Many people believe that extroverts make better employees. Extroverts are outgoing and often display more outward signs of leadership than introverts, leading their employers to believe that they have more drive to succeed. However, introverts also bring a lot to the table that extroverts don’t.
Hiring all extroverts may mean that companies miss out on a lot of excellent employees and the special skills that they can bring to the table. So what is it that makes introverts excellent employees when they’re not as outgoing?
Introverts Can Work Independently
One benefit of hiring introverts is that they are generally good at working alone. They don’t need to have their hands held by a manager when learning something new or when getting started on a new project. Introverts are perfectly capable of working in teams, but they can thrive when left to their own devices. Companies needing self-starters that can work on their own would do well to look at hiring introverts.
Introverts Are Creative
Introverts excel at working alone and are often better at coming up with more creative solutions to problems. Typically, an introvert will spend more time approaching problems from multiple angles in order to find the best solution. Introverts tend to think more outside of the box and produce more creative, innovative ideas. This can be highly beneficial when it comes to solving problems or approaching marketing.
Introverts Are Focused and Productive
Because introverts often prefer to work on their own, they tend to be more focused on the task at hand. They don’t get as involved in office politics or create drama. They will instead be more focused on work, making them more productive.
Introverts Are Still Good Leaders
It doesn’t take an extrovert to make a good leader. Introverts can be good leaders, too, if given the opportunity. Introverts may have a different leadership style than extroverts, but can still find many ways to inspire those working for them. Introverts especially excel in leading employees who are already proactive while more passive employees may benefit from the leadership of an extrovert.
Introverts Can Work as a Team
Although introverts thrive when they can work independently, they can also work well as members of a team. They tend to be good listeners and can come up with creative ideas. When paired with an extrovert, the introvert is often the person who produced most of the ideas while the extrovert handled the presentation to the rest of the office.
How to Work With Introverts
If you have introverts working for your company, they’ll be better employees if they’re provided with the right environment. In order to take advantage of what they can bring to the table, companies should adapt so that the office environment can benefit both the introverts and the extroverts.
Introverts may prefer a quieter environment. Open office plans aren’t ideal for them, as they work better with their own offices, larger cubicles, or even working from home. With some private space, they’ll be more productive and won’t be distracted by coworkers’ phone calls or meetings.
They may also be more hesitant to speak in front of everyone. Instead of expecting everyone to speak up during meetings, provide introverts with an opportunity to write down their ideas and submit them via e-mail. They may also prefer to know what a meeting is about ahead of time so they can feel more prepared.
