If you’ve ever caught yourself wondering whether you’re more of a “D” or an “INTJ,” you’re not alone. Across workplaces, leadership programmes, and team development sessions, personality profiling tools have become increasingly popular — and for good reason. They help us understand ourselves and others, build stronger teams, and communicate more effectively.
But when it comes to choosing between DISC and Myers-Briggs (MBTI), it’s not always clear which tool suits your needs best. Both are well-respected, widely used, and grounded in psychological theory. Yet their purposes and practical applications differ — particularly in workplace development, team building, and recruitment.
In this article, we’ll explore the key differences between DISC and Myers-Briggs, explain how each can be used, and show why DISC often stands out as the more practical tool for managers, recruiters, and leaders in today’s care and business environments.
Understanding Myers-Briggs: A Window into Personality Preferences
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was developed in the mid-20th century by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, inspired by the psychological theories of Carl Jung. Its original aim was to help women entering the workforce during World War II find suitable job roles — but it has since become one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world.
The MBTI groups people into 16 personality types, based on four opposing dimensions:
- Introversion (I) or Extraversion (E) – how you draw your energy
- Sensing (S) or Intuition (N) – how you take in information
- Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) – how you make decisions
- Judging (J) or Perceiving (P) – how you approach the outside world
For example, an INTJ might be described as analytical, strategic, and independent, while an ESFP might be seen as outgoing, spontaneous, and people-oriented.
The MBTI is known for providing deep personal insight, helping individuals understand their motivations, strengths, and growth areas. It’s particularly useful for personal development, counselling, and self-awareness.However, MBTI isn’t typically recommended for hiring or performance evaluation. That’s because it measures preferences rather than abilities — how someone prefers to think or act, not necessarily how they perform at work. It’s also more complex to interpret and can feel too personal to share openly in professional settings.
Understanding DISC: A Framework for Behaviour and Communication
The DISC model, developed from the work of psychologist William Moulton Marston, takes a different approach. It doesn’t try to measure personality in a fixed sense. Instead, it looks at observable behaviour — how people act, react, and communicate, particularly in workplace situations.
DISC categorises people into four broad behavioural styles:
- Dominance (D): Task-focused, decisive, and results-driven
- Influence (I): Social, persuasive, and enthusiastic
- Steadiness (S): Supportive, dependable, and calm
- Compliance (C): Analytical, precise, and detail-oriented
What makes DISC especially effective in professional environments is its simplicity and practicality. It’s easy to remember, easy to interpret, and directly applicable to everyday communication, teamwork, and leadership.While MBTI helps people explore “who they are,” DISC helps them understand “how they show up” — how they behave under pressure, collaborate with others, or respond to change. This focus on behaviour makes DISC particularly powerful in leadership, coaching, and recruitment.
DISC vs Myers-Briggs: What’s the Difference?
At first glance, both tools aim to do the same thing: help people understand themselves and others. But their methodologies, depth, and applications are quite distinct.
| Aspect | Myers-Briggs (MBTI) | DISC |
| Focus | Internal personality preferences | External, observable behaviour |
| Number of types | 16 personality types | 4 main behavioural styles |
| Length of assessment | Around 90 questions | Around 20–30 questions |
| Complexity | More detailed and introspective | Simple, quick, and practical |
| Best suited for | Personal development and coaching | Workplace communication, leadership, and hiring |
| Ease of sharing results | More private, personal insights | Public-friendly and team-oriented |
| Application in hiring | Not recommended | Commonly used and effective |
| Adaptability | Fixed personality traits | Situational behaviour — flexible and dynamic |
In short: MBTI explains why you do what you do; DISC shows how you do it.
Which Works Better in the Workplace?
If your goal is personal discovery, the Myers-Briggs test can offer rich insight into your inner world — how you think, feel, and process information. It’s a brilliant self-reflection tool.
However, in workplace environments, especially those that require strong communication, teamwork, and leadership, DISC tends to be the more practical and impactful choice.
That’s because DISC is:
- Quick and easy to understand: Staff at all levels can interpret their results without a background in psychology.
- Applicable to real-world scenarios: Managers can instantly use DISC insights to improve team communication and reduce conflict.
- Comfortable to share: Because DISC focuses on behaviour (not deep personal traits), employees are more open to discussing and applying it.
- Aligned with organisational goals: It supports leadership development, performance conversations, and even recruitment strategies.
In care settings — where communication, empathy, and teamwork are essential — DISC has proven especially valuable for building trust, improving collaboration, and retaining staff.
Using DISC in Recruitment and Workforce Development
One of the major challenges in today’s care and business sectors is hiring the right people. Technical skills can be taught, but values, communication styles, and emotional intelligence determine long-term success and staff retention.
DISC offers hiring managers a clear behavioural framework for evaluating whether a candidate’s natural style fits the culture of the team and the demands of the role.
For example:
- A Dominant (D) candidate may thrive in fast-paced environments where quick decisions are vital.
- An Influential (I) personality might excel in client-facing or team-motivating roles.
- A Steady (S) individual could be perfect for consistent, routine-focused work requiring patience and empathy.
- A Compliant (C) type might shine in analytical or quality-focused positions.
Rather than replacing interviews or technical assessments, DISC complements them — helping hiring managers predict how a person will behave under pressure, interact with colleagues, and contribute to team culture.This behaviour-based approach is far more reliable than assessing qualifications alone, and it plays a major role in reducing staff turnover, particularly in care and service sectors.
Can MBTI Still Be Useful at Work?
Absolutely. MBTI remains a respected and insightful tool, especially for leadership coaching, self-awareness, and team reflection. Many organisations use it successfully in training and development programmes, where the focus is on understanding personality preferences rather than predicting performance.
However, MBTI’s depth and complexity can sometimes make it harder to translate into everyday workplace action. Teams may find it challenging to remember all 16 types or to apply them practically without ongoing facilitation.
That’s where DISC’s simplicity wins out. Its four-style model is easy to recall and integrate into daily communication, feedback, and leadership decisions — even months after the training session.
DISC and MBTI: Complementary, Not Competing
It’s not necessarily about choosing one over the other — both tools can complement each other. MBTI provides a deep dive into personality, while DISC focuses on how that personality expresses itself in action.
In fact, many leadership coaches and behavioural experts use both frameworks in combination. MBTI gives people language for their internal preferences, while DISC gives them a lens for external behaviour — bridging the gap between self-awareness and practical communication.For managers and recruiters, though, DISC tends to offer a faster route to impact. It translates immediately into action: clearer communication, stronger relationships, and better hiring decisions.
So, Which Should You Choose?
If your aim is personal growth, self-understanding, or leadership reflection, MBTI is a fantastic tool to start with.
But if you’re a manager, HR professional, or care provider seeking practical insights into how people communicate, collaborate, and lead, DISC is the more effective choice. It’s straightforward, actionable, and proven to make a difference in workplace culture and team dynamics.
Ultimately, both MBTI and DISC remind us of the same truth: people are different — and understanding those differences is the key to better relationships, stronger teams, and more effective leadership.
Final Thoughts
In a world where communication and collaboration define success, personality tools like DISC and Myers-Briggs offer valuable insight into how we connect and lead.
For businesses and care providers focused on performance, culture, and retention, DISC stands out as a practical, behaviour-driven approach that helps managers recruit smarter, lead with empathy, and build teams that work better together.At Communication Guru, we use DISC not as a label, but as a language for understanding human behaviour — empowering leaders to create workplaces where people feel seen, supported, and valued.
