Many hiring managers tend to gravitate toward outspoken, charismatic, energetic candidates. These candidates may be what you think you need on paper, but in reality, you could be missing out on valuable assets to your team that bring a different type of value to your team. Introverted individuals actually offer some very unique skills and traits that every organization should value.
Here are some of the main reasons you should never overlook the introverted candidate:
Introverts Can Be Surprisingly Creative
While introverted people will never be the person who shouts the first thing that comes into their mind, they do possess a key skill – creativity. Introverts are masters of listening and processing information before they form ideas.
This ability to take in information and ponder on ideas creates strong team members who can come up with that new approach no one else was able to think of. Having a good balance of go-getters as well as critical thinkers is key to having an effective workforce.
Leadership
Introverts tend to not be considered great leaders, but this is actually not the case. Individuals who are introverted can be much more sensitive to emotional cues, small details, and the feelings of others. This makes them adept leaders because they can empathize with and form deeper connections with colleagues. Introverts with great listening skills are most often very well-liked and respected in their workplace, which can make them great leaders.
Thoughtful Decision Making
The ability to make sound choices while on the job is a must-have skill for great employees. Introverts are known to be critical thinkers, and this goes for their decision-making capacity as well.
People who are not very outspoken, as we have discussed, will ponder on their thoughts more. This leads to more thought-out decision-making and more careful choices, which are traits everyone needs in their team.
One of the key advantages of these types of individuals is that they are not the type of people to act on an impulse, whereas very outspoken people have a tendency to speak before thinking.
Introverts will take time to weigh the pros and cons before taking any steps forward. This leads to informed decision-making that is only considered after reflecting on the different angles.
Fostering an Introvert Friendly Workplace
Companies who try to create an introvert-friendly workplace often state that the most important way to do this is to create a welcoming, friendly environment that encourages individuality. The best way to get the most out of employees is to allow them to use their unique strengths. Here are some tips on creating a workplace that is welcoming to introverts:
Create Multiple Points of Communication
Introverts can be overwhelmed easily when placed into a large group and typically will not function as well in these situations. It is important to make sure that large group meetings are not the only method of communication that is allowed.
Try to implement an open channel of communication over a chat tool such as Slack or a similar instant messaging platform. This will give more reserved team members the confidence to contribute when they feel comfortable doing so.
Offer Different Types of Workspaces
Believe it or not, the type of environment your employees are placed in will have a significant effect on their performance.
Try to offer both open spaces as well as private workspaces, as some introverted workers prefer to have a private area where they can focus and get their best work done.
Today, offering the opportunity to work from home occasionally can actually help to improve your worker’s ability to be productive.
Stay Organized
Introverts need to be able to plan ahead and prepare for meetings and deadlines, so it is important to always give plenty of notice for deadlines and important meetings. Giving plenty of time for employees to prepare for important deadlines and meetings goes a long way for productivity.
Putting in the extra effort to let your employees know what is happening with plenty of time to prepare will have a big impact on your employee’s quality of work and collaborative ability.
Everyone has their own unique abilities to contribute to the team they work with. This is why it is important for employers to take into consideration the personality types of every one of their employees, not just the energetic, outgoing types.
Introverts can provide immense value to businesses when utilized properly, and putting the tips in this article to use can help you to foster a more productive, team-based, and efficient workplace.