Would you hire Dolly Parton? First Impressions Can Be Misleading

By: Sue Bowlby

I had Anderson Cooper's show on last week while I was getting ready for work. (Okay, so I was running late as usual.) His guest was Dolly Parton, a very talented writer, singer and businesswoman. Dolly talked about her life and mentioned that she and her husband often like to go to Wal-Mart very early in the morning to look for deals, especially around Christmas. Anderson asked her if people go crazy when they realize she's in the store but she said there are very few people there early in the morning and, besides, she does live in Nashville where people are used to seeing her.

That comment got me thinking because, in case you don't know, Dolly Parton has a very distinctive look. A look which, as Anderson pointed out, has changed very little in the last 20+ years.  If you didn't know Dolly Parton and you saw her in the store, what assumptions would you make about her? If you were interviewing her for a job would her blond wig, long fingernails and "oh my gawd" jewelry freak you out before you had a chance to find out how smart and talented she is?

So what's the point? The point is that her interview reminded me how very easy it is to make assumptions about people because of their looks. And then it occurred to me that it also easy to make assumptions about people based on their behavioral, or DiSC, style.

For those of us who have applied DiSC over the years, it's not uncommon to refer to someone as a "high i" or a "high D," automatically classifying them as either "enthusiastic and sociable" or "results-focused and direct".  Those observations aren't wrong, they just don't tell the entire story.

We have valid reliable DiSC models, including the latest circular model used in the Everything DiSC Workplace profile. However, surprising enough, there's always more to learn.  That's why I was so excited when Inscape Publishing came out with a new Everything DiSC Supplement for Facilitators report. It is a one-page report designed to provide additional insight into an individual's DiSC assessment.  The report has two sections: "Breakdown by DiSC Scale" and "Unexpected Items for the Participant's Style".

Yes, you read that right, unexpected items, that means areas of their behavior that may  be inconsistent with their style. And since the DiSC profile is based on the person's self-assessment, this means characteristics  that they have reported as significant in describing their behavior.  For example, you may be working with someone who is clearly a "high i" who has unexpectedly reported that they are logical, strict and conforming.  If you're basing your conversations with this person  on the typical "friendly, not-so-organized, somewhat freewheeling" stereotype of a "high i", you may not be connecting.

Just like assumptions about looks can be misleading, so can assumptions about people's behavior style. When you're using this information to make critical business or personal decisions, make sure your decisions are based on the best possible information available. If you're not sure about the behavioral tools you're using, ask whether or not they can account for unexpected items.

Using DiSC Profiles for Hiring

Lately I've been reading a lot about people using the DiSC Profile as a sort of hiring test. While DiSC is an excellent tool for evaluating behavioral styles employers need to be extremely careful using it as the sole basis for making a decision. You can gain valuable insight into how a person might handle various tasks but there are a lot of other considerations for hiring someone for a specific position. For instance, you might prefer that a sales person demonstrates influencing characteristics with a little dominance. However, if you're selling a product that requires sales people to collect details, someone with a more conscientious, steady approach might perform more effectively. You definitely don't want the customer to feel details fell through the cracks. It leaves a bad taste in their mouth and hurts the organizations reputation from the start. Here's an example. Recently we switched payment processors for our online payment system. The sales person demonstrated all of the classic sales characteristics. He was personable, knowledgeable and continued to push forward as we moved through the process. Ultimately we decided to go with this company because they were reputable and the sales person appeared to know what he was talking about. However, when it came time to actually set up the account he missed several key details which caused the configuration to misfire and made the transition less than smooth. My view of the company has been changed and it will be tough to change it back. Basically, it's alright to use the DiSC Profile as a piece to the hiring puzzle but it wasn't intended to be used as a hiring test. You have to look at all aspects of the position and try to find balance with all of the different tools available. Just my thoughts on DiSC for hiring.