Five Reasons to Include Everything DiSC® in Your Onboarding
Why Onboarding Sets the Stage for Success
Onboarding isn’t just about handing out employee handbooks or setting up IT equipment—it’s the critical first step in shaping a new hire’s journey within your organization. It’s a time to establish expectations, build connections, and ensure employees feel supported in their new roles. Yet, according to Gallup, only 12% of employees feel their companies excel at onboarding. This gap leaves organizations vulnerable to low engagement, poor team cohesion, and high turnover.
The stakes are high: the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that effective onboarding can improve employee retention by up to 82% and increase productivity by over 70%. But achieving these outcomes requires more than a checklist approach. Organizations need innovative tools that build trust, foster self-awareness, and lay the foundation for meaningful collaboration.
Enter Everything DiSC® on Catalyst™: a cutting-edge platform designed to equip new hires with the skills to understand themselves, adapt to others, and thrive in any team dynamic. By incorporating Everything DiSC into your onboarding program, you’re not just helping employees fit in—you’re empowering them to excel.
In this post, we’ll explore five compelling reasons why every new hire should take the Everything DiSC on Catalyst assessment as part of their onboarding journey. Backed by research, real-world examples, and actionable insights, this approach can revolutionize the way you onboard talent—and set the stage for organizational success.
1. Enhances Self-Awareness: A Key to Success for Every New Hire
Self-awareness is a cornerstone of professional growth and effective teamwork. Studies from Harvard Business Review show that self-awareness is a critical trait for high-performing employees, correlating with better decision-making and collaboration. However, self-awareness is often overlooked in traditional onboarding programs, which focus on operational training rather than personal development.
Everything DiSC on Catalyst bridges this gap by offering a scientifically validated personality assessment that identifies a new hire's preferred communication style, motivators, and behavioral tendencies. With this foundation:
Employees learn how to manage their natural strengths and address potential blind spots.
Teams benefit as new hires quickly integrate with improved confidence and interpersonal effectiveness.
Managers gain actionable insights into tailoring coaching and feedback.
This level of self-understanding empowers employees to hit the ground running while positioning them for long-term success within your organization.
2. Accelerates Team Connection and Trust
Building trust in the workplace can take weeks or months for new hires, but Everything DiSC on Catalyst expedites this process by demystifying interpersonal dynamics. Trust is essential—research by PwC reveals that employees in high-trust organizations report 50% higher productivity and 74% less stress.
The Catalyst platform fosters trust in two main ways:
Dynamic Comparison Reports: New hires and team members can generate customized online reports that highlight similarities, differences, and practical strategies for working together.
Real-Time Application: Catalyst provides actionable tips for communication, conflict resolution, and collaboration in specific scenarios.
By encouraging open dialogue and mutual understanding from day one, Everything DiSC promotes stronger connections among team members. Teams with better relationships are more likely to achieve higher levels of performance and satisfaction, benefiting the organization as a whole.
3. Supports Inclusive Workplaces and Diverse Teams
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are top priorities for many organizations striving to create equitable and innovative workplaces. Yet many onboarding programs fail to address the unconscious biases and miscommunications that can arise when employees with different perspectives come together.
Everything DiSC on Catalyst offers a structured way to navigate diversity by focusing on personality-based behavioral differences rather than assumptions. Here’s how it supports inclusivity:
Reduces misinterpretations by helping new hires and existing employees understand why others may approach work differently.
Encourages appreciation for diversity by showing how different styles contribute to team success.
Mitigates conflict early by providing personalized strategies for navigating misunderstandings.
According to McKinsey & Company, diverse teams are 35% more likely to outperform their peers, and inclusive onboarding plays a critical role in building these teams. Everything DiSC ensures that new hires feel valued and understood while equipping them to thrive in a multicultural workplace.
4. Improves Manager-New Hire Relationships
One of the most significant factors influencing an employee’s decision to stay or leave within their first year is the relationship with their manager. Gallup reports that employees who feel supported by their manager are 70% more engaged and 50% more likely to stay long-term.
With Everything DiSC on Catalyst, managers gain instant access to tailored tools for understanding and coaching their new hires. Key benefits include:
Behavioral insights for customized leadership approaches: Managers can adapt their communication and motivation strategies based on a new hire’s DiSC profile.
Structured discussions about workplace preferences: Catalyst fosters conversations about work styles, feedback preferences, and stress triggers, helping managers proactively support employees.
Streamlined performance feedback: Managers use the platform to provide coaching aligned with the employee’s strengths and opportunities for growth.
This deeper level of alignment creates a productive and supportive relationship, helping new hires feel confident, valued, and ready to contribute.
5. Drives Long-Term Engagement and Retention
Employee retention is one of the biggest challenges organizations face, with 30% of new hires leaving within the first 90 days. A poorly designed onboarding process often contributes to this churn. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that structured onboarding programs improve retention rates by as much as 82%.
Everything DiSC on Catalyst takes this one step further by fostering emotional intelligence (EQ)—a trait closely linked to engagement and retention. By helping employees understand their own behaviors and adapt to others, DiSC fosters the psychological safety necessary for long-term commitment.
Moreover, the ongoing access to the Catalyst platform ensures that onboarding is not a one-time event but a continuous learning journey. Employees and managers alike can revisit and refine their approaches as team dynamics evolve, reinforcing engagement and growth.
Real-World Example: How Everything DiSC Transforms Onboarding
Consider a fast-growing tech company that struggled with high turnover during the onboarding period. After introducing Everything DiSC on Catalyst, they saw remarkable results:
Turnover dropped by 25% in the first year.
Onboarding satisfaction scores improved by 40%, as new hires reported feeling more connected and prepared.
Team performance metrics rose by 15%, attributed to better communication and collaboration.
By investing in a scientifically validated tool like Everything DiSC, the organization not only improved its onboarding program but also boosted overall business performance.
Conclusion: Elevate Your Onboarding with Everything DiSC on Catalyst
Incorporating Everything DiSC on Catalyst into your onboarding program is not just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic investment in your people and organizational success. From enhancing self-awareness to fostering inclusivity, strengthening relationships, and driving retention, the benefits are clear and measurable.
By giving every new hire the opportunity to take the Everything DiSC assessment, you set the stage for a workplace culture where collaboration thrives, engagement soars, and long-term success is inevitable.
Ready to transform your onboarding process? Contact us to learn how Everything DiSC on Catalyst can boost your onboarding success today.
Hi! I’m Cynthia Waisner - Managing Partner here at DiSC Training Zone. For more than twenty years, we have been helping our clients boost team performance, strengthen collaboration, and foster culture change.
The innovative suite of Everything DiSC® products has been at the heart of this success.
