Factfile: matching people to jobs

Jobs and Job Matching

If DISC can provide a description of a person's behaviour, then the idea can be extended to develop a model of a job or role. This process is called Job Profiling: developing a DISC profile that describes the ideal combination of behaviour needed to perform a particular role.

Once we have a Job Profile, we can apply the same principles to it as to a personal DISC profile. For example, we can create a textual description of the type of person needed to fulfil the role effectively.

The real strength of a Job Profile, though, is that it gives us a basis for testing different personal styles against a role's defined needs. This is a Job Match - a procedure that can assess exactly how effectively a person's behaviour will fit the needs of a role. It can even examine the specific differences, and suggest areas where a person will excel, and where they will likely benefit from training.

A Discus Job Match in action. Note that the analysis can highlight the differences between the candidate and the role, and even indicate particlar areas of strength, as well as likely training requirements.

Deciding on the ideal definition for a new role is a often a question best settled by consensus, and Discus recognises this fact with a brand new feature: collaborative Job Profiling. Now, it's possible to create multiple different 'views' of the needs of a role, and use Discus to merge those perspectives together to create a single Job Profile.

How to Make a Job Profile

Defining a role using DISC is easier than you might think. Discus includes five different methods, each suited to different situations.

For example, you can use a simple question set to describe the main features of a role, or choose a candidate who is currently successful in that role as a template. For really experienced users of DISC, you can even create a Job Profile entirely by hand.

Limitations

It has to be emphasised that Job Matching like this is only a part of the process. Clearly, there is more to a person's suitability for a role than merely their behavioural style, and that means that Job Match provides only a part of the picture - albeit an immensely useful and informative part.

Find out more

• DISC in Recruitment
• Practical DISC Applications
• The Discus Profiler