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How to be inclusive of introverts and extraverts in recruitment practices

January 20, 2021
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels

One of the challenges of being an introvert is that recruitment practices can feel oriented to more extraverted ways. Here are some strategies for being inclusive of both introverts and extraverts in recruitment for the best outcomes for both organisations and applicants.

Introvert and extravert are personality preferences

Introversion and extraversion are innate personality preferences according to Jungian theory and psychological type frameworks. They indicate the direction and source of our energy. Extraverts have a preference for the outer world and typically charge their batteries through social interaction. Introverts have a preference for the inner world of ideas and feelings and need solitude and quiet to collect their thoughts and refuel. As Jenn Granneman points out, introverts and extraverts are ‘wired differently’ around external rewards: ‘The introvert’s way isn’t about chasing rewards, but rather about seeking meaning.’ These are just preferences, not behavioural indicators, nor are they extreme in each person.

The Extravert Ideal and recruitment

So how do these preferences play out in the context of recruitment? Susan Cain in her book, Quiet, talks about The Extravert Ideal and how there is a general bias in the community towards people who are outgoing and gregarious. With studies showing that one third to a half of the US population are introverts, there are compelling reasons to review recruitment thinking and practices to check how inclusive they are. As many leaders and managers also self-identify as extraverts, there’s a risk that unintended biases can sneak into recruitment processes.

Across the spectrum of skills, leaders of recruitment strategies ideally want to ensure they find the best candidate match for any job role in terms of knowledge, skills and experience. But how do you ensure that the way you manage your recruitment is inclusive, enabling all applicants to show their best potential for the role?

Inclusive approaches to recruitment

Inclusive approaches to recruitment for introvert and extravert types need to be informed by:

  1. Reflecting on the job roles we are recruiting to and checking for any unintentional bias in perceptions on the role itself.
  2. Rethinking how recruitment practices can make space for both introvert and extravert preferences through a mix of assessment methods and styles.
  3. Implementing practical strategies for being inclusive to get the best from all candidates in recruitment contexts.
Photo by Marc Mueller from Pexels

Reflecting on the job roles we are recruiting to

It’s important to start with the job description we are recruiting to so we can be sure there is no inherent bias in the personal requirements. This is challenging because some jobs seem to be inherently linked to particular character traits, like being outgoing and open. It’s vital to have a really good look at these assumptions.

Sales is one area that has become traditionally connected with and impacted by perceptions about introversion and extraversion. Here are some comments on a current website:

For example, if the profile for successful salesmen indicates that extroversion is a desirable characteristic, you had better be sure that you score highly on this trait if you want the job.

However, for almost all jobs, not just sales, employers prefer extroverts over introverts. The reasons given for this preference are firstly, around teamwork and the need to get on with people, and secondly, that people may become leaders in the future so it’s not just about technical skills.

This all appears to be based on the assumption that you need to be extraverted to be able to sell, to work in a team and to be a leader.  Having performed all of these skills successfully as an introvert, I believe we need to challenge these types of stereotypes in thinking about positions and psychological traits.

Challenging stereotypes about key job functions

For example, in terms of sales, Daniel H. Pink explains in his book, To Sell is Human, we are all in sales:

People are now spending about 40 percent of their time at work engaged in non-sales selling— persuading, influencing, and convincing others in ways that don’t involve anyone making a purchase.

The art of sales is more complex than just being outgoing. It’s about influencing, listening and understanding others’ needs, areas in which introverts can be naturally strong.

In terms of teams, work units benefit from a mix of complementary personalities to be able to achieve organizational goals effectively. Diverse groups tend to outperform homogeneous groups, even if the members of the latter group are more capable. Furthermore, diversity fires up innovation.

The reality is that teams of like-minded people often come up with average results. Diverse teams, on the other hand, have been found to inspire original ideas and enable more market opportunities.

Gaia Grant, Do diverse teams produce more creative results?

And whilst there may appear to be more extraverted managers and leaders, introverted preferences such as a desire for solitude can be integral to breakthrough leadership skills such as clarity, emotional balance and moral courage. Lead Yourself First by Raymond M Kethledge and Michael S. Erwin provides case studies of famous leaders that describe how leadership and solitude are strongly aligned.

As these examples show, it’s important to reflect on and be aware of any implicit bias based on personality preferences around introversion and extraversion as they impact on job roles.

