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PortugalRecruitment and Selection
Test disc: what is it and how is it used?
Learn what a DISC test is, how it is used in companies for staff recruitment, and how many questions it can consist of.
Marcos Lopez
HR Consultant
10 of March, 2025
Do you know what the DISC personality test is? The DISC assessment is a test that provides valuable information about an individual’s personality and behavior in certain situations. It is increasingly used in companies to increase sales production or improve labor relations by identifying hidden talents in their workers.
What is the DISC test
The DISC personality test is represented by a circle that illustrates the range of a human being’s “normal behavior.” That is, the range of emotions and perspectives derived from healthy psychology.
The circle has four quadrants 1) Dominance 2) Influence 3) Steadiness 4) Conscientiousness. This diagram shows what happens when one of these traits becomes excessive or deficient and how it affects your ability to deal with stress and other people in your life.
The four letters are abbreviated as follows:
- D = Dominance (top left quadrant) = confidence, ambition, assertiveness, aggression;
- I = Influence (bottom left quadrant) = persuasion skills, leadership qualities;
- S = Steadiness (top right quadrant) = reliability, seriousness;
- C = Conscientiousness (bottom right quadrant) = responsibility and achievement motivation.
The top point represents dominance. People with a high degree of dominance are self-confident and assertive, while those with a low degree of dominance tend to be shyer or more reserved.
People who score higher on assertiveness tend to be more task-oriented, while those who score lower on assertiveness tend to be more people-oriented.
A person’s degree of extraversion/introversion is represented by the vertical axis of this “circle”. People with a high degree of extraversion tend to be extroverted, sociable, and talkative; those with a low degree of extraversion tend to be quiet and reserved.
People who score higher on Conscientiousness tend to be organized, detailed, and responsible; those who score lower on Conscientiousness tend to be more spontaneous and less likely to follow through with tasks.
How to apply the DISC test for recruitment and selection?
If you have ever taken a personality test, you will know that there are all kinds of ways to evaluate your personality. Some are more objective than others, like the Myers-Briggs type indicator, which is based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. Others are based on more subjective methods, like the DISC test.
Contrary to what happens with other types of tests, the DISC tests do not aim to establish a candidate’s characteristic. It focuses more on the candidate’s personality and how this influences their social and work relationships (when we talk about talent management in companies).
William Marston, an American psychologist who also created the lie detector, is the author and creator of the DISC test. It was first published in his 1928 book Emotions of Normal People.
This tool provides us with deep knowledge of the personality profile of each of our employees. It helps us identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their passions and preferences.
Personality tests are one of the most important tools in our arsenal as recruiters for personnel selection.
DISC tests are used not only in the hiring phase but throughout an employee’s career. This helps us address any problems that may arise, as well as understand their performance and the best way to maintain motivation.
How many questions does the DISC personality test have?
There is no fixed and determined pattern of DISC personality test questions. The quality of the questions posed to the participants influences more. Only in this way will the execution of this assessment provide valid data and useful information to the Human Resources department to manage the organization’s talent.
The DISC test is a methodology that allows determining a person’s profile in a simple way.
The first step is to define job orientation: for the job that is sought, it is important to determine if the required person must be results-oriented (Definition and achievement of objectives) or process-oriented (Recurrent and organized development of steps for the performance of a task).
Secondly, we will establish the preferred orientation: now it can be determined if for the position to be covered a task-oriented person (Cortical Preference) or a people-oriented person (Limbic Preference) is needed.
With these two steps completed, it is now possible to determine in which quadrant that person will succeed.
How long does the DISC test take?
DISC tests are completed in an average of only 15 minutes and are used by millions of people around the world.
Use Sesame to attract and retain talent
As a Human Resources manager, you know that getting to know employees is one of the most important tasks you must perform. Not only because it helps you better achieve business objectives, but also because it helps ensure a healthy corporate culture.
The problem is: How to keep track of all those details? With Sesame: we do the heavy lifting! Our HR software will help you keep track of all the information about candidates, workers, and current employees so you can focus on managing the business and ensuring that the company’s talent is happy and has a motivating environment.
Need help?
I'm Marcos López, HR consultant at Sesame HR. Book a meeting with my team to help you.