A DISC assessment measures a person’s behavioral style. It can be a very useful pre-employment screening tool to help you understand candidates on a deeper level. The model categorizes behavior into four main types: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C).
But there are many different DISC assessments out there, and it can be difficult to know which one to pick. Is a free assessment good enough, or do you need to pay for a premium option?
To help you out, we analyze the cost of DISC assessments to help you understand how much you can expect to pay and whether it's best to go for a free or paid version.
Many types of DISC assessments are available online, ranging in price from free to $100 or more per person. A good-quality assessment can cost anywhere between $24 and $100, often depending on the total number of people being assessed.
For example, DISC Profile, a popular DISC assessment provider, charges $90 for each Everything DiSC - Workplace Profile test, with the price reducing the more you purchase at the same time.
Compared to this, TestGorilla is very cost effective. Starter subscriptions to TestGorilla begin at just $75 per month, and the Pro plan starts at $115 per month. Both plans include access to our huge test library, which has 400+ pre-employment tests.
These plans enable you to assess unlimited candidates per year, which means that the more candidates you test, the more you save.
It’s important to understand the differences between free and paid DISC assessments to ensure you’re selecting the best option for your business. Here are a few key things to be aware of.
Generally, paid DISC assessments offer more detail than free tests. This can include an in-depth analysis of a candidate’s behavioral style, strengths, and areas for improvement. In contrast, free assessments tend to offer only basic reports.
Many free DISC assessments aren’t actually free. Instead, they only offer very limited results for free and then ask you to upgrade to receive a full report. For example, you may receive your personality type with a free test and then have to pay to see an explanation of it.
Not all free DISC assessments are scientifically validated or have any sort of scientific backing behind them. This can make them inaccurate and unreliable. On the other hand, most—but not all—premium tests are validated and peer-reviewed by psychologists and behavioral scientists.
TestGorilla’s DISC assessment presents a good example of the type of scientific backing to look for. It was created by and has been fully validated by qualified psychologists and other professionals.
Finally, premium DISC assessments usually offer dedicated support where you can get help if you run into any issues. Free assessments don’t always offer this, which can make it difficult to troubleshoot if you do run into problems.
There are some key features to consider when selecting the most appropriate DISC assessment, as we discuss below.
One of the most important things to look for in a DISC assessment is some sort of scientific or psychological validation and backing. At the least, look for a test that has been developed and tested by experts such as psychologists and behavioral scientists. In general, it’s also best if a test is peer-reviewed. These are more likely to provide accurate results.
To learn more about the science behind pre-employment testing, including validity and reliability, take a look at our Science Series articles.
You’ll also want to look for a DISC assessment that offers in-depth analysis and reporting. This can include, for example, an applicant’s personality type, along with information to help you understand what this means and how it applies to your workplace.
Do also be aware that most free tests use a freemium model and ask you to pay for a detailed report when you’ve completed the test. You’ll only get basic results otherwise.
Learning how to interpret the results of a DISC assessment is also very important to ensure you can understand the reports.
Group assessment tools are useful if you want to assess several candidates at once. These include, for example, the ability to share tests via a link or via bulk email invite.
TestGorilla is a strong option on this front as it enables you to collect and compare candidate results for a position. You can rank candidates based on their scores or performance in certain parts of the test to ensure you’re selecting the most appropriate applicants to move on to the interview process.
Since DISC assessments collect sensitive personal information, using a testing platform with strong security measures is important. Look for the following to ensure your data and that of your candidates is protected.
Strong encryption
Access controls
A clear privacy policy
Multi-factor authentication
Free online tests often lack the required level of security.
At TestGorilla, we offer a detailed DISC Personality test that’s designed for pre-employment screening. It takes 10 minutes and can help you understand your candidates and their behavioral tendencies.
The test has been created and validated by a qualified clinical psychologist and peer reviewed by at least one other industry expert. It was then calibrated using the results of hundreds of participants.
Candidates are given 48 statements and asked to score them from 1 (very inaccurate) to 5 (very accurate). The first statement to respond to, for example, is “I put people under pressure”.
Twelve outcomes are possible, as many candidates exhibit a combination of two of the behavioral types.
What’s more, TestGorilla enables you to combine the DISC Personality test with any of the other 400+ tests in the test library. You can add custom questions and request video responses to gather more information, and it’s easy to use and set up.
DISC assessments are a useful pre-employment screening tool, especially when used alongside other personality and skills tests. At TestGorilla, we offer a powerful DISC Personality test that’s designed specifically for employee testing.
Why not give our DISC test a try and perfect your hiring today!
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