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Using DISC to Improve Employee Engagement

Are you sitting comfortably? I’m Nicola from The People Mentor, and today I want to talk about how you can use DISC to improve employee engagement.


Employee engagement is one of the main predictors of business success. Engaged employees are happier in their jobs, more productive, and more motivated, yet according to a Gallup report, only 15% of employees across the globe feel engaged in their jobs.
Disengaged employees are bad news for your business. A lack of engagement translates into lower morale, lower productivity, and ultimately, lower profits.


So what should you do as a small business owner to improve employee engagement?

The most important thing you can do is to show your employees that they matter. Employees are more likely to want to do well in their job, go the extra mile, and want to continue working for you if they feel valued.


To make people feel more valued and increase motivation, you could try things like giving them financial incentives or organising more social events outside of work, but the truth is that most people are motivated to do well for other reasons like they find their work interesting and challenging, or because they like to feel they’re a part of something that’s bigger than them.


Trying to find ways to increase employee engagement might seem bewildering, but there’s one useful tool you can use which can help you work out how to create a workplace where each and every employee is engaged and motivated to do their best.

The tool is DISC.


DISC theory is the study of personality traits that can give you an insight into what makes people tick, what motivates them, what their fears are, and how they are likely to behave in a conflict situation or under stress.


The theory suggests that there are four personality styles:

  • Dominance
  • Influence
  • Steadiness
  • Compliance.


Dominance personality styles are competitive and assertive. They make decisions quickly and like to be in control.


Influence personality styles like recognition and are talkative, enthusiastic, and optimistic.


Steadiness personality styles don’t like change. They are friendly, supportive, and patient people.


Compliance personality styles have very high standards and tend to be very precise.


You can imagine that being able to understand your employees in such a way will help you work out how to communicate with them better and motivate them in a way that they’ll respond positively to.

When employees feel understood on that kind of level, it makes for a much more harmonious and productive workplace, and a thriving business.


So let’s look at how you might improve employee engagement using DISC.

Your first step is that you need to know the unique personality styles of your team members. Then, follow these quick tips to improve engagement for each personality style.

With dominant personalities, you should:

  • Always be direct
  • Give them autonomy
  • Focus on results
  • Allow them to experiment with different ways of working

With an influence personality try:

  • Giving them opportunities to lead
  • Allow them to innovate and collaborate
  • Giving them a range of different tasks

With Steadiness people:

  • Give clear direction
  • Give them plenty of time to complete tasks
  • Give them a sense of security
  • Allow collaboration
  • Ask for their opinions

When working with compliance personalities:

  • Explain the purpose of the tasks
  • Listen to their opinions
  • Give them lots of facts and figures
  • Give them plenty of time to weigh up information and make decisions
  • Allow them to have some independence

As a small business owner who wants to achieve success, creating a motivating environment where employees can flourish is a great place to start.


DISC can help you understand your employees and how to help them work better, both individually and collectively, for the good of the business.