The True Value of a Free DISC Assessment
Maybe someone suggested that DISC will help you to become more self-aware. They also said there are plenty of free sites to go and take a free DISC assessment. Kudos to you for wanting to learn more about yourself! It’s tempting to use free assessments, but here is the real question for you: If you are investing in your personal growth, aren’t you worth more than what the free reports give you? Let’s look at the comparison of using free DISC assessments versus a comprehensive report, such as the PeopleKeys DISC report, or my favorite, the 4D Report: DISC + TEAMS + Values + BAI.
A Free DISC Assessment Means Limited Information and Details
I took a few of the free DISC assessments that were listed at the top of my web search results. All of them provided a brief overview of my personality style. That was it. They did, however, give me the option to “upgrade” to the full report for a fee. I’m not sure what the paid versions looked like, but the PeopleKeys full DISC report provides an introduction to the DISC Personality System, a general description of your style, overview of intensity for each of the four main DISC styles, motivational overview, communication guidelines, compatibility with other styles, interaction enhancement suggestions, graphs of your public, private, and perceived self, and an action planning section. Yeah, that’s a lot, and it provides extensive value as you learn more about yourself.
Free DISC Has Limited Data Validation
Simply slapping a free assessment online, hoping to drive traffic to a site is easy. The problem is there are no references to validate the results and the approach. On the other hand, the PeopleKeys DISC assessment and reports have been studied and validated multiple times. This means it has been proven to be accurate and reliable for applications such as hiring, personal development, and student retention. Do you want to take a chance on a freebie that may point you in the wrong direction?
A Free DISC Report Lacks Specialization
I also noticed on the free DISC assessment websites they provide free versions of other assessments like IQ tests, career tests, and even spatial awareness tests. While I didn’t take any of those, I don’t think I would choose to take career advice from a site that specializes in free tests instead of specializing in career counseling. To the contrary, the PeopleKeys site is solely focused on the DISC personality profile and how it can be applied to different situations. Having over 35 years of experience using DISC (and other behavioral solutions) with tens of thousands of people, globally, across dozens of industries, means a lot of expertise that comes to you!
Free Assessments Don’t Offer Custom Reports
As a continuation of the specialization, PeopleKeys’ provides additional reports that are tailored to specific applications, such as sales performance, scholastic success, team building, hiring, and even fitness development! All of these use the DISC styles, as well as an additional input to maximize your achievement. None of the others had much, if anything, to offer when it comes to using your DISC results in specific scenarios. Even if you don’t buy the additional DISC custom reports from PeopleKeys, you can browse our blog that has hundreds of posts, by category, to help you apply your newly found self-awareness.
Free is Not Completely Free
Finally, when you use one of the free DISC assessments, you have to sign up via email for most of them. The result is countless marketing emails added to your daily inbox. Sure, you can unsubscribe, but some of them don’t even have a link at the bottom of the email to unsubscribe. Your time and privacy are valuable, and PeopleKeys respects that. PeopleKeys is GDPR compliant. If you purchase from us, you have to double opt-in for emails and your personal data will never be shared. We also have staff (you know, real humans) who answer calls daily from those who have questions about DISC.
Sure, we are biased about free versus paid reports. We actually had a free report and after much debate about the true value, decided to remove it and provide exceptional value to our paid products through our research, blog posts, and knowledgeable staff. I think you’ll find the paid DISC reports a bargain, especially when you consider it is an investment in yourself.