Rethinking our recruitment practices to make space for preferences

One way to promote inclusion in recruitment practices is to ensure that the processes involve a mix of strategies that reflect both introvert and extravert preferences. The opportunity to assess candidates through writing, interview, references, group contexts, 1:1 discussion and practical skills assessment can all be considered to ensure that there is not a bias to one preference.

Even though there may be a mix of methods, face to face methods can somehow feel and be treated as pre-eminent and written aspects can seem secondary. It’s important to carefully consider the balance of all assessment inputs, not just the ones that seem more overtly influential.

It’s also important that recruitment methods appropriately reflect the job role across its gamut. If a role is primarily about research and writing, how are we assessing this. Is it by talking about it or by assessing research and writing ability? Perhaps the job is about training. How are we assessing all aspects of this skill and not just the standing up and talking part? Leadership might be key but are we also looking at self-leadership and how the leader recharges, clarifies their visions and thoughts and writes, as well as how well they can talk to a room of people? Lead Yourself First provides ample evidence that we certainly should be looking at all these areas of leadership.

Challenging stereotypes about job roles and recruitment can be effectively tackled by rethinking our assumptions behind the role and how we assess its competencies.

Inclusive strategies for getting the best from introverts in recruitment

Given the orientation towards the extraverted end of the spectrum, it’s worthwhile reflecting on inclusive strategies to enable both introverts and extraverts to do their best in recruitment situations.

Possible inclusive strategies for recruiters include:

  • Developing an understand of personality type and preferences and especially the impacts of introversion and extraversion in the workplace so you can bring the best out of all employees. This applies to both recruitment and wider organizational contexts.
  • Allowing a mix of recruitment techniques that will suit both types of preferences, noting that quiet influencing strategies include: writing, activities that involve preparation, focused conversation and engaged listening. See this Quiet Writing article for more on how introverts can make the most of recruitment opportunities.
  • Considering options that allow for preparation beforehand, even if brief, so that introverts can showcase their more reflective analytical skills rather than have to focus on thinking on their feet.
  • If assessing in group contexts, note that it’s not just about who talks the most but about how valuable the contribution is. Introverts, for example, may take the role of summing up a conversation or providing a single breakthrough idea at the end, rather than participating throughout the conversation. As Susan Cain points out, ‘research shows there’s no correlation between the most talkative person in the room and the best ideas.’
  • A focus on telling success stories which can be really powerful for all candidates and help to provide a more level playing field, as Mark Bregman suggests in Are Recruiters Biased Against Introverts.

At the end of the day, recruitment is an opportunity for people to showcase their skills to enable them to gain a position. The recruiting organisation wants to find the person who will meet their needs across all aspects of behavior. It’s important to ensure that the immediate contexts of recruitment are not a barrier between these desired outcomes. Let’s work to ensure all people have the chance to present their competencies, experience and qualities in the most positive light.


Author note

This post was originally a guest post for recruitment agency WorkSearch and published on their site in 2017. Their site is no longer live so it is reproduced here with minor amendments. Thanks to Bree Rackley for social media and guest posting support for the initial guest posting.

I hope these insights are helpful to you in being inclusive of both introvert and extravert preferences in recruitment. Reach out to me for coaching if you need some support at any time.

Warmest wishes

Terri

About the author, Terri Connellan

Terri Connellan is a certified life coach, author and accredited psychological type practitioner. She has a Master of Arts in Language and Literacy, two teaching qualifications and a successful 30-year career as a teacher and a leader in adult vocational education. Her coaching and writing focus on three elements—creativity, personality and self-leadership—especially for women in transition to a life with deeper purpose. Terri works with women globally through her creative business, Quiet Writing, encouraging deeper self-understanding of body of work, creativity and psychological type for more wholehearted and fulfilling lives. Her book Wholehearted: Self-leadership for women in transition  and the accompanying Wholehearted Companion Workbook were published in September 2021 by the kind press. She lives and writes in the outskirts of Sydney surrounded by beach and bush.

Terri Connellan
Terri Connellan

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Read Wholehearted: Self-leadership for women in transition

Want to learn more about personality, creativity and self-leadership for positive transition to the life you desire?

Head over to read about my book Wholehearted and the accompanying Companion Workbook now.

Available in paperback and ebook from retailers listed here:

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Further related reading on Quiet Writing:

introversion work life

How to make the most of recruitment opportunities as an introvert

January 16, 2021
introvert recruitment
Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels

Going through recruitment processes as an introvert can be challenging. Here are some practical strategies to make the most of opportunities for jobs or promotions as an introvert.

