How to Adjust Your Management Communication Style Based On an Employee’s DISC Assessment

Behavioral assessments like DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness) can be valuable tools during the hiring process. They help employers look at an employee’s fit outside of their resume. 

 

DISC assessments help organizations understand behavioral tendencies like how someone communicates, makes decisions, responds in different scenarios, and interacts with others. It can be used as part of hiring criteria, or it can be used later to better understand how candidates fit within an existing team. 

 

For managers, understanding each employee’s behavioral styles gives insight into how to communicate, give feedback, delegate responsibilities, and support development. The goal isn’t putting people in boxes. Instead, it is to give hiring teams and managers another lens for understanding the people they’re bringing onto and developing within their teams. 

 

DISC Can Inform Both Hiring and Management

DISC provides useful insight before and after someone joins the team. 

 

During hiring, it helps organizations understand how a candidate’s behavioral tendencies align with the communication and dynamics of a particular role. After the hire, those same insights can help managers adapt their approach. 

 

 

Consider two employees receiving the same feedback. “I’d like you to take more ownership of client projects.” 

 

The first employee wants feedback quickly and directly. They don’t ask questions but know what needs to change, and immediately start working on it. 

 

The second wants more context. They may ask why the change is necessary, how it affects their work, and what success looks like. 

 

A manager who communicates with both employees the same way may be frustrated. A manager who understands DISC recognizes these differences and adjusts their approach accordingly. 

 

What Do D, I, S, and C Mean? 

DISC groups behavioral tendencies into four broad styles. Most people show a combination of traits, with some tendencies being more prominent than others. 

 

D: Dominance

People with a stronger D style tend to be direct, results-focused, and comfortable making decisions. They often appreciate clear goals, autonomy, and the opportunity to solve problems. 

 

For managers, this may mean leading with the objective rather than providing a long explanation. When giving feedback, being specific about what needs to change and the expected outcome may be more effective than overexplaining. 

 

I: Influence

People with a stronger I style tend to be outgoing, enthusiastic, and focused on communication and relationships. They work best when collaborating, brainstorming, and interacting with others. 

 

 

Managers may find that these employees respond well to conversation, recognition, and opportunities to work with others. When delegating, explaining the broader impact or giving them opportunities to collaborate can keep employees engaged. 

 

S: Steadiness

People with a stronger S style often value consistency, cooperation, and stability. They may prefer time to process changes and appreciate a supportive, predictable work environment. 

 

A manager working with an S-style employee may get better results by explaining changes, why they are happening, and how transitions will work. Giving them a chance to ask questions can also make navigating change easier. 

 

C: Conscientiousness

C-style employees tend to value accuracy, quality, structure, and clear expectations. They may want to understand details before making a decision or moving forward. 

 

Managers can support these employees by providing specific instructions, relevant information, and enough time to evaluate their work. Instead of saying, “Finish this ASAP,” a manager might provide a clear deadline, requirements, and definition of what a successful finished product looks like. 

 

The Value of Understanding the Styles

These styles are not boxes that employees fit into permanently. Most people have a combination of behavioral tendencies, and those tendencies can shift depending on the situation. 

 

The practical value of DISC is giving managers a framework for considering why two employees may respond differently to the same communication, feedback, or workplace expectation. The insight can help managers adjust their approach without changing the standard they expect employees to meet. 

 

How Managers Can Use DISC in Practice

The true value of DISC comes from applying it to real management situations. 

 

Giving Feedback

Imagine a manager needs to address an employee’s missed deadlines. 

 

One employee may respond well to: 

 

“The last three reports were submitted late. Going forward, I need them by 3 p.m. Friday. What is getting in the way?” 

Another may respond to: 

 

“I’ve noticed the last three reports were late. Let’s talk about what’s causing the delays and what we can change so you have enough time to complete them accurately and on time.”

 

The expectation is the same. The communication approach is different. DISC helps managers recognize that effective leadership doesn’t mean communication with everyone in exactly the same way. 

 

 

Delegating Work

Some employees thrive with broad objectives and autonomy. Others perform better with clear processes, timelines, and milestones. 

 

Instead of simply saying: 

 

“Take care of the client presentation.” 

 

A manager might say: 

 

“I’d like you to have the presentation completed by Thursday. Start with the client data from last quarter, include three recommendations, and send me a draft Wednesday afternoon.” 

 

Neither approach is clearly better. The important question is whether the manager understands what helps each employee succeed. 

 

Understanding Natural and Adapted Styles

Some DISC assessments also compare a person’s Natural Style with their Adapted Style. This gives managers more context about how employees behave naturally, compared to how they adjust to their current environment. 

 

 

Natural Style reflects behaviors a person tends to rely on most comfortably. Adapted style reflects behaviors they may use to meet the expectations of a particular role or environment. The two can be similar, or there may be noticeable differences. Neither is inherently better or worse. 

 

Natural Style Helps Managers Understand Communication Preferences

Knowing an employee’s Natural Style can help a manager consider how that person is most likely to respond to different types of communication. 

 

For example, an employee with a more direct, results-focused style may prefer a manager to get to the point, explain the objective, and give them room to act. An employee who naturally prefers more stability and collaboration may respond better when a manager explains what is changing, why it matters, and what support is available. 

 

The expectation doesn’t need to change. The communication approach can. 

 

Adapted Style Shows How Employees are Adjusting 

Adapted Style can give managers another perspective. How is this employee adjusting to the demands of their role? 

 

Imagine an employee whose Natural Style is more reserved and methodical, but whose role requires frequent client interaction. Their Adapted Style may become more outgoing and relationship-focused as needed. 

 

This doesn’t mean the employee is struggling or in the wrong role, but it gives the manager context. Behaviors that look effortless from the outside might require more energy from the employee than they appear to. That can lead to better conversations about workload, support, and development. 

 

Using the Difference to Manage More Effectively

The comparison between Natural and Adapted Styles can also help managers spot potential friction before it becomes a performance issue. For example, a manager might notice that an employee is consistently adjusting their communication style, pace, or approach to meet the demands of the job. Rather than assuming there is a performance problem, the manager can ask what is working, what feels difficult, and where additional support could help. 

 

This is most useful when managing employees who perform well but need different types of communication, structure, or feedback to do their best work. 

 

DISC does not tell a manager exactly how an employee will behave, nor does it replace performance data, experience, or direct communication. Instead, it provides information that can be used thoughtfully to help managers communicate more effectively, delegate with greater intention, and support employee development. 

 

Creating a Benchmark for Hiring

At Squadron, we often are brought into a scenario where there are several top performers in a department (e.g. Sales Representatives). In these situations, we will run DISC assessments on top performers, look for common patterns, and (if there are patterns) utilize those results for hiring others in the department. Simultaneously, we will look at underperformers to see if the pattern holds up there as well. 

 

 

The Bottom Line

A DISC assessment shouldn’t be something an employer completes during the hiring process and then files away once the candidate accepts the offer. Its real value continues long after the hiring decision. 

Squadron is qualified to provide DISC assessments that give organizations insight into how employees communicate, respond to expectations, and work with others. Those insights can help managers make better decisions about feedback, delegation, team dynamics, and employee development.