Disc The Complete Introduction

DISC
The Complete Introduction

Your comprehensive guide to DISC personality assessment.
What it does, how it works and how it can benefit you.
© 1994-2018 Axiom Internet Group Limited

25
years
® Discus is an internationally recognised trademark
2 DISC: The Complete Introduction www.discusonline.com
Contents
Page Page
3 What is DISC? 26 Changes Across a Series

4 What DISC Can Do For You 27 DISC Profile Interpretations
5 The Benefits of DISC Profiling 29 DISC in Practice
6 How DISC Works 30 Recruitment
7 The History and Evolution of DISC 32 Job Matching
9 The Reliability and Validity of DISC 33 Cultural Integration
10 DISC Profiles: The Basics 34 Managing Relationships
11 Invitations and Questionnaires 35 Assessment
12 The D Factor: Dominance 36 Candidate Feedback
14 The I Factor: Influence 37 Redeployment
16 The S Factor: Steadiness 38 Team Building
18 The C Factor: Compliance 39 Team Building with Discus
20 The Discus Personality Report 40 Career Development
21 DISC Factors in Combination 41 Discus:
The Complete DISC Solution
DISC: The Complete Introduction 3
What is DISC?
Fast and Effective Personality Profiling
Understanding people is an essential skill when recruiting, managing and
team building. Having a comprehensive and objective view of how a personality
works is a major advantage in the workplace and can give you the competitive
edge you’re looking for. DISC is one of the most popular personality profiling
techniques available today; simple to use, but as detailed and adaptable as your
business needs, with powerful and insightful results.
What does DISC DISC - The Key Facts

stand for? • A DISC questionnaire is easy to
understand and only takes about
A DISC profile is created from the ten minutes to complete.
answers to a simple questionnaire,
measuring four core personality • Cloud-based profiling means that
candidates can take a DISC test
factors: Dominance, Influence,
online, and their results will be
Steadiness and Compliance, whose
immediately available across the
initials give DISC its name.
Web.
• Questionnaires can be scored and

assessed automatically, so you’ll
see a report as soon as the
questions are complete.
• DISC can be used as a consistent

and reliable benchmark for
assessing suitability in recruitment
Assessing the combinations of these and team building.
four DISC factors will give you real • There are many personality
and valuable insights into a profiling solutions around, but the
personality. DISC system has some major
advantages: it’s quick to use,
simple to administrate and it gives
DISC Profiles and Job
Matching with Discus really powerful and useful results.
DISC is one of the most

25
years
popular personality
profiling techniques
available today
What DISC Can Do For You

Find the right people for the right job
Finding the right people isn’t easy. It takes time and effort to identify high
performers and fit them into your team, but DISC provides a professional tool to
make the whole process simpler. DISC gives you the tools to understand key
personality features, identify strengths, and spot potential difficulties before they
arise.
...and much more How DISC works

in practice
DISC personality profiling gives you far
more than a powerful recruitment Creating a DISC profile is simple. DISC can also be used as the basis
advantage. DISC can play a key role Profiles are easily constructed, based for a job match, comparing a
in widely varied applications, from on the answers to a quick and candidate’s personal style and
personal assessment to integration, straightforward questionnaire. suitability against hundreds of
from relationship management to team potential roles. In addition, DISC is the
building. Once you’ve experienced A DISC system like Discus will handle perfect tool for developing successful
Discus, you’ll wonder how you ever the whole process for you: sending an working relationships and team
managed without it. invitation, managing the questionnaire building, from personal dynamics to
itself and processing the answers, all leadership to full team assessment.
automatically. Once the results are We’ll cover all these topics later in the
compiled they’re instantly available to guide.
you.
The Benefits of DISC Profiling

Recruiting with DISC Teams and Leadership
DISC is most widely used in recruiting, DISC is an essential tool to help build
due to its simplicity, its cost- dynamic, successful teams. With tools
effectiveness and its potential for job available to interpret and report on all
matching. These features combine to the personality dynamics at work
make it practical and affordable to within any group, team building
implement personality profiling becomes a simple exercise.
throughout your business.
The same approach can be used to
As an additional advantage, DISC can focus on team leadership, not only
also include a candidate feedback
Productive Working assessing leadership qualities, but
report, allowing successful applicants to Relationships even describing the kind of leadership
understand their personal style and needed by the group as a whole.
helping them to integrate into your One of the strengths of DISC is its
organisation. ability to explain how different
personalities will interact with one
another. DISC dynamics help identify
both the positive and problematic
areas of any working relationship, and
can even suggest approaches to help
solidify it.
DISC is easy to use, cost-

effective and the ideal tool
to match candidates to
Assessing and Managing jobs
Regular DISC profiling can keep you

informed about individuals’ job The same principles used in DISC
performance levels, and provide relationship profiling can be used to
strategies to keep them motivated and tailor a communication strategy
working at their best. DISC relationship towards an individual personality.
assessment can help management Understanding another person's
understand workplace situations and unique style gives you a powerful
provide a pathway towards successful ability to build a constructive
conflict resolution. relationship in any setting, from
training to sales to management.
How DISC Works

Building a Picture of a Personality
DISC works by measuring four fundamental factors in a person’s
behaviour, and using those factors to describe their personality. This
personality profile is created through a questionnaire comprising twenty-four
questions, with each question offering four options. The candidate chooses two
of these options, one that best represents their behaviour, and one that's least
applicable to them. These answers are then automatically rated and calculated to
produce a set of DISC results.
Key Traits The Four DISC Factors

Naturally we cannot measure every D for Dominance
detail of a personality with just four
factors. There will always be other The factor of drive, determination and
unique aspects, like experience and self-reliance, relating to independent,
knowledge, that play a part. However, self-motivated types of people.
by focusing on a series of key traits,
DISC can provide insights that are I for Influence
directly relevant to a person’s
The factor of sociability, friendliness
behaviour and performance.
and enthusiasm, relating to outgoing,
expressive types of people.
From the questionnaire, we construct
a graph showing the DISC factors that
drive the person’s approach to their S for Steadiness
life and work. In fact, we can go The factor of patience, persistence
further and build a series of graphs and stability, relating to reliable and
that look at different motivations in thoughtful types of people.
different situations.
C for Compliance
The factor of structure, accuracy and
precision, relating to analytical and
organised types of people.
DISC focuses on a series

of key traits that directly
affect a person’s
behaviour...
The History and Evolution of DISC

What's important about this view is
A Modern Theory with that features of the personality can be
Ancient Roots seen as interrelated and balanced
against one another, with different
The automated, cloud-based DISC personalities being related to
profiling of today can trace its core combinations of different factors. Also
ideas back to ancient times. important is the underlying structure,
so that the various factors can be
The idea of building a picture of a mapped on a pair of overlapping axes
personality by combining a set of (an approach we call a biaxial model).
basic elements is a very old one,
though its original incarnations have
The History and Evolution
little to do with modern personality of DISC
profiling. It was the ancient Greeks
who first thought about the workings
Some five centuries after 25
of the human personality, at least in a years
Hippocrates, the Roman physician

systematic manner. The roots of this
Galen proposed that the
idea may even predate the Greeks,
temperaments could be understood in
but it was Hippocrates who first made
terms of their relations to one another.
a consistent attempt to describe
For instance, a choleric personality
behaviour.
(ambitious and strong-willed) was
associated with the element of fire,
and it had a diametric opposite in a
phlegmatic temperament (calm and
and patient), connected with water.
...different personalities
related to combinations of
different factors
Hippocrates defined four personality

'temperaments', connected with four
bodily 'humours', each of which was in
turn connected to one of the four
elements. These ideas about
humours and elements turned out to
be utterly wrong, of course, but the
ways in which they were combined
had some intriguing potential.
The History and Evolution of DISC

Four-Factor Models Into the Modern Era William Marston and
Through History DISC
Though the less scientific ideas of
Hippocrates and Galen were dropped One of these models was developed by
as science advanced, studies based American psychologist and writer
on the four temperaments continued William Moulton Marston, in his 1928
until remarkably recently. As the book The Emotions of Normal People.
concepts behind personality began to This was the ultimate prototype of the
be investigated more rigorously, DISC profiling technique: a pair of axes
statistical analysis began to break producing a set of four interconnected
down personality factors in a more factors, initially called Dominance,
Even the ancient Greek approach systematic way. Inducement, Submission and
used a primitive 'biaxial model' to Compliance. (Inducement and
relate the elements to one another. Submission are now more generally
known as 'Influence' and 'Steadiness'.)
A more modern model, that of Hans

