Diversity and inclusion: Personality styles in the workplace

When talking about inclusivity, we don’t always discuss how personality styles affect the way people interact in the workplace. Especially relevant with the rise of?remote work , everyone’s working methods have had to shift. And as a leader, it can feel tricky to manage these differing communication styles in a way that makes introverts feel heard and extroverts listen and stay engaged. It’s all about paying attention to the way you run meetings, brainstorm and interact.

Let's go over?some of?the?different personality styles and how you can adapt management approaches to ensure everyone?is included. This results in?peak performance from everyone,?so they feel comfortable and?heard.?

Understanding different personality types?

Extroverts?

Often described as lively and enthusiastic, extroverts thrive off social interactions and getting their thoughts out?in the presence of others.?They’re not afraid to make their?perspective?known or?execute?projects quickly, getting work done right in the moment.?In fact, a University of Kent study showed extroverts had a 25% higher chance of being in a high-earning job since?typical?workplaces reward?people who exert?confidence and assertiveness?in their interactions.?These traits are coveted in workplaces,?where?open office plans and?on-the-spot ideas?are met with high praise.?

While they can?sometimes?dominate the conversation,?extroverted?team members have a lot to offer when it comes to engaging others?and taking risks.?When managing extroverts, try these dos and?don’ts.?

Do:?

• Advocate socialization events where they can bond with other team members?
• Encourage?them to ask?for?opinions to draw out feedback from everyone?
• Balance?extroverts’?talkative nature with reflecting and listening?

Don’t:?

• Let them dominate?100% of?the conversation?
• Assume they don't want to know others' opinions??
• Isolate them from brainstorming meetings?because?they’re talkative?

Introverts?

Introverts, contrastingly,?are individuals who don’t need as much social interaction.?Much more perceptive and internal, introverts?thrive on solitude and?developing?one-on-one relationships.?Many?need?time to prepare?and analyze information?before meetings?in order?to catalog?and organize?their thoughts afterward.?Although extroverts have a higher chance of landing top jobs,?around 40% of leaders are introverted,?according to Forbes, spanning big names from Bill Gates to?Eleanor Roosevelt.?

While not as vocal during meetings, introverts have a lot?of insightful points?after they?have time to think and process information.?When managing introverts, consider these tips.?

Do:?

• Send an agenda ahead of time so they know what will be discussed?
• Give uninterrupted time without meetings throughout the day?
• Allocate one-on-one time for them to send additional thoughts after meetings?

Don’t:?

• Call them?out?without providing context beforehand?
• Assume they're not enthusiastic just because they don’t speak up in meetings?
• Disregard their emails or contributory notes?because they share them after the fact?

Tip:?Consider?establishing?employee resource groups (ERGs), which we call?employee?belonging?groups (EBGs)?at WilsonHCG , to broaden awareness and understanding in your diversity strategy. Our EBGs are employee-led and give team members a chance to bond and interact based on common cultures, interests and hobbies. Our Mighty Introverts EBG is designed to raise awareness on how to help different personality