Traditional recruitment practice and introverts

Key aspects of traditional recruitment practices seem to work against everything that’s natural for introverts. Interviews can be particularly demanding. You talk to a person or panel of people you probably don’t know, focusing on yourself, especially your best points, being as confident and outgoing as you can. Add in the constraints of a limited amount of time in the high-pressure environment of being assessed and it’s enough to start making excuses not to put yourself in that position.

It’s often hard to feel at your best as a quieter person who generally takes more time to reflect before talking. Other hallmarks of introverts that can make this challenging are a tendency to be more reserved and writing as a preferred style of communication.

It’s important to remember that recruitment is an assessment situation and an inherently challenging situation, regardless of personality type. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses to draw on. And there’s often valid reasons why the recruitment approach might want to test your ability to draw on your resources and think on your feet. Whatever the process or emphasis, you can learn to work your natural strengths to make the most of recruitment opportunities as an introvert.

Learning about the ways that you quietly influence

One of the reasons I am passionate about this subject is because I have been there. As an introvert at the extreme end of the spectrum, I’ve learnt the best practices to make the most of recruitment opportunities. I’ve worked hard on my skills over time with the support of a coach, with the insight of feedback, from reading about introvert strengths and from learning about my specific personality type (INTJ in Jung/Myers-Briggs terms).

A book that has helped me enormously is Quiet Influence: The Introvert’s Guide to Making a Difference by Jennifer B Kahnweiler. It focuses on the natural strengths of introverts and how use these skills to have impact. These skills can be applied to recruitment contexts to build skills over time and position yourself more effectively for the positions you desire.

Kahnweiler identifies six strategies that introverts can embrace to achieve influence:

  1. Taking Quiet Time
  2. Preparation
  3. Engaged Listening
  4. Focused Conversations
  5. Writing
  6. Thoughtful Use of Social Media

You can identify your specific strengths in this blend of introvert strategies via a Quiet Influence Quotient (QIQ). This is valuable for understanding how you can have impact in your own unique way as an introvert.

Learning to work your quiet influence in recruitment contexts

From these strategies, the two areas that introverts can really exploit to maximize recruitment opportunities are Preparation and Writing. Here are some tips in these areas to help you make the most of your introvert strengths for recruitment outcomes.

Preparation

The biggest factor for introverts in successful job applications is preparing well and thoroughly. Whilst extraverts can generally think quickly on their feet, introverts often need more work beforehand to have the key points at their fingertips.

The downside is this takes time. The upside is, whatever the outcome, the time invested means you are able to talk about yourself, your experience and your results positively, clearly and confidently. It’s important to strike a balance between productive preparation and over-doing it. As Kahnweiler points out, ‘The right amount of preparation sets you apart. Too much preparation, however, can kill your confidence.’ (p. 69)

introvert recruitment
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

Preparation strategies

Preparation strategies that I have found useful for recruitment situations include:

1 Develop a bank of case-studies of achievements:

Over time, I’ve worked to capture each of my key achievements, unpacking each example to describe the Situation, Task, Action and Results (STAR) and the skills used to achieve the outcome. This resource provides useful templates and prompts for you to do the same, with a focus on action verbs to present yourself in the best light. It’s useful to map the stories you create against any specific, critical selection criteria. Once you have these examples, ‘plug and play’ them in response to questions posed in writing or at interview.

2 Be able to articulate the skills you have used over time

People sometimes have trouble talking about the specific skills they have used in practical situations. Having the language to describe the competencies, skills, knowledge and experience applied, for example, in areas like ‘strategic agility’ or ‘business acumen’, can be a powerful tool. The book, FYI® for your improvement, based on the Korn Ferry Leadership Architect™ Global Competency Framework (formerly Lominger) is a useful guide for talking about skills in language that connects. Whatever resource you use, ensure you can talk about competencies and skills using words that clearly communicate your understanding and what you have achieved.

3 Practice

Use your writing skills and other strengths to prepare, and when you know you need to perform, it’s time to practice. Don’t fight the need to shine. Practice talking about yourself using the examples developed. Hearing yourself talk out loud about yourself is one of the best ways to prepare for the situation of actually doing it, as uncomfortable as it might be.