Eysenck. Though more rigorously One of the foremost proponents of
defined, this model still retains the old this approach was Hans Eysenck,
names for the basic types: whose analysis resulted in a biaxial
Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine and model mapping factors against a pair
Phlegmatic (here marked M, C, S and of traits. Eysenck himself remarked on
During the 1940's Marston's profiling
P ). how similar this result was to the old
technique came to prominence, when it
idea of the temperaments, though the
was adopted by the U.S. military to help
factors themselves were now more
in recruitment during World War Two.
technically defined.
Over the following decades its simplicity
and flexibility meant that it became more
...four behavioural factors:
widely used worldwide.
Dominance, Influence
Steadiness and In the early days, DISC profiles were
Compliance created from paper questionnaires,
Though DISC is based on a model of marked and assessed by hand. With the
its own, it maintains the continuity of advent of personal computers and the
breaking down the personality into There are numerous comparable Internet, DISC adapted itself easily to a
four quadrants based on two axes. approaches (notably that of Carl more automated approach, so that tests
Jung, whose personality work is partly can now be managed in a completely
based on a relationship of this kind). automated way.
The Reliability and Validity of DISC

Measuring the an effective profile, we're looking for a demonstrate a consistent statistical
high reliability score. Note that people's relationship with those in the other.
Effectiveness of DISC attitudes and approach change over
To be confident that DISC actually time, so we wouldn't expect to see a DISC Assessed: The
works, we need to consider its reliability 100% reliability level from one profile to
and its validity. These two concepts the next. (Indeed, understanding
Roodt Report
together help to quantify the changes over time like this can be A full analysis of the validity and
performance of any profiling tool. valuable in assessing a person's reliability of the Discus DISC profiling
performance.) solution is measured in this
independently-produced paper
informally known as the Roodt Report
after its author, psychologist Karin
Roodt of Technikon Natal in South
Africa. You can read the full contents
by clicking on the link below.
The
Roodt
Report
The most important question about any

personality test is how well it measures Validity
what it claims to measure. We need to
be confident that profiles accurately A more difficult challenge is assessing About Scales
represent the personalities they the validity of a set of profile results: that
Statistical values are typically
describe. is, do the factors in a profile measure the
expressed on a scale from 0.0000 to
personality traits they describe? The
1.0000. If it's helpful, you can think
usual approach is to measure profiles
Reliability against another well-established
about this scale as corresponding to
the more familiar 0% to 100%.
The first measure is a question of personality inventory, with the preferred
consistency: if we test the same person comparison being Cattell's Sixteen
several times, we'd expect to get similar Personality Factor questionnaire (or About p-Values
results. Reliability measures how much 16-PF for short). The 'p-values' in the report describe
profile results change from test to test the probability that a particular
(there are different types of reliability, Different profiling techniques measure correlation occurred by chance, so
and the form we're discussing here is different factors, so we wouldn't expect lower values relate to more strongly
specifically test-retest reliability). to find exact matches in the comparison. established correlations.
We can, however, look at correlations Conventionally a p-value of less than
We wouldn't expect results to vary wildly between factors in the two systems, to 0.0500 is seen as statistically
from profile to profile over time, so for establish whether factors in one test significant.
DISC Profiles: The Basics

Introducing the DISC The three graphs of the profile series The External Profile
Profile might closely resemble one another, or Very few people maintain the same
diverge significantly, depending on the approach at all times. Instead, they
After collating and calculating the
individual. Different DISC systems use will tend to adapt to situations and
answers from a DISC questionnaire,
different titles for the three, and their others' requirements, and the purpose
the final outcome is a set of three
order can vary, but the meaning and of the External Profile is to describe
graphs. Each of these graphs (or
significance remains constant. the style of behaviour that an
profiles) describes a particular aspect
of the candidate's approach. In individual feels is appropriate to their
combination, the set of three is known current circumstances. This profile
as a DISC profile series. can change considerably over time,
as a person's situation and
The graphs all follow the same format, environment changes. Such
showing the levels of four basic traits: modifications often accompany major
Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, life events, such as starting a new job
Compliance (their initials - D, I, S, C - or moving house. The External Profile
create the name DISC). The four is also known as the Work Profile or
points on the graph are connected by the Mask Profile.
lines to establish a recognisable The Internal Profile
shape for a profile. With experience,
This graph describes a person's 'inner'
The Summary Profile
the shapes associated with common
style, their typical behaviour when they The Internal and External Profiles
styles become easily distinguishable.
feel completely at ease. Conversely, this provide valuable information about a
style can be seen when some people person's attitudes and perceptions. In
Graphing a DISC Profile are placed under severe pressure, reality a person's behaviour is rarely
because such pressure limits their based completely on one or the other
The DISC graph shows how the four
capacity to adapt their style. The Internal of these styles. The Summary Profile
factors are plotted. Each point
Profile tends to remain more constant combines information from the other
measures the relative level of one of
over time than the other two graphs. two to present a view of a person's
four factors, shown from left to right:
Other names for the Internal Profile typical behaviour in most situations.
include the Pressure Profile and the Other names for this profile are the
• D for Dominance
Underlying Profile. Basic, Composite or Snapshot Profile.
• I for Influence
• S for Steadiness
• C for Compliance
Each of the four factors might measure

anywhere between zero and one
hundred, leading to a huge range of
possible profile shapes, each relating
to a specific personality style.
Understanding these factors, and how
they combine to describe a
personality, lies at the heart of DISC
interpretation.
Invitations and Questionnaires

The create and assess the factors in a real DISC profile, you'll first
need to arrange for the completion of a DISC questionnaire. The
Discus solution gives you a whole range of ways to do this. The
simplest and most efficient way is to use Discus' Invitations feature,
but Discus also includes multiple questionnaire types and
techniques in many languages.
Inviting candidates
Just enter a candidate's e-mail address to have Discus invite
them to complete an online questionnaire, and manage the Setting up a Discus invitation could hardly
be easier. Just click a button, enter an e-
process for you. DISC results are available as soon as the
mail address, and Discus will take care of
online questionnaire is completed. the rest.
On-screen questionnaires
Complete a DISC questionnaire directly through your own
browser display.
Paper questionnaires
Print unlimited paper questionnaires, and quickly enter
candidate responses through Discus' custom entry system.
Questionnaire options Your candidate is automatically contacted

and invited to complete a questionnaire,
All Discus questionnaires are available in three variants to which they can complete using any
suit your profiling needs, and in dozens of different device. You can even set up the
languages. Online Discus questionnaires are designed to questionnaire to use your own logo and
work on any device, from a desktop browser to a handheld colour scheme.
phone.
As soon as your candidate has
completed their online DISC
questionnaire, the results will be instantly
available from your Discus account.
Find out more about Discus questionnaires
Questionnaires on the Discus Online Website

E-mail contact@discusonline.com
Skype axiom_office
Call us:
+44 (0)161 408 2112
+1 (214) 613-3983 BUY NOW
+61 (03) 9014 9611
The D Factor: Dominance

The DISC Factor of Drive and Self-motivation
The 'D' of DISC stands for Dominance, the factor of determination, ambition and motivation to succeed.
When a set of DISC results shows a high Dominance factor, they're describing someone with an independent attitude and a
motivation to succeed on their own terms. High-D's (as we call this type of person) have the strength of will to work well
under pressure, and are always ready to take on responsibility.
Low Dominance in a DISC profile tends Decisiveness: High-D's generally

to show a lack of directness. People like have little patience, and will prefer to
this tend not to confront a difficult make a rapid decision, even if that
situation 'head-on', though they may find involves a degree of risk.
other effective ways of dealing with
things (exactly how they'll do this Leadership: Their preference for
depends on the other factors in their independence and their forthright
personality). They also tend to be much attitude means that people of this kind
Highly Dominant people have a clear readier to work productively as part of a will tend to work towards leadership
idea of their ambitions and goals, as well group than their more independent High- roles.
as the directness and forcefulness to D colleagues.
achieve those goals. It also means that
people like this will tend to have a ...an independent attitude
competitive attitude, and they will and a motivation to succeed
generally follow their own ideas rather on their own terms
than work co-operatively with others.
Dominance at a Glance
DISC Factor Guides:
Self-reliance: High-D's rely on their own
Dominance
independent resources, rarely looking for
help or support from those around them.
25
years
Competitiveness: People like this are

motivated by success, especially
tangible success in competition with
others.
Ambition: Dominance relates to a clear

set of goals or ultimate aims, and the
determination to work towards those
goals.
The D Factor: Dominance

