Experiencing a Team Empathy Gap? Personality Tests Can Help Bridge the Divide

Ever feel like your team just isn’t clicking, even though everyone’s trying their best?

In recent years, empathy has emerged as a critical factor in team success. Research consistently shows that employees want to feel seen, heard and understood at work. But in practice, many workplaces fall short of this expectation. According to an Ernst & Young survey, 87% of U.S. employees believe empathy leads to better leadership—but over half (52%) feel their organization’s attempts at empathy are falling short.  

Empathy gaps in the workplace often show up in two distinct but equally frustrating ways. The first is the gap between the empathy people hope for and the empathy they actually receive. The second empathy gap happens within the team itself. It’s the tension that arises when coworkers don’t “get” each other’s needs, communication styles or work rhythms. This gap can lead to miscommunication, strained relationships and siloed collaboration.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to necessarily overhaul your org chart to overcome these gaps. Personality assessments such as the Enneagram, DISC or the 16-type system can offer a surprisingly effective solution.

Why Empathy at Work Is So Hard (But So Needed)

Why do organizations find it so difficult to nurture empathy as part of their culture? The biggest barrier is not that companies focus on results—achieving goals and meeting deadlines are essential for any business to thrive. The real challenge lies in how those results are pursued. When workplaces tolerate constant urgency, heavy workloads and back-to-back meetings, employees are left with little time or energy to connect, listen or support one another. In these environments, empathy can easily get crowded out by the pressure to perform, even when everyone values it in theory.

When we’re so busy with our own tasks and to-do lists, we start to assume that everyone thinks, feels and reacts like we do. We build walls of misunderstandings and distance. That gap between assumption and reality is where disconnection takes root.

Understanding the Empathy Gap on Your Team

Let’s say your teammate always seems to shoot down new ideas in meetings. You might interpret this as closed-mindedness, but what if they’re actually trying to protect the team from risk?

Now consider a teammate who asks a lot of questions during meetings, sometimes slowing the decision-making process down. Others might see them as overly skeptical or nitpicky. But from their perspective, they’re seeking clarity and ensuring quality. 

Without empathy, these behaviors can easily be misinterpreted as resistance or negativity. In reality, they are often based on good intentions like risk management, quality assurance or a desire to ensure the best outcome. 

Misunderstandings are often empathy gaps in action. And they can be costly. When people don’t feel understood, they’re less likely to speak up, contribute creative ideas or offer feedback. This can erode trust, dampen morale and reduce team effectiveness over time.

Here are two simple reflection questions to spot where empathy may be lacking:

• Which team members seem to have the toughest time understanding each other lately?
• Where is frequent miscommunication causing frustration or tension?

These moments of friction are often your clearest clues that empathy may be lacking, and that tools for deeper understanding are needed.

How Personality Assessments Build Empathy

Personality assessments are much more than just fun icebreakers; they are powerful tools to bridge the empathy gap in your workplace. 

Below are four ways to show how personality assessments can turn interpersonal insights into everyday empathy.

1. They promote self-awareness. Personality tools help individuals better understand their own tendencies—how they communicate, make decisions, respond to stress and more. This clarity often leads to greater self-regulation and more intentional and empathetic behavior.

For example, someone who learns they have a Thinking preference on the 16-type system may become more aware that they tend to lead with logic rather than emotion. That insight can help them take extra care when navigating sensitive conversations with colleagues who prioritize harmony or emotional nuance.

2. They increase curiosity about others. By highlighting different communication and work styles, assessments can help team members pause before making assumptions and ask more thoughtful questions instead.

For instance, after learning about DISC styles, a results-driven manager might realize that a more reserved team member isn't necessarily disengaged—they may simply need time to process before speaking up. That awareness can shift the manager's approach from impatience to thoughtful pacing.

3. They build a shared vocabulary. Personality tools give teams a way to name patterns, preferences and tensions without personalizing the problem. When teammates share a language for how they work, they are more likely to appreciate differences as strengths, and to talk openly when tensions arise.

Consider a teammate who prefers to carefully evaluate every detail before making a decision, while another jumps in enthusiastically without hesitation. Learning that one scores high on the Big Five trait of Conscientiousness (favoring careful planning and structure) while the other is high in Extraversion and Openness (eager to explore and take risks) helps reframe these differences. Instead of seeing caution as slow or enthusiasm as reckless, teammates recognize these as natural variations in how they approach work. 

4. They help reframe challenges. When tensions arise, personality insights can help shift the narrative from personal frustration to personality difference. This reframing makes it easier to stay empathetic, even in challenging moments.

Imagine a teammate who frequently points out what's missing or what could go wrong in a plan. At first, this might feel negative or overly critical. But learning that they’re an Enneagram Type 6—someone wired to anticipate risks and protect the group—can reframe their behavior as loyal vigilance, not pessimism. Instead of feeling frustrated, teammates can see their caution as a form of care.

Practical Ways to Use Assessments to Foster Team Empathy

So how do you turn personality insights into a more empathetic culture? Here are four practical ideas:

1. Go Beyond the Test Results

Don’t stop at handing out personality reports. Create space for team members to reflect, discuss and explore what the results mean for how they work and interact. With thoughtful framing, you can integrate conversations about personality into team meetings and project planning.

Example prompt: What’s one insight from your type or profile that surprised you?

2. Host a Team Workshop

Whether facilitated in-house or by a coach, workshops give teams a chance to explore strengths, blind spots and preferences in a structured, supportive way.

Bonus: Have team members map their types visually to see patterns and gaps.

3. Use Personality in 1:1s and Onboarding

Managers can tailor how they support employees based on their assessment results. For example, a Type 1 Enneagram might need reassurance that “good enough” really is good enough. A Type 7 might need help prioritizing and completing projects.

New hires can also benefit from knowing how their team communicates and decides.

4. Ask Empathy-Building Questions

Simple, intentional questions can help keep empathy alive in the daily flow of work. Here are a few:

• What helps you feel understood by your team?
• How do you prefer to receive feedback?
• What stress signals should we watch for—and how can we support you?

Conversations driven by curious questions help to normalize differences and foster trust.

Bridging the Empathy Gap

Study after study shows that empathy is the fuel for high-performing teams. And although empathy can often feel elusive, personality assessments offer a structured but compassionate way to help teams move from misunderstanding to mutual respect, from conflict to collaboration. 

So the next time tension shows up on your team, ask yourself: Is this a performance issue—or a perspective issue? Chances are, it’s the latter. And with the right tools and a little curiosity, you can begin to close the empathy gap, one insight at a time.