Are You An Invisible Employee?

Though it's acceptable to be perceived as an introvert at the workplace, your shy demeanour could also have a few career impediments.

Since school, we have been introduced to two major personality types - extroverts and introverts. The introverts are the ones who enjoy spending ‘alone time' whereas the extroverts are social by nature. Also, extroverts are looked upon as easy-going and approachable - two traits vital at the workplace. On the other hand, introverts get perceived as ‘non-participative' because of their less-expressive nature. Studies have shown that about one third to one half of the population consider themselves to be introverts. Studies have also revealed that some of the best leaders in the world have been introverts by nature.

Ravi Shankar, executive VP and CPO, Mindtree Limited explains, "Introverted employees are good listeners, composed and quietly assertive. However, they also are less vocal and may not express themselves, thus losing out on ‘visibility'," he states. 

According to Nagrajan Balanaga, VP HR, Cummins, "Introverts typically derive energy from within, reflect upon their thoughts and the resulting ideas or solutions have immense depth and value."

Introverts are known to be great contributors to an organisation's success; however, not all introverts are talented, asserts Sangeeta Pandey, director – HR, Akzo Nobel India. "Talented introverts are generally aloof, observant, and less talkative and may need probing to elicit response. They may not be socially inclined and don't enjoy much of attention, but prefer to work in solitude. They generally perform better as an individual than in a team," she shares.

Introverts have a lot to offer employers, but introversion still carries a stigma at the workplace. "Sometimes, introverts may get excluded in certain recognitions and/or similar exercises, essentially because such people prefer to work within an individual capacity. This might also be true in situations where extroverted co-workers outshine their introverted counterparts, when they actively draw attention and ‘brand' themselves in front of their superiors," Pandey points out. 

Narasimha Rao, VP, HR, AgroTech Foods Ltd concurs, "While introverts suffer from underselling themselves, extroverts suffer from overselling themselves. Organisations must take adequate care in applying systems in such a way that the real talent does not go unnoticed, regardless of the personalities." Balanaga has mixed views on this. "I have known introverts who never had a raw deal, mainly because they had smart managers. If introverts get a raw deal, it is owing to their managers not being educated about the personality types," he expresses.

"Continual and focused interactions with an introverted employee are vital towards making them feel valued. One way is to recognise and appreciate the talent of introverts in public. This drives a powerful message that it is not the individual's external demeanour/behaviour that decides his/her success in the organisation, but the output," Shankar says. Rao feels that organisations should focus on developing their leaders to handle diversity of this nature effectively. "The leadership development programmes should help leaders to identify this diversity of extroverts and introverts in their teams and suit their leadership style in line with the personalities of people they are leading," he adds.

The possible ways of identifying such talent is by proactively looking out for silent performers, who have displayed great results and encouraging performers to participate and interact in small group discussions, asserts Pandey.

Introverts have a wealth of natural strengths. By understanding the needs of such employees, managers can harmonise them and encourage their introverts to be their best selves.