Common Roles
A High-D's sense of independence
and personal responsibility means
that they will tend to gravitate towards
roles where they have the greatest
possible scope for action. They'll also
tend to avoid situations where they're
reliant on other people for support, or
subject to too much control.
Dominance is often a useful trait in a

manager or leader, especially in
situations where there's a need for
decisive action and clear direction.
Note that this certainly doesn't mean
that High-D's always make effective
leaders - that depends to a huge
degree on the situation - but the core Dominance Scenarios
features of this kind of personality
tend to match well with the challenges Below are a number of examples of Planning Ahead
of leadership. ways that a High-D person will usually
act or react in some common real- High Dominance isn't associated with
Dominance is often a world situations. the levels of organisation or the natural
useful trait in a manager, caution that go into detailed planning. As
especially where there's a Making a Decision we saw in their approach to decision-

making, a person like this will prefer to
need for decisive action
High-D's are commonly described as follow their instincts, and they'll often be
and clear direction. 'decisive', but this is meant in the ready to disregard a planned course of
sense that they'll prefer to make a action if they see an alternative
rapid decision, and potentially take a opportunity.
Another type of role classically risk, rather than take time to evaluate
associated with high Dominance is all the options or possible outcomes. Handling a Dispute
that of sales, especially direct sales. At least, this is the typical approach of
The factor gives a person the force of a 'pure' High-D, with no other strong High-D's tend to have uncompromising
personality to make a strong pitch, factors. Additional factors can personalities, and aren't afraid to
and the resilience to close a sale in complicate the picture: a High-D who confront other people directly if they think
situations that other types would find also shows high Compliance, for a situation calls for it. So, it's not
highly disconcerting. This is especially example, will tend to be more uncommon to find them involved in
true where Dominance combines with receptive to the details affecting a disputes with others, but resolving
high Influence, representing a person decision. disputes like this can be difficult. A highly
with a persuasive element as well as
Dominant person will need to feel that
the determination of Dominance
they achieve some real advantage from
alone.
any possible resolution.
The I Factor: Influence

The DISC Factor of Openness and Positive Communication
The 'I' of DISC stands for Influence, a factor connected to communication, openness and social confidence.
When a set of DISC results shows a high Influence factor, they're describing someone with a positive attitude to other people
and the confidence to demonstrate that attitude. High-I's (as we call this type of person) are at their most comfortable in a
social situation, and interact with others in an open and expressive way.
Low Influence in a DISC profile Expressiveness: Their outgoing

implies a personality far less natures means that people like this
concerned with expressing tend to say what's on their mind in an
themselves or interacting with others. open way.
Low-I's tend to turn their focus on
more practical topics, concerning Informality: People like this prefer to
themselves more with achieving communication on a personal and
results than with building relaxed level rather than be bound by
relationships. formality.
This focus on other people means Enthusiasm: When engaged by an

that High-I's thrive on the attention Influence at a Glance idea or topic, the naturally positive
and approval of other people, and attitude of a High-I is often highly
Self-confidence: High-I's are
they're more motivated by praise and motivating for those around them.
conspicuously confident in the
appreciation than most other types.
company of others, and generally find
Despite their outgoing attitude, they're
it easy to form friendly relationships.
often unwilling to risk causing offence,
and they'll often avoid possible
confrontations. In other words, while a ...a positive attitude
High-I is socially confident, a person towards people and the
whose profile shows this factor alone confidence to
will tend not to be particularly demonstrate it.
assertive or forceful.
Sociability: Strong Influence relates
to a person who goes out of their way
DISC Factor Guides:
Influence to build warm and positive relations
with other people.
25
years
The I Factor: Influence

Common Roles
The social impulses of a High-I
individual mean that they'll be
attracted to roles where these needs
are fulfilled. High Influence individuals
will be at their most motivated when
they're surrounded by other people,
and have the scope to communicate
freely. Conversely, they will tend to
avoid more constrained or socially
limiting situations.
Natural outlets for a High-I's outgoing

style are in the areas of sales,
marketing or PR, especially in roles
where they are able to use their
communicative abilities to their fullest.
One potential drawback here is that Influence Scenarios
people with just high Influence in their
profiles tend to lack the directness to Below are a number of examples of Working Within a Team
close a deal, and a measure of ways that a High-I person can be
Dominance can also be important in expected to act and react in some In some senses highly Influential
more challenging situations like direct common real-world situations. people are ideal team players. They
sales. are actively interested in building
Making a Decision positive working relationships, and
Those with high Influence are also they have the natural confidence to
often found in roles that involve High-I's have the confidence to act in a help direct the team as a whole. They
teaching or training, and they can be decisive manner, but their focus on other do, however, tend to take a rather
highly effective not only in people means that their decisions are informal approach at times, and this
communicating ideas, but also in often based on the popularity of the can be counterproductive where the
inspiring others with their dynamic various outcomes, rather than purely team is working in more pressured
attitude. practical considerations. conditions.
Roles of this kind will usually also Presenting Ideas

need a level of expertise and
knowledge, but high levels of Of all the DISC factors, Influence is most High Influence individuals
Influence within the personality can be connected with people who are will be at their most
an important component. comfortable with presenting ideas in motivated surrounded by
front of an audience. Indeed, they often other people
find situations like this to be motivating
and rewarding, a fact that lends them an
assured and enthusiastic presentation
style.
The S Factor: Steadiness

The DISC Factor of Patience and Reliability
The 'S' of DISC stands for Steadiness, a factor relating to a person's natural pace, and their reactions to change.
The third of the four DISC factors relates to a comparatively reticent and careful type of person. Compared to Dominance or
Influence, a person whose major factor is Steadiness will tend to be far less open or direct. They'll more usually prefer to
respond to events as they develop, rather than take pro-active steps.
associated with a High-S. Far from Determination: High-S personalities

resisting change, people with low focus intently on a task, and can be
Steadiness enjoy variety and remarkably resolute in concentrating
innovation, giving them a much more on a project.
flexible outlook than those with high
Steadiness. As such, they're ready to Openness: Steadiness also has a
take on new challenges and explore social side, and people with this factor
new experiences. are open to building positive relations
with other people.
As the name implies, Steady people
are consistent and reliable in their Steadiness at a Glance Consideration: The 'S' factor relates
approach. Indeed, they prefer to to people who tend to think about the
operate in situations that follow Patience: High-S's will tend to wait for consequences of their actions,
established patterns, and to avoid events to unfold and respond as especially on those around them.
unplanned developments. Because of needed, rather than taking direct
this, people with high Steadiness tend action of their own.
to be quite resistant to change, and
will take time to adapt to new High Steadiness
situations. individuals focus intently
on a task and can be
DISC Factor Guides: remarkably resolute in
Steadiness
concentrating on a
project.
25
years
Persistence: Once embarked on a

course of action, a High-S person will
Low Steadiness in a DISC profile focus on their task and work
reflects a person with a quite different persistently towards its conclusion.
attitude. Low-S individuals are eager
to act and impatient for results, and
rarely show the patience or
consideration
The S Factor: Steadiness

