The Listening Trait Measures Willingness to Give Attention Before You Hire
The listening trait is one of four dimensions in the Supporter and Empathy quadrant of the Behavioral Assessments. It tells you who takes in what somebody else is saying and who spends that time waiting for a turn to talk.
What Does the Listening Trait Measure?
The listening trait measures the willingness and comfort to give thoughtful and patient attention to what another person is saying. In other words, it scores the interest somebody genuinely has in what other people have to say.
What the listening trait is not
Firstly, it does not always measure how accurately somebody understands or hears what they listen to. Secondly, it does not measure the skill to interpret what others said, or to signal that they were listening. However, willingness to listen usually means ability to listen.
What the Listening trait helps you evaluate before you hire
Read this score beside Talking every time. The assessment states that when listening and talking both read high the result may indicate a contradiction, and if it does, it is a good bet the person is not a good listener and is in denial of that.
Why the Listening Trait Matters in Hiring
A low reading here is not a deficiency to screen out. The assessment says plainly that many good salespeople land in that range, which makes the position, not the number, the thing that decides.
Low Suits Many Salespeople
The assessment states that many good salespeople land in this range, even though listening remains a valuable skill for anyone selling. Treat it as role fit.
High Can Mean Avoidance
High scorers may listen as an escape from talking, and the assessment warns that they could waste time listening at the moment they should speak up.
Willingness Predicts Ability
The trait scores willingness rather than accuracy. Even so, the assessment notes that a person willing to listen usually turns out able to listen as well.
How a mismatched Listening score shows up on the job
The reading shows itself in conversations rather than in output. Consequently, the cost lands on the people around the person before it reaches any report.
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How the Listening Trait Is Scored
The listening trait is scored from 0 to 100, and the three bands below summarize the picture. Note that the cutoffs sit differently here than on most traits, so read the numbers rather than assuming the usual boundaries.
The cutoffs are unusual on this trait — low runs to 29, the medium band spans 30 to 65, and high begins at 66.
Low — 0 to 29
Finds listening uncomfortable, tends to interrupt, thinks about other things or does most of the talking. Many good salespeople land here, and below 5 a high Talking score points to somebody who is very likely a compulsive talker.
Medium — 30 to 65
Shows a good balance of listening and knowing when to talk, which the assessment describes as acceptable to most positions. This band runs from 30 to 65, a wider span than on almost any other trait measured here.
High — 66 to 100
Comfortable listening to others without interruption, and good for customer service positions. Above 96 listening becomes an escape from talking, so check whether this candidate will still speak up at the moment when the business genuinely needs it.
Listening is one of four traits measured together in the Supporter and Empathy quadrant
Each trait in this quadrant shapes how candidates treat other people, and moreover one pairing produces a warning the assessment states outright.
Talking
The assessment names Talking closely related and warns about the pair: both reading high may signal a contradiction, and the person is probably not really listening.
Empathy
The assessment names Empathy closely related. Compassion for a stranger and attention to what they say usually move together, so a low reading on both compounds.
Communication
The assessment names Communication closely related. Communication covers getting a message across, while this trait covers taking one in, so the pair describes both directions together.
Personal & Assessment Honesty
The assessment names Personal Honesty among the closely related traits. Read it beside this score whenever the position depends on candid two-way conversation with colleagues.
Listener (Ability)
Listener on the Ability assessments scores the importance somebody places on listening. Its warning says this behavioral reading gives the better idea of whether they listen.
Supporter / Empathy Quadrant
Supporter / Empathy Quadrant pairs this reading with Empathy, Patience and Appreciation, describing an interest in pleasing and comforting others, and it sits opposite the Controller and Assertive quadrant.
Best Practice: Assessment results support your hiring decisions, they do not replace them. Always read the listening trait score alongside the full profile and your role benchmarks before drawing a conclusion.
How to Interpret Listening Results
Interpretation depends on what the position actually asks of the person. Both Behavioral Assessment versions report this trait, and Work Styles DISCovered reports it as well.
What to Do Based on Your Listening Score
Expect interruptions and a candidate who does most of the talking. Check the Talking score, because a high reading there points to a compulsive talker instead.
Acceptable in selling, where the assessment notes many good salespeople land. Avoid this reading for customer service, coaching or positions built on drawing information from people.
A good balance of listening and knowing when to talk, which the assessment calls acceptable to most positions. Compare this against the rest of the quadrant.
Strong for customer service, where the assessment recommends this range directly. Confirm the candidate speaks up when needed, since listening can become an escape from talking.
Read it beside Talking. If both score high the assessment calls it a contradiction, and the person is probably not listening while believing that they are.
Assessment results support decisions, they do not make them. Always interpret scores in context: the specific role, interview performance, references, and your organization's culture.
The Listening Trait Matters for Every Role You Hire
Because a strong score helps in one position and hurts in another, benchmarks define what each reading means. Therefore, review results against the benchmark for the specific job.
Roles where Listening is especially critical
| Role | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Customer Service | The assessment recommends the high range for customer service type positions directly, where comfort listening without interruption decides whether a caller feels handled or simply processed. |
| Sales Roles | Many good salespeople read low here, and the assessment says so plainly while noting that listening remains a valuable skill for anybody who works in sales. |
| Coaching and Training | Teaching one person at a time depends on hearing where they are stuck. A low reading predicts a trainer who explains again instead of asking anything. |
| Supervision | Supervisors hear problems first or last, and this reading decides which. Pair it with Talking, since the assessment flags high scores on both as a contradiction. |
Relevant for all role types
Customer Service Rep
Sales Representative
Account Manager
Trainer or Instructor
HR Generalist
Technical Support Rep
Team Supervisor
Registered Nurse
If any of these situations sound familiar, this assessment is for you
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Frequently Asked Questions
The listening trait measures the willingness and comfort to give thoughtful and patient attention to what another person is saying. In short, it scores the interest somebody has in what others have to say, rather than the technique they use while doing it.
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