Writing Skills

Writing is often a preferred communication method for introverts, with a preference for email over phone contact and written strategic approaches over verbal ones. Your role in writing a recruitment application of any type is to make a persuasive case for selecting you. The first step in any recruitment process is usually in writing, whether it be a written job application or an online profile. Ensure your written communication presents you in the best light and showcases your skills.

You can use your strength in writing in the following ways:

  • Be outcomes focused: Be succinct, on point and emphasize the outcomes you have achieved.
  • Use data and numbers to make your case: Use figures to show outcomes such as percentage change year on year or financial figures to show scale, impact and results.
  • Be creative in how you write: Kahnweiler suggests including infographics, visuals, charts, bullet point and other graphic elements.
introvert recruitment
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Other quiet influencing strategies:

The other strategies outlined in Quiet Influence can also be used to great effect and in combination with each other. For example:

  • Taking quiet time to reflect on your skills is one of the most valuable things you can do to mine the gold from your experience.
  • Engaged listening will help you perform in face to face situations as you concentrate on what is being looked for. This will help you respond with the best examples and competencies from your experience.
  • Focused conversation is what interviews are all about and something that introverts are naturally good at. Shift your mindset to seeing any face to face interaction as a situation where you can listen well and dig deep to provide quality responses.
  • Use social media and ensure your profile is professional on online platforms so you are noticed. Actively engage with social media to connect with potential employers. Follow industry experts and organisations of interest to increase your knowledge and profile.

Who can help you?

Seek support as you go through the recruitment process through coaches, mentors or trusted colleagues who can provide feedback and help you practice. You don’t need to do it all alone, even though that may be your natural preference. Asking someone to give feedback or take your through your paces in an interview situation will help immensely for the real thing.

Book a call with me to chat ways to work through any confusion you might be feeling and work out how to rebuild. The first call is free and we can work out the best next steps for you in that call.

What if I’m not successful?

If you’re not successful, seek feedback and learn from the experience. Identify where you can take action to improve your chances. See each recruitment process as a valuable learning experience. Whatever, the outcome, take heart and learn so you can present yourself confidently for new opportunities.

Do I need to act like an extravert?

Susan Cain in her book Quiet describes the ‘Extrovert Ideal’ as:

…the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight.” (p4)

Cain advises introverts not to embrace the Extrovert Ideal as we can lose the very characteristics that make us unique. The contributions we can make are often because of the strengths and gifts of introversion.

Through learning to prepare, write strategically, listen intently and use social media thoughtfully, you will enhance your opportunity to be seen. When called on to perform in an interview, provide a presentation or solve problems, you will shine all the more if you have prepared from the foundation of your natural abilities.

The most powerful action we can take is to embrace our introvert strengths and present ourselves in the strongest light to achieve our goals. As Steven Pressfield says in The War of Art: “Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” I wish you every success in your recruitment learnings and journey.

Author note

This post was originally a guest post for recruitment agency WorkSearch and published on their site in 2017. As their site is no longer live, it is reproduced here with minor amendments to reflect current times. Thanks to Bree Rackley for social media and guest posting support for the initial guest posting.

I hope these insights are helpful in making the most of recruitment opportunities as an introvert. Reach out to me for coaching if you need support at any time.

Warmest wishes

Terri

About the author

Terri Connellan

Terri Connellan is a certified life coach, author and accredited psychological type practitioner. She has a Master of Arts in Language and Literacy, two teaching qualifications and a successful 30-year career as a teacher and a leader in adult vocational education. Her coaching and writing focus on three elements—creativity, personality and self-leadership—especially for women in transition to a life with deeper purpose. Terri works with women globally through her creative business, Quiet Writing, encouraging deeper self-understanding of body of work, creativity and psychological type for more wholehearted and fulfilling lives. Her book Wholehearted: Self-leadership for women in transition  and the accompanying Wholehearted Companion Workbook were published in September 2021 by the kind press. She lives and writes in the outskirts of Sydney surrounded by beach and bush.

Book your Self-leadership Discovery Call with Terri here.

Explore your personality further in Personality Stories Coaching.

Read Wholehearted: Self-leadership for women in transition

Want to learn more about personality, creativity and self-leadership for positive transition to the life you desire?

Head over to read about my book Wholehearted and the accompanying Companion Workbook now.

Available in paperback and ebook from retailers listed here:

Wholehearted

Companion Workbook

Further related reading on Quiet Writing:

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