Common Roles
A High-S is best suited to roles where
their natural advantages can come to
the fore: situations where patient,
reliable work is needed. A consistent
working environment is ideal for this
type of person, with minimal
distractions or unplanned events.
The strengths of a High-S - patience,

reliability, consistency - make them
particularly suited to administrative
work, especially in their capacity to
apply themselves and focus in a
productive way. Work like this can
often lack variety, but while many
types wouldn’t find such a prospect
motivating, it can fit neatly with a High- Steadiness Scenarios
S's preferences.
Below are examples of ways that a Steady leaders will tend to work best
High Steadiness also relates to an High-S person can be expected to act where leadership involves organising
level of openness to other people, so and react in some common real-world other people within a relatively
roles that involve providing support or situations. predictable and stress-free
help to others can work well for a environment, where there's little need
person of this kind. At a practical level, Following a Plan for urgent action or dynamic decision-
High-S's will often be suited to making.
technical support or customer service A Steady type of person will feel at their
work. On a more personal level, their most comfortable and motivated when Adapting to New
understanding and patient approach operating within a well-planned project, Conditions
means that they can be successful and working consistently with others
providing personal support or towards a prearranged goal is their A defining characteristic of a High-S
counselling. preferred working method. This will tend type of person is a natural distrust of
to be less true, however, in situations novelty. They tend to avoid change
where deadlines are close, or the plan simply because it involves adapting to
needs to adapt to changing the new and the different. Where
High-S’s are drawn to circumstances. change is inevitable, a High-S will
consistent working eventually adapt to a new status quo,
conditions with minimal Taking a Leadership Role but it will take time for them to
distractions acclimatise to their new conditions.
A highly Steady type of person can be
an effective leader and, indeed, so can
any style, under the right circumstances.
The C Factor: Compliance

The DISC Factor of Caution and Precision
A high Compliance factor indicates a concern for practicality and detail.
The key to this factor lies in attitudes to authority; High- C's are concerned with working within the rules, and are often
described as 'rule-oriented'. They are also concerned with accuracy and structure, and understanding the ways things work.
Low Compliance people don't naturally Precision: Highly Compliant people

focus on the need to plan ahead or are concerned with getting things
anticipate problems; instead, they have right, and will take time to ensure their
the confidence to rely on their own work is accurate.
instincts. While a High-C will rarely
challenge authority or risk breaking a Caution: People of this kind will tend
rule, a Low-C person has a much more to avoid risks, preferring to take a
independent and unconstrained cautious approach whenever they
attitude to their life and work. can.
People with high Compliance like to

Tact: High-C's tend to be rather
have a clear idea of their role, and
what's expected of them, so they are
Compliance at a Glance reserved in communication, using
diplomacy and tact and focusing on
far more motivated in situations that
Rule-orientation: High-C's like to work matters of fact.
are clearly regulated and planned. In
within an established and well-planned
general, such people are not
structure, rather than relying on their
independent by nature, and will prefer
own resources.
not to be left to make decisions or
take actions without the support of
others. High Compliance
Individuals have a concern
DISC Factor Guides:
for practicality and detail
Compliance
Organisation: High-C's will want to
feel that they understand the details of
25
years their situation and how they fit into it.
The C Factor: Compliance

Common Roles
High Compliance people are naturally
motivated on roles where they can
focus on details, facts and figures.
High-C's - at least those without other
factors in their profiles - tend to be at
their best when they have time to
organise and plan their work.
Their analytical approach, and desire

to follow procedure, makes them well-
suited to roles we might broadly
categorise as 'technical'. That
includes work that we normally think
of as technical, such as engineering
or programming, but the same idea
can be extended to roles needing
similar skills, such as accountancy or Compliance Scenarios
project planning.
Below are examples of ways that a Making a Presentation
A High-C's affinity for questions of High-C person will typically act and
accuracy and regulation means that react in some common real-world High-C's can be quite effective at
their personalities also tend to suit situations. presenting information, so long as
situations where standards need to be they feel confident in their expertise
applied. An obvious example would Planning a Project and they feel in control of the
be quality control, but they might also presentation. They can feel far less
be effective auditors, editors, Planning and organising tend to be comfortable if they need to discuss
actuaries or statisticians: work where second-nature to people with a high topics without preparation, or field
following a consistent methodology is Compliance score, and indeed they unpredictable questions.
crucial to their effectiveness. will often plan their activities even
when this is not formally necessary. Handling a Dispute
Their focus on detail means that they
can sometimes become so absorbed A person with high Compliance will
A person with high in the intricacies of their planning tend to solve problems using rules
Compliance will tend to activities that they lose sight of their and structure, and so in a dispute will
solve problems using broader goals. naturally try to work out a solution
rules and structure... using logic and rational argument.
High-C's can see the value in
compromise, and are generally ready
to resolve problems by reaching a
mutually agreeable accommodation.
The Personality Report

Discus provides some of the most advanced, wide-ranging
personality profile reports available, with each report tailored to a
person's individual DISC profile. The unique advantage of a Discus
report is the way that its content is put together: Discus includes a
powerful reporting system that can describe a person's specific
DISC profile in detail, using plain language to cover numerous
business topics.
Discus Report Contents

Each Discus report can cover all of these topics, though you
can choose which appear in any individual report.
• Candidate Details
• DISC profile series
• Style Cards
• Trait Summary
• Profile Tension
• Textual Report
• Relationship Keynotes
• Job Match Analysis
• Appendix: DISC Profile Shapes
• Glossary of Terms
The Textual Report

Each part of the Textual Report is crafted from a database of Discus reports are dense with detail, with
commentary that's matched to the exact details of a individualised content covering a huge
range of different topics, and including up
personality style, which can combine in literally millions of
to twenty-one separate sections of textual
different possible ways. The report covers broad topics such
description.
as motivation and decision making, as well as performance in
specific types of roles such as management or sales.
Find out more about the Discus report
The Discus report on the Discus Online Website SEE A

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DISC Factors in Combination

Profiles with Multiple Analysing Sub-Traits though of course each has several
sub-traits of its own to consider.
Factors
A 'sub-trait' describes the relationships
between two different factors within a To measure the amount of a sub-trait
So far we’ve looked at each of the
single profile graph. Because there are in a particular profile, we look at the
four DISC factors in isolation, but in
twelve possible pairs of DISC factors (D relationship between the two factors it
reality individual personality styles
and I, D and S, D and C, and so on), describes. In the example shown
don’t simply fall into four discrete
there are twelve corresponding sub- here, Dominance is very high, while
types. Instead, each of the four DISC
traits. Each of these pairs of factors is Influence is low. This means that this
factors exists on a continuum within a
given a meaningful name to help relate it profile contains high levels of
personality, and also coexists with
to some particular style of behaviour. Efficiency (we say 'D is over I'). If the
each of the other three factors.
opposite were the case (high
Influence and low Dominance, or 'I
The result is that a personality, and
A Sub-Trait Example: over D') Efficiency would be very low
the DISC profile that reflects that
personality, reflect a complex interplay Efficiency, or D/I in the profile. In that case, the profile
would describe a Friendly individual.
of different behavioural factors. It’s
As an example, the sub-trait of You'll find full descriptions of all the
often the case that a profile will show
Efficiency is found in profiles where D sub-traits over the following pages.
at least two strong factors in
combination. (Dominance) is higher than I (Influence).
Sub-traits are typically described in
The ways in which DISC factors shorthand with a slash (/) sign, so D/I
combine with one another can be (pronounced D over I) defines the
complicated, and lie beyond the Efficiency sub-trait. In this guide, we
scope of an introductory guide. We have represented this relationship
do, however, have one useful tool for graphically, as shown on the right.
looking at some of the key
combinations: the concept of the sub- When assessing a sub-trait, the other
trait. two factors (in this case Steadiness and
Compliance) are not directly relevant,
Remember, there are twelve possible

combinations of factors in a DISC
graph, each with its own attendant
sub-trait. Any given profile can contain
more than one sub-trait - as well as
Efficiency, for example, the illustrated
profile above also contains Self-
motivation (D/S) and Independence
(D/C).
Sub-Traits with High Dominance

Efficiency
D/I : Dominance higher than Influence
D Efficiency appears in a DISC profile when Dominance is significantly
higher than Influence. An Efficient individual is direct and assertive, but
I has little or no interest in personal matters. They take an objective,
analytical view and drive towards their goals ruthlessly and relentlessly.
They need to see results, and are quite willing to compromise quality or
detail to get them.
Self-motivation
D/S : Dominance higher than Steadiness
D Self-motivation appears in a DISC profile when Dominance is significantly
higher than Steadiness. Action is a key ingredient of this sub-trait. This
S type of person feels a need to be active all the time, and is impatient with
those who are unwilling or unable to keep up with their urgent pace. They
react quickly to new developments, but never lose sight of their own goals
and ambitions.
Independence
D/C : Dominance higher than Compliance
D Independence appears in a DISC profile when Dominance is significantly
higher than Compliance. This type of person feels frustrated by rules and
C regulations. They prefer to follow their own ideas, and often work alone or
in positions of isolated authority. This sub-trait is common, for example, in
entrepreneurial styles.
Sub-Traits with High Influence

