How to … Include introverts in management roles

Extroverts are often considered for leadership roles as they can be difficult to ignore, meaning that quieter candidates can be overlooked.

“Over the past decades, hiring managers have come to understand how unconscious bias as it relates to immutable characteristics impact. hiring decisions. However one bias that remains to be recognised  is that of introvert bias. We believe  that greater consideration must be given to the potential unique strengths that introverts can bring to leadership,” says Advaita Naidoo, Africa MD at executive search firm Jack Hammer.

She advises:

• Companies need to address their biases in hiring and promotion processes, including interviews and other assessment tools;
• The definition of leadership needs to include reserved individuals, who may have resilience, hard work and other important qualities;
• Introverts cannot wait for companies to change and must learn to play to their strengths rather than changing themselves; and
• Introverts are often reluctant to broadcast their achievements, which means they do not always appear to be well suited to management; emails are a way to ensure that their hard work is not forgotten.