Using the DISC Profile for Picking the Right Person Everytime

Have you ever hired someone into a position that had the perfect resume and stellar references, yet you felt disappointed about your selection three months later?

Maybe you had that nagging feeling in your gut that told you the person wasn't the right choice, but you just could not put your finger on it. So you hired the person anyway. And then six months later they left the business.

We have all heard people state or maybe you personally think 'I am an excellent judge of people's character' or 'I can see through the BS during the interview process.' Unfortunately most people are not great at reading people during interviews. Here is the reason why.

People being interviewed wear a mask. No not a physical mask, but they do change or adapt their style to try to fit the requirements of the position and the culture expectations of the organization. They study the organization prior to the interview. They try to find blogs about the organization so they can better understand the workplace.

Some of these people, especially the current generation will search out people on Facebook, MySpace, or other social networks to gain a better understanding of the business culture or the behind the scenes working of the business. All of this preparation by the person being interviewed makes it tough for the hiring manager to really 'see' through the mask of the individual.

Face it the person being interviewed only has to 'fake you out' for 30 to 60 minutes during a couple rounds of interviews to be hired. Taking this approach to interviewing is really a crap shoot. And the long term ramifications can be horrendous if you make the wrong decision.

So what can you do to be absolutely certain that you make the right call on the person being hired?

Use data.

As a former Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, the use of data was an absolute requirement for any project or business decision that was put forth in my business. When it comes to hiring people though, we seem to shy away from using valid data.

Detailed below are the typical ways that 'data' is used during the interview process:

• Resume submitted by the candidate that typically highlights all of the wonderful things that he accomplished. Very rarely if ever are the person's failures or mistakes detailed in the resume.
• Personal and business references that are submitted by the candidate. Do you really think they are going to give you someone that isn't going to say something nice about them.
• The interview process as detailed above is another source of data. Situational interviews are typically better than the standard, please tell me everything about yourself or why you are the right person for this position. But in either case, bias exists with interview team as well as how the answers are spun during the process.

None of the above data is presented without bias. How much bias, well that depends upon the individual and the interview team.

So data is not exactly the correct answer to question on how to ensure you are picking the right person for the job.

Unbiased or truthful data is.

Over the last several years, I have used an assessment tool that provides unbiased data with a statistically significant accuracy level (greater than 85%) about the communication style and the values of the individual.

No this is not a personality test.

It is called a DISC Profile assessment. These two assessments provide a series of questions that dive into 'how' a person gets things done and 'why' they do the things they do.

It is not going to show you if the person has a bad temperament or is happy all of the time; Rather it is going to provide you with unbiased data about the person's natural style (no mask) and their adapted style (when they wear a mask).

In addition, it will provide you with some solid data on how to motivate the individual to get things done. Believe it or not, everyone is not motivated by money! Some people want more time off with their families and others want to help the greater good of mankind. Having this background information, will help you setup the proper motivation factors to get the most out of the individual.

So how do you use this data to select the right individual for the job opportunity that you have.

First, you fill out a profile for the perfect person for the job. As a side note, you should also have other people fill out the questionnaire for the profile as well. It is interesting to see if everyone sees the position the same way.

This method helps eliminate some of the internal bias that may occur during the interview process. Ultimately, this completed profile provides you with the template to compare everyone against.

Next have each of your interview candidates fill out the assessments as part of the interview process.

These assessments should not be the sole indicator on who gets the position. Rather, they are additional unbiased data sets that should be used in conjunction with your other selection process tools to ultimately pick the individual.

Finally take the results of the profile and each of the interview candidates and place them on the wheel as shown here. If the person's natural style fits with the profile that you develop, you will have a better fit for the position.

If the candidates' profile and the one developed do not fall within the same area (like the one pictured to the right), then you should continue to look. The person may have interviewed perfectly and their references may be great, but if they don't 'fit' the position, then don't think you are going to be able to change them. They will not be happy long term with the position and the chance of them leaving will increase significantly.

Hiring the right person is one of the most important things that can be done to improve the business. Do it Right the First Time!

Included is an example DISC Assessment Report for the 'How' a person gets things done. This assessment only takes about 20 minutes to complete and the results are provided nearly instantaneously after you complete the last question.

If you are interested in getting a free assessment or using unbiased data to find the perfect person for the position, then drop us an email at: michael (at) informedleaders (dot) com.

Or feel free to visit our Informed Leaders and Leadership Development blog.

In summary, interviewing and selecting the perfect person is very tough. The impact of selecting the wrong individual can be disastrous for the business as well as the individual. Use the DISC profile assessment to provide additional unbiased data in the selection process.