Friendliness
I/D : Influence higher than Dominance
I Friendly people love to talk - communication is the strongest element of
this style. They are outgoing and extrovert, but they find it far from easy to
D concentrate on mundane tasks, and are easily distracted from such work
by the opportunity for social interaction.
Enthusiasm
I/S : Influence higher than Steadiness
I This is an outgoing and extrovert sub-trait that has much in common with
Friendliness, but with the added dimension of energy and pace. This
S animated style shows their interest in a topic very strongly, and their
effusive nature can act as a motivating factor for others.
Self-confidence
I/C : Influence higher than Compliance
I Self-confident profiles represent people who rarely experience self-doubt,
and feel at ease in almost any social situation. They mix easily with
C strangers, and are unafraid to initiate social contact. They can at times
become over-confident, leading them to act impulsively.
Sub-Traits with High Steadiness

Patience
S/D : Steadiness higher than Dominance
S This style of person has little sense of urgency and a slow pace, which
means that they are able to work in situations that others would find
D repetitive or dull. They are submissive in style, and ready to accept that
there are some things that they cannot change.
Thoughtfulness
S/I : Steadiness higher than Influence
S Thoughtful individuals plan their words and actions carefully and never
act on impulse. Deadlines and other time constraints are difficult for this
I type of person to deal with. Their advantage, however, is the reliability
and steadiness that they bring to their work.
Persistence
S/C : Steadiness higher than Compliance
S Persistent people deal badly with change. Once they are established
within a status quo, they find it difficult to break out of this and adapt to a
C new situation. They will do what they can to maintain their current state of
affairs, showing great loyalty and resilience in defence of their present
environment and social circle.
Sub-Traits with High Compliance

Co-operativeness
C/D : Compliance higher than Dominance
C This is the classic 'rule-oriented' sub-trait, describing a person who needs
to be absolutely sure of their position and prefers to use established
D regulations and procedures as a framework to support their ideas. This
aspect of their personal style extends to the need for practical support
from managers, colleagues and friends, and so they seek to maintain
positive working relationships with others.
Accuracy
C/I : Compliance higher than Influence
C This sub-trait is also sometimes referred to as Caution. The type of
person to whom it refers hates to make mistakes - they check and
I recheck their work, and are prone to correct others' errors, whether or not
they have been asked to do so. This need for certainty means that they
will never take a risk unless absolutely necessary. They are also cautious
in communication, rarely revealing more about themselves than a bare
minimum.
Sensitivity
C/S : Compliance higher than Steadiness
C People of this kind are extremely aware of their environment and changes
taking place within it, to the extent that they often notice subtle points that
S other people miss or ignore. In itself, this is a positive factor, but it does
have the consequence that they have a very low boredom threshold and
can become easily distracted.
Changes Across a Series

In this diagram, we have illustrated Example Shift:
Internal and External the changes (or shifts) between the Dominance Shifted
Profiles Internal and External Profiles. In this
Upwards
case, Dominance and Influence are
It’s not unusual to see changes from one shifting upwards, while Steadiness An upward shift in Dominance
graph to another within a person's profile and Compliance shift downwards. suggests that a person is attempting
series. The important changes are those to present themselves as more direct
between the Internal and External and assertive than they would
Profiles, as we can see in the example Interpreting the Shift
normally be. They perceive their role
below. Pattern as requiring a more independent and
self-motivated style than they are
Example of a Profile Series The example suggests a person naturally comfortable with. This shift in
trying to present themselves as more Dominance is often difficult to
assertive and communicative than is maintain, and may result in stress
actually the case, while also over the long term.
attempting to demonstrate a more
urgent, responsive style (the
downward shift in Steadiness) and a
greater willingness to take the
initiative (the shift in Compliance).
INTERNAL EXTERNAL This type of pattern is in fact not
unusual in the modern workplace.
The important changes

are those between the
Internal and External
Profiles
SHIFTS
Each shift has a different significance
This extreme example describes a - some are relatively common, such
More Shift Descriptions
person who seems to be trying to fulfil a as the downward shift in Steadiness
role completely at odds with their natural shown here. Others shifts, however,
Discover more about the way that
style. We can see this because the can represent a more difficult
different shifts in DISC factors affect a
Internal Profile (the natural style) is adaptation. The size of the shift is also
person’s behaviour by linking to our
considerably different from the External an important consideration. Small
full online reference guide.
Profile (which describes the kinds of shifts of a few percent are very
reactions that they feel are appropriate to frequent, and unlikely to represent
their current circumstances, and serious difficulties, but larger shifts View All Shift
particularly their work life). (nominally, larger than twenty-five Descriptions
percent or a quarter of the graph) will
have greater significance. There are
eight possible shifts across a series.
DISC Profile Interpretations

Here we review some of the most significant features of a series
of common DISC profiles, to show the range of DISC A Note on Notation
interpretations DISC can produce. There are numerous possible The notation used here has high factors
gradations within a DISC profile, and this reference section can only and low factors separated by a forward
slash, so for example D/I indicates high
cover a handful of the most common in very brief terms. For a fuller
Dominance and low Influence (without any
assessment of a particular profile, a individual DISC report is strongly other high or low factors).
recommended.
High Dominance (D/ISC)

Decisive, Ambitious, Competitive, Driving
D This High-D profile is often described as the 'Autocrat'. Dominance is the

factor of control and assertiveness, and with no other high factors in the
I profile to balance this, the pure High-D can be very domineering, and
S even overbearing. This person has a strong need to achieve, and they
C are often ambitious and competitive, striving forcefully toward their goals.
They are dynamic and adaptable, showing decisiveness and a capacity
for direct leadership.
High Influence (I/DSC)

Confident, Outgoing, Expressive, Sociable
I Influence is the factor of communication. A profile with this factor strongly

represented, showing high Influence with no other balancing factors,
D represents a personality that communicates easily and fluently with
S others. It is for this reason that profiles like this are often referred to as
C 'Communicator' profiles - they describe confident, outgoing and

gregarious individuals who value contact with other people and the
development of positive relations.
High Steadiness (S/DIC)

Measured, Accepting, Neighbourly, Stable
S This type of profile, showing a high level of Steadiness with no other

balancing factors, is comparatively rare. Steadiness is the factor of
D patience, calmness and gentle openness, and a pure High-S will reflect
I these qualities. They are generally amiable and warm-hearted, being
C sympathetic to others' points of view, and valuing positive interaction.

They are not outgoing by nature.
DISC Profile Interpretations

High Compliance (C/DIS)
Diplomatic, Factual, Organised, Impartial
C Cautious and unassertive by nature, often reticent and aloof, people of

this kind can sometimes give an impression of coldness or disinterest.
D Often reluctant to reveal information about themselves or their ideas
I unless absolutely necessary, highly Compliant individuals tend to lack
S assertiveness and are generally unwilling to become involved in

confrontational situations. Instead, they will tend to rely on structures and
rules, and such people typically have a systematic and orderly approach
to life.
Other Common DISC Profiles

High Dominance & Influence (DI/SC)
Pro-active, Self-confident, Assertive, Extrovert
High Dominance & Steadiness (DS/IC)

Determined, Resilient, Resolute, Committed
High Dominance & Compliance (DC/IS)

Self-reliant, Objective, Demanding
High Influence & Steadiness (IS/DC)

Sympathetic, Supportive, Friendly, Confiding
High Influence & Compliance (IC/DS)

Accommodating, Diplomatic, Conforming
High Steadiness & Compliance (SC/DI)

Analytical, Patient, Restrained, Cautious
High Dominance, Influence & Steadiness (DIS/C)

Informal, Emotional, Candid, Talkative
High Dominance, Influence & Compliance (DIC/S)

Flexible, Dynamic, Exploratory, Questioning
High Dominance, Steadiness & Compliance (DSC/I)

Analytical, Precise, Dependable, Factual
High Influence, Steadiness & Compliance (ISC/D)

Co-operative, Team-Orientated, Courteous
Compressed (-/-)
DISC in Practice
Putting DISC to Work Cultural Integration Team Building
DISC profiles have an astonishingly wide Cultural Integration is the process of The behavioural styles of a group's
range of uses. While there's no doubt integrating a successful new candidate members and the ways they interact has
that recruitment is the main area of into an organisation's (or new a large role in the effectiveness of any
application at present, profiling department's) existing culture. We’ll team. The use of DISC as part of the
techniques present possibilities far cover the role of profiling in easing a team-building process can have a
beyond this. In this part of the guide, candidate's transition into a new work significant positive impact.
we’ll take a look at some of the many environment.
application areas where the DISC
system can be most effective. Career Development
Assessment For those seeking a new career
Regular assessment is becoming more direction, or looking for their ideal job,
widely used in the commercial sector, DISC can provide some useful
helping a manager to foresee and pre- guidelines. Finally in this part of the
empt problems with staff, and to improve guide, we’ll examine DISC's abilities in
motivation and morale. This section the area of career development.
covers the practical issues involved in
maintaining a regular assessment
schedule.
Important Note
No decision affecting a person's career
Redeployment
should be taken solely on the basis of a
Redeployment within an organisation is
behavioural assessment. Other factors
a similar process to recruitment. In this
such as skills, training or experience
part of the guide, we’ll look at the issues
must always be taken into account.
involved in redeploying to fill new roles
within an organisation, or in transferring
Recruitment staff members to different positions.
The main use of commercial profiling is

as an aid to the selection of candidates
during the recruitment process. In the
Recruitment section of the guide, we’ll
examine DISC's use throughout the
recruitment cycle, from the preparation
of short-lists to the interview itself.
Recruitment
Find the Right People with DISC
DISC can be used to perform a wide variety of functions, recruitment being
the one that sees most activity. In fact, many people see DISC systems
simply as a recruitment tool. This section looks at four popular and effective
recruitment applications of DISC, and examines the advantages.
Make Recruitment Shortlisting

Easier with DISC
In times of economic hardship, job
Online profiling vacancies attract large numbers of
potential candidates. Applications
It is often impractical to arrange
often run into the hundreds, or even
individual testing sessions for a large
thousands, far more than can be
number of candidates. Instead, a
practically interviewed. Most
cloud- based approach allows you to
organisations solve this problem by
schedule profiling across the Internet,
drawing up a shortlist, interviewing
allowing candidates to complete
only the members of this list.
profile questionnaires at their
convenience, and making reports
With so many applications, however,
instantly available to you as soon as
producing this shortlist is a time-
each profile is completed.
consuming and difficult task. Standard
application forms and curricula vitæ
...candidate matching can rarely convey enough on their own to
quickly identify candidates make a solid decision about a
whose personality is well candidate's suitability. This is where
suited to the job DISC can help.
A DISC questionnaire can easily be

Candidate Database included with application forms,
Maintaining a DISC-based candidate allowing a picture of an applicant's
database makes it easy to find style to be built up relatively quickly.
suitable profile types. It’s also possible Results can be compared against a
to organise candidate profiles to work predefined ideal profile for the job,
with separate recruitment campaigns. expediting the shortlisting process.
Candidate Matching It is important to note that in

shortlisting, DISC is merely a useful
If you have a job profile defined for a
aid. To draw up a complete shortlist
role, the process of candidate
from personality styles alone is not
matching can quickly identify
practically possible, because DISC
candidates whose personality is well
has no way of addressing other
suited to needs of that role.
important issues, such as
qualifications and experience.
Recruitment
DISC can also help to improve
The Interview communication within the interview.
This is a more subtle benefit, but it
One of the most powerful uses of can have a significant impact on the
DISC results is to aid the interviewer progress of the discussion. By making
during the interview itself. It can do themselves aware of an interviewee's
this in many ways. motivating factors, the skilful
interviewer can encourage them to
The DISC interpretation of a reveal information, and help to relieve
candidate's profile can highlight the understandable pressure of an
potential difficulties that would never Some organisations now include a
interview situation and so ease
emerge in the course of a normal DISC report with rejection letters,
communication. Depending on
interview, and theseareas can be giving the candidate a clear idea of
context, it can actually be useful to
probed by the interviewer to assess the reasons for their rejection, and
discuss a candidate's DISC report
their relevance. Almost all DISC offering them guidance in the further
with them during the interview.
systems can generate a list of development of their career. This
disadvantages of this kind, but some positive approach can not only help
of the more advanced, automated, Handling Rejection relieve the disappointment of
systems are able to go one step unsuitable candidates, but also
further and generate a list of problem A little-used approach, but one that is improve the perception of the
areas relative to a specific job, and growing in popularity, is the organisation.
even provide a list of suggested application of DISC to ease rejection
behavioural questions for the of unsuitable candidates.
interview.
Job Matching with

Job Matching compares a person's DISC profile against the ideal
style for any job or role, and sums up how well their personality
matches that role's needs. Using DISC to predetermine the ideal
personality style for a role, Discus can match the factor values in a
DISC profile against that ideal, then calculate how well a candidate
is suited to that role's needs.
Job and Candidate Matching

Discus can match the factors in a candidate's personality
against an optimum Job Profile to describe how well they fit A Discus Job Match can compare a
candidate against hundreds of possible
the needs of that role. It can also match a group of
roles, highlighting the ways in which their
candidates or applicants to find those best suited for that individual personality fits with the needs of
role's personality needs. the role.
Job Profiling
Building a profile for a job is easy with Discus' built-in Job
Profiler suite. Create a Job Profile from a simple
questionnaire, or use more advanced tools to specify your
needs exactly. Discus includes a library of some three
hundred different job templates covering a whole range of
different commercial roles.
Free and Unlimited Discus includes a built-in Job Profiler to

Job Matching and Job Profiling are a free and unlimited part design your own optimum Job Profiles for
of the Discus service. Registered Discus users can apply comparison and add them to the
extensive library provided as standard by
Matches and create Job Profiles without any restriction.
Discus.
Find out more about Job Matching with Discus

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Cultural Integration
About Organisational Cultures
Any successful recruitment process is followed by a phase of cultural
integration. This describes the process by which a new member of staff adapts
to a new organisation, and the particular culture of that organisation. This
important step is often overlooked by recruiters, but is gradually growing in
importance among Human Resources professionals.
What is an organisation's 'culture'?

Essentially, any close-knit group of Integrating a New Recruit
people will, over time, develop a set of
By comparing a new recruit's Achieving this in an effective manner
traditions, customs and unwritten
behavioural style with that of the clearly takes a great deal of skill,
rules that define the ways in which
organisation, we can highlight those experience and patience, and this is
they work together. One of the most
areas where they will have difficulty in perhaps the reason why this
stressful times for a newly recruited
adapting to their new environment, as application of DISC is comparatively
member involves coming to terms
well as discovering those areas in rare in comparison with its other uses.
with this set of cultural factors, and
which they are particularly well suited. Nonetheless, many individuals who
adapting to work within them.
Using this information, it becomes might be otherwise suited to a job
possible to guide an individual's leave in the first few months, and this
Cultural integration is
induction into a new organisation, points to the need for greater attention
growing in importance to the cultural integration phase.
rather than simply leaving them to fit
with HR professionals. in as well as they can.
Many of the elements of a culture of

this kind are highly specific, and
unsuited to assessment through a
behaviour-based system. On a more
general level, however, there are
often aspects of a culture that suggest
an analogy between an individual's
approach and the general 'style' of the
organisation as a whole. For example,
a very formal, rigidly structured
working environment could be
characterised as a 'High-C'
organisation, while a workplace that
placed emphasis on personal initiative
and internal competition would be
more appropriately described as a
'High-D' organisation.
Managing Relationships with

By comparing the factors in two DISC profiles, we can explore the
dynamics between two personalities. A DISC relationship
assessment is created by comparing the DISC factors in their
personality profiles. The ways in which these factors match (or
otherwise) give us a basis for understanding how they will relate.
Relationship Assessment in Summary

By comparing the DISC profiles of two different people, we
can build a picture of the ways that those two people will
interact with one another.
DISC Dynamics Choose any combination of DISC profiles

from your profile database, and Discus
The connections between different DISC factors on different
will prepare an assessment of their
DISC profiles define a set of DISC dynamics, and they form working relationship.
the basis of the Discus relationship assessment.
Comparing the DISC results of both
Different Perspectives candidates, the Relationship Assessment
includes a discussion of the relationship
Each relationship assessment comprises a pair of mirrored
from each candidate's individual point of
results: the relationship as viewed from the perspective of
view.
each of the two people involved.
Free and Unlimited

Relationship Assessment is a free and unlimited part of the
Discus service. Registered Discus users can analyse the
relationship between any pair of DISC profiles without SEE A
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Assessment
Managing a DISC Assessment Programme
A regular assessment schedule is part of the human resources policy of a growing number of companies. By
appraising performance through interviews and management reporting, it becomes possible to build a comprehensive
picture of performance, and isolate any problems before they grow to serious proportions. The inclusion of DISC profiling in
this process can further enhance its effectiveness. There are a variety of ways that DISC can help to isolate problems and
suggest possible solutions. These include:
that an entire team's External Profiles

Divergent External show an adaptation towards the
Profiles manager's expectations. While this
phenomenon might actually be
If a particular individual shows marked desirable in a highly structured
shifts between their Internal and environment, it is often associated
External Profiles, this is an indication with problems of motivation. This is
that they feel somehow because members of staff are being
uncomfortable in their current forced to suppress their natural
position. This might indicate that they abilities, impacting on their
are unsuitable for their present work, Profile Tension performance. Large shifts between
or it simply reflects an inaccurate the Internal and External Profiles can
perception of the requirements of their The stress levels, or profile tension, in also decrease motivation, again with
position. Discovering which of these a DISC profile series is a useful a negative effect on performance.
possibilities applies can usually be indicator of a person's state of mind. It
achieved by comparing the profile is possible to assess whether any The inclusion of DISC
series with a Job Profile for the such tension stems specifically from profiling in this process
individual's role. the work environment, or associated can further enhance its
with the individual's general lifestyle.
effectiveness.
In either case, high levels of stress will
Compressed Profiles have a deleterious effect on
performance over the long term.
The appearance of a Compressed
Profile in a DISC profile series is often
Assessment Intervals
a pointer to some kind of long term Similarity of External Assessment programmes using DISC
pressure situation. In a work Profiles should not be performed at close
environment, a Compressed Profile
intervals. This is not normally a
often suggests a lack of direction or Where a large number of people problem, because such assessments
certainty, suggesting that the person working in a department show very would normally be performed over
concerned feels unsure of the similar External Profiles to one periods of six months or a year. As a
expectations of their colleagues and another, it suggests a subtle problem. minimum, a DISC questionnaire
managers, or the nature of work that Managers with very strong personality should not be applied on a person at
is expected of them. styles (especially dominant and highly closer intervals than three months.
assertive ones) can have a significant
impact on their staff, to the extent
Candidate Feedback
A Discus Feedback Report is an alternative way of looking at a set
of DISC results: from the perspective of the person who answered
the questionnaire. Providing your candidates with access to their
own results is not only best practice, but also a great way to engage
them with the assessment process and help to drive discussion.
Feedback Report Contents

Discus Feedback Reports are broken down into seven
separate topics covering a range of subjects relating to both
the reader's work and personal life.
• About You
• Your Core Values
• Abilities, Strengths, Limitations
• Personal Development
• Relating to Other People
• Your Work Style
• Planning Your Career
Completely Optional
Note that the Feedback Report is a completely optional
feature of Discus, and there's no requirement to provide your
candidates with feedback if you'd prefer not to.
Feedback Availability A Discus Feedback report is packed with

Feedback Reports are provided free of charge with all useful details based on the candidate's
DISC profile, but designed to be readable
Enhanced Discus reports, and are available at other report
and accessible by the candidate
levels through a subscription service. themselves.
Find out more about Discus feedback reports
Profile Feedback on the Discus Online Website SEE A

SAMPLE
REPORT
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Redeployment
Reallocating Roles Organisational Individual
Redeployment Redeployment
Redeployment refers to the
reallocation of roles within a This term describes situations in Individual Redeployment is far less
department or organisation. In many which new positions or roles are common than its counterpart. This
ways, it is similar to the recruitment opening up within an organisation, term describes the situation where a
process, but with a greater volume of roles that that should ideally be filled person or group has to be relocated
first-hand information available about by existing members of that within an organisation. This will
potential candidates. If the organisation. normally be due to their current roles
organisation is a regular user of becoming redundant, but other
DISC-based assessment, then this A prerequisite of the use of DISC in reasons may also occasionally arise.
information will also include DISC helping to find the right person for a
profiles, a fact that can be of great new role is a clear idea of the DISC is ideal for easily
help in identifying the right candidate behavioural requirements for the new
for the right role.
comparing individuals’
position (a job profile). DISC is the
profiles against the job
ideal tool for quickly and easily
There are two main types of comparing individuals' profiles against
redeployment, which we refer to here this job profile to help select the best
as organisational and individual In DISC terms, this process is the
candidate. A computerised DISC
redeployment. There are significant reverse of Organisational
system such as Discus will make it
differences of approach applicable to Redeployment. Instead of matching a
practical to assess all members of an
each of these. number of candidate profiles against
organisation against the requirements
an individual job profile, a number of
of the new position.
job profiles representing the available
posts will be matched against only a
few candidate profiles.
This means that the use of

assessment in this field is more
difficult to achieve than Organisational
Redeployment, because most DISC
users maintain files of recruited
candidates' DISC profiles, but very
few possess a complete set of job
profiles covering every role within their
organisation. Such a database of job
profiles can bring real advantages, but
practical limitations to its construction
will usually mean that it is only
achievable by an automated DISC
system.
Team Building
Building Successful Teams with DISC
Why is it that some teams work smoothly and effectively together, while
others break down into internal conflict and achieve little? One of the main
factors is the interaction of different styles within the team. DISC provides a
useful predictor of team effectiveness by highlighting possible problem areas and
suggesting ways of resolving them.
The ideal composition of any team is We can gain an idea of the parts the
dependent on the team’s task, though DISC factors play in the development
one of the keys to success is diversity and performance of the team by looking Influence is the social cement of the
- in this context, diversity of at each of the four. Remember, this is a team. Unless they possess
personality. A variety of factors across simplification: in reality, the factors work specialised skills, highly Influential
team members can help to ensure in combination to produce a whole people can sometimes appear to
that the team performs effectively. range of team attitudes. have little practical part to play in the
team's proceedings. For a team to
Dominance, being the factor of control, work effectively, its members must
DISC Factors and their is most suited to a leadership role. have a sense of cohesion, and this
Team Roles Dominant people have a natural urge to can be achieved by the inclusion of
take command, and will fit easily into one or two Influential individuals. The
The ways that different DISC profiles such a position. However, the number communicative abilities of Influence
break down into roles within a team of High-D team members should can also provide an effective
are complex. A full analysis can usually be kept to a minimum, because representative or spokesperson,
subdivide personality types into no several people attempting to take presenting their findings and ideas to
less than twenty-seven distinct team leadership will potentially have a others.
roles. negative impact on team performance.
Team Building with

Team profiling and team building features come as standard with
Discus. Discus team building is completely free and unlimited: you
can set up any group of DISC profiles as a team, and freely
experiment with its membership to find the optimum group for your
needs.
Discus Team Profiles

The basis of team assessment with Discus is the team
profile, combining members' DISC profiles into a single
overall form. Discus allows you to set up and adjust any With Discus, you can set up the
membership of a team in minutes by
team, seeing the outcomes of your changes in real time.
choosing DISC profiles from your
database. You can optionally designate
Team Reporting
any of these members as the team's
Discus will produce detailed team assessment reports, leader with a single click.
discussing a team's structure and its internal relationships. If
you assign a leader for a team, Discus will provide an
assessment of their leadership style, and how that style fits
with the needs of the group.
Team Roles
Team members can also be broken down into DISC-based
team roles, helping to show how they see themselves as a
part of a working team.
Discus will compile a detailed
Free and Unlimited assessment for any team you create,
highlighting key features such as internal
Team profiling and reporting are a free and unlimited part of
relationships and roles, as well as
the Discus service. Registered Discus users can create any considering the leadership role.
number of teams, and view Discus reports on those teams
without restriction.
Find out more about team building with Discus
Team building on the Discus Online Website SEE A

