. The use of DISC can be very helpful in identifying the
ideal candidate for a specific position. Within this context, there are two types of
relocation, the 'organizational' and the 'individual'.

a) Organizational Relocation This term describes situations in which new

positions or roles are opened within an organization for them to be filled by
members of that same organization. A prerequisite for using DISC in this case is
to have a clear idea of the personality requirements for this new position (Profile
of Work). By comparing the DISC factors of the candidates with the Job Profile, we
the ideal individual for the position will arrive.

b) Individual Relocation This term describes the situation in which a person in

In particular, the group of people needs to be relocated within an organization.
This happens when your current roles are redundant. In this case, and conversely,
What happens with the Organizational Relocation, a series of Job Profiles that
the available positions should be compared with some profiles of the
candidates. This is harder to achieve since very few companies have a game
complete set of Job Profiles that cover all roles within the organization.
Moreover, this can only be achieved by using a computerized DISC system.

VI Team Formation

The DISC system can predict the effectiveness of a work group by detecting the areas
of possible conflict and suggesting ways to resolve them. In general, the key to a
Successful team formation is diversity. In this section we will see the four
DISC personality factors and their development and performance in a work team.

a) Authority (D)

A personality with this characteristic is suitable for the role of Leader in

a team, but the number of individuals with this characteristic should be minimal.

b) Influence (I)

It is the team's 'social cement.' It is important to remember that for a team

work effectively, its members must have a sense of cohesion and this
It can be achieved by including one or two influential people in the team. The
Communication skills of influence can produce a useful representative
for the team in order to present their ideas and results to others.
c) Certificate (S)

It represents the team's 'brake'; its passivity helps to develop the structure of the
team and control the hasty actions of others.

d) Obedience (C)

It is an important factor to achieve the results expected from the team.

individuals with this characteristic will generate ideas and produce materials.
reports. The passive side of this personality will need team members more
proactive in implementing and monitoring the plans that arise. In general, they are
individuals who possess special skills and the appropriate knowledge for a
project. For any work team to be effective in the long term, it must
going through a period of uncertainty during which relationships and roles of
groups are defined. This period is ideal for introducing formal structures
necessary for the good performance of the team.

VII How to address specific problems

When there are problems arising from personality in an organization, DISC can
help to isolate the causes and develop strategies to resolve them. There are two areas
key factors related to personality. The first is the "role conflict,"
where the individual's work or attitude seems inadequate because they do not have the
temperament for the type of work they are doing. The second is the 'conflict'
of personalities" where the problem arises due to incompatibility with the members of
a team.

a) Role conflict.

This conflict arises when a person is not suitable for the particular job.
or their perception of work is mistaken. This can be assessed by comparing the profile
DISC with the ideal profile for your role (Job Profile).

There can be one of four situations:

1. The Internal and External Profiles resemble the Job Profile. This indicates that the
role conflict is not the cause of the difficulties.

2. The Internal Profile matches the Job Profile, but not the External Profile.
This means that the person in question does not understand the requirements of this position.

3. The External Profile matches the Work Profile, but not the Internal Profile.
This indicates that the individual is not suitable for their job, but understands the requirements.
and tries to adjust their behavior to compensate. If the problems are addressed in
In the short term, it is possible that the Internal Profile adapts to the new challenge.
helped by additional training or instruction.

Neither the Internal Profile nor the External Profile matches the Job Profile. This indicates
that the candidate is not suitable for the role, according to their personality, nor do they feel capable
to adapt to the requirements of their situation. In all cases, what shows
DISC can only describe the condition of a personality, but it cannot address
specific events. Current issues with personality may have origins
on external factors, and these should be investigated before making a final decision.

b) Personality Conflict.

The problems that arise from a Personality Conflict are manifested in twists.
unusual in the External Profile of the individual. The downturns in Authority or
Influence is indicative of this type of effect. As happens with the Conflict of
Roles, it is important to show that the effects of personality can represent
the results, more than the cause of a dispute or disagreement. If a conflict of the
Personality emerges from discussing a specific topic, DISC will not be able to detect it. It results in
of course similar situations will require careful handling if they are to be
resolved effectively.

VIII Career Development

The DISC can provide useful data for those looking for a new twist in their career.
or their ideal vocation. This section analyzes the DISC skills in the area of
professional development of an individual. Although DISC cannot reach a conclusion
Ultimately, it can provide firm guidance to decide if the professional path is suitable.
an individual or not. In people under 20, the results are not as reliable given
the changes they might have, but the ideal age varies according to people. In this
specific situation, the DISC profile is compared to the Job Profile for a
specific career and the similarities between the two styles will indicate how suitable it is
individual's personality for the career being investigated. But this method
it is appropriate when a person has to make a decision between two or three careers
probable and not when the person has no idea what kind of career they might pursue
be of interest to him. DISC can also be useful for preparing application letters.
employment and curricula since they help to highlight the strongest areas of a personality
and this can be included in the requests.
Validity and Reliability

A study conducted by a researcher from South Africa on the DISC system reveals the
following data: the purpose of the study was to determine whether the measurement instrument
DISC could be considered reliable and valid.

a) The Test-retest Reliability method was administered to 90 employees of a

variety of companies. The Product-Moment correlation coefficient was used.
Pearson y la correlación obtenida fue: - 0.728 Dominance - 0.645 Influence - 0.730
Steadiness - 0.550 Compliance The p-value in all cases was 0.0001. This indicates
a significance at alpha = 0.001. It can be concluded with 99.9% confidence that the
The DISC instrument is Reliable.

b) In the validation study, criterion-related was used. An exploratory study.

It was taken to determine which of the 15 factors (excluding Factor B) of the 16-PF is
they correlated with the 4 DISC dimensions. 120 people responded. The applied
Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. It was found that factors Q1,
X=G, L, Q1 and X=Q2, E; E, Q2 and -1 show a significant correlation with Dominance.
the 1% and 5% significance level. Factors A, - Q2, H, F and -Q3 show
significant correlations with Influence at the 1% and 5% significance level. The factors -E
y -Q1 show correlation with Steadiness at a 5% significance level. The factors -
E, Q2, -H, -G and O show significant correlation with Compliance at the 1% and 5% level of
significance. It can be concluded that the correlations were significant.