Valerie Bolden-Barrett* says overlooking the value of introverted workers can harm performance and employee engagement.
Employees who go quietly about performing their work and doing it well are seldom in the spotlight.
According to Martin Boult, psychologist and senior director of professional services and international training for The Myers-Briggs Company in Australia, organisations that reward and encourage extroversion in the workforce might be overlooking the contributions of their introverted employees.
Boult said introverts prefer activities such as reading and learning new things at work or spending time with people they are close to, both inside and outside of work.
But organisations might not appreciate the activities that enhance introverted workers’ performance and wellbeing.
According to Myers-Briggs, although the world is split evenly between a preference for either extroversion or introversion, only 40 per cent of executives and senior managers in a global poll of 200,000 employees prefer introversion.
Myers-Briggs’ research also found that in brainstorming sessions, which are regular exercises in the workplace, introverts speak up after evaluating and eliminating ideas on their own, as opposed to extroverts, who tend to brainstorm ideas “off the cuff.”
On a 10-point scale, people who favour introversion score an average of one point lower or about 10 per cent less in overall wellbeing than those who favour extroversion.
The direct correlation between wellbeing and performance isn’t lost on employers; a 2017 global Virgin Pulse study found 78 per cent of organisations cited employee wellbeing as crucial to their business plans.
In fact, 74 per cent of respondents with holistic wellness programs discovered that the overall approach to wellbeing increased employee satisfaction.
However, organisations might be so focused on their outgoing, more visible employees — as the Myers-Briggs research suggested — that they’re discounting the performance of their more introverted workers and what keeps them satisfied and engaged.
The same study also found that an overwhelming majority of respondents (95 per cent) cited culture as the driver of positive workplace results.
Based on this finding, organisations must consider whether a one-size-fits-all culture, specifically one that rewards and encourages extroversion over introversion, can bolster performance and employee engagement.
Organisations that value all workers, regardless of their work style or personality, may see a greater return on their investment in wellbeing and culture than those that favour extroversion.
Employers can use Myers-Briggs’ revelations about introverted employees to better engage them.
The researchers recommend that employers encourage introverts to take on work that enhances their need to learn new things, find a sense of purpose and help co-workers who need assistance.
* Valerie Bolden-Barrett is a business writer and content specialist and Contributing Editor to HR Dive.
This article first appeared at www.hrdive.com.