SAMPLE
E-mail contact@discusonline.com REPORT
Skype axiom_office
Call us:
+44 (0)161 408 2112
+1 (214) 613-3983 BUY NOW
+61 (03) 9014 9611
Career Development
Planning Career Paths
with DISC
In the earlier parts of this section, we
have seen a number of ways in which
DISC can be used to help in purely
business-oriented matters, mostly
relating to either the recruitment or
assessment of staff.
Outside this corporate arena,

however, DISC can also contribute to
personal development. The clearest
example of this is in helping with an
individual's career development and
their career path.
A person's DISC profile

series is compared DISC Career Matching
against an ideal job profile
Using DISC for career development is a areas. Comparisons of this kind,
similar process to that seen in incorporating hundreds of possible
Important Note recruitment or assessment scenarios. A matches, are impractical for manual
It is important to note that there are person's DISC profile series is compared DISC systems, but this kind of
multitude of factors that must affect against an ideal job profile for a matching is sometimes provided by
the decisions a person takes about particular career, and the closeness of automated DISC applications. This
their careers. DISC alone cannot the match between the two styles will can be a very effective means of
provide a definitive conclusion, but it give an indication of how well that raising new career ideas that a
is able to provide guidance in deciding individual's style is suited to the career person might not have considered.
whether a particular career path is being investigated.
suited to an individual or not. Also, Once a career decision has been
DISC results tend to be less reliable While this is an appropriate method if a made, DISC can also help in
for young people under the age of decision is being made between two or preparing application letters and
about twenty, because before this age three possible career directions, it curricula vitæ (or résumés). DISC
the behavioural trends tend to be in a becomes rather impractical if a person profiles help to highlight the particular
state of flux. The precise age at which has no clear idea of the type of career areas of strength within a person's
a behavioural style reaches a stable they might be interested in. This situation style, and these can be included in
form will naturally vary from individual might apply, for example, to students applications. Because so many
to individual. leaving college or university. In this case, organisations use DISC, it may even
a library of job profiles is needed, be useful to include a full printed
representing a wide variety of different DISC report with a job application.
job styles in different career
Discus offers the comprehensive and flexible DISC
profiling solution to meets any needs. Throughout this
guide, we've seen how Discus can give you a powerful
DISC solution across the entire profiling spectrum, but it
The Complete DISC Solution has plenty more to offer, too.
Discus Languages
Discus Provides Truly The Discus interface and reports are currently available in thirteen languages,
and questionnaires in more than thirty. We're adding new translations all the
Multilingual Profiling time. You can pick a language with just a single click. If you're reading a report,
Discus profiling isn't limited to just that report will be instantly translated into the language you chose.
English; it can provide questionnaires
English (UK) Greek Portuguese
and reports in dozens of major Full translation Questionnaires Full translation
languages. English (US) Hebrew Portuguese (Brazil)
Full translation Questionnaires Full translation
Discus includes an automatic
Arabic Hindi Romanian
translation service that immediately Full translation Questionnaires Questionnaires
converts its content between more Chinese (Simplified) Hungarian Russian

Full translation Questionnaires Questionnaires
than thirty professionally translated
Chinese (Traditional) Italian Serbian
languages. It can also provide Full translation Full translation Questionnaires
content in international variants (for Czech Japanese Slovak
example, Discus questionnaires and Questionnaires Full translation Questionnaires
reports are available in both UK and Danish Korean Spanish

Questionnaires Questionnaires Full translation
US English).
Dutch Latvian Swahili
Questionnaires Questionnaires Questionnaires
When you set up a questionnaire, or
Estonian Lithuanian Swedish
view a Discus report, you're given an Questionnaires Questionnaires Full translation
option to choose your preferred Finnish Malay Thai
language. With a click of the mouse, Questionnaires Questionnaires Questionnaires
you can create a questionnaire in French Norwegian Turkish

Full translation Full translation Questionnaires
Finnish or Malay, or translate a report
German Polish
into Chinese or Norwegian. Full translation Questionnaires
Customisation and Branding

Add Your Corporate Identity to Discus Profiles and Reports
For an added level of professionalism, you can easily set up your
own branding on all Discus services and resources you need to
share with others. You can use Discus' branding options to add
your logo and colour scheme to the Discus profiling portal, used
by candidates to complete online tests and optionally view
reports. In addition, you can brand all printable material within
the Discus system, including printed questionnaires and all
reports created in PDF format.
Discus Platforms and Apps
Discus Gives You DISC
Profiling on Every
Platform and Device
Whatever your DISC profiling needs,
Discus has the answer. Whether
you're working on a desktop or
mobile device, you'll find a Discus
solution to match your needs. The
main Discus system is a completely
cloud-based solution, meaning that
all your your profile data is available
however you access the service.
DISC Training
An Interactive Online DISC Video Course
Discus provides the ideal introduction to the DISC profiling system through an
online interactive certification course. An Introduction to DISC is a great way to get
up to speed on the workings of the DISC personality profiling system. Starting
from first principles, this video training course builds over four sessions to cover
advanced topics such as factor combinations and profile shifts.
The course is divided into four sessions that break the material into convenient
parts, with each session consisting of a series of video units with additional
interactive material. Typically, course sessions are completed on consecutive
days with each lasting about sixty minutes, but the courseware is flexible, so that
You don't have to be a Discus user
trainees are free to complete the course at their own pace. Each course unit
to sign up for An Introduction to
consists of an engaging video explanation to the material, followed by an
DISC. The full course is available
interactive assessment that helps to reinforce the topic. Units can be repeated if
to anyone online, and it focuses on
necessary, and also include downloadable course notes to explain the subject in
the DISC profiling system rather
even more detail.
than Discus specifically, so the
course content is useful to anyone
Take the Course Online Today with an interest in DISC profiling at
www.axiomsoftware.com/training any level.
Get Started With Discus
Choose a Discus Package +44 (0)161 408 2112

+1 (214) 613-3983
+61 (03) 9014 9611
Skype axiom_office

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DISC

The Complete Introduction

© 1994-2018 Axiom Internet Group Limited

3 What is DISC? 26 Changes Across a Series

What does DISC DISC - The Key Facts

• Questionnaires can be scored and

• DISC can be used as a consistent

DISC is one of the most

What DISC Can Do For You

...and much more How DISC works

The Benefits of DISC Profiling

DISC is easy to use, cost-

Regular DISC profiling can keep you

How DISC Works

Key Traits The Four DISC Factors

DISC focuses on a series

The History and Evolution of DISC

Hippocrates, the Roman physician

Hippocrates defined four personality

The History and Evolution of DISC

A more modern model, that of Hans

The Reliability and Validity of DISC

The most important question about any

DISC Profiles: The Basics

Each of the four factors might measure

Invitations and Questionnaires

Questionnaire options Your candidate is automatically contacted

Find out more about Discus questionnaires

Questionnaires on the Discus Online Website

The D Factor: Dominance

Low Dominance in a DISC profile tends Decisiveness: High-D's generally

Competitiveness: People like this are

Ambition: Dominance relates to a clear

The D Factor: Dominance

Dominance is often a useful trait in a

especially where there's a Making a Decision we saw in their approach to decision-

The I Factor: Influence

Low Influence in a DISC profile Expressiveness: Their outgoing

This focus on other people means Enthusiasm: When engaged by an

The I Factor: Influence

Natural outlets for a High-I's outgoing

Roles of this kind will usually also Presenting Ideas

The S Factor: Steadiness

associated with a High-S. Far from Determination: High-S personalities

Persistence: Once embarked on a

The S Factor: Steadiness

The strengths of a High-S - patience,

The C Factor: Compliance

Low Compliance people don't naturally Precision: Highly Compliant people

People with high Compliance like to

The C Factor: Compliance

Their analytical approach, and desire

The Personality Report

Discus Report Contents

The Textual Report

Find out more about the Discus report

The Discus report on the Discus Online Website SEE A

DISC Factors in Combination

Remember, there are twelve possible

Sub-Traits with High Dominance

Sub-Traits with High Influence

Sub-Traits with High Steadiness

Sub-Traits with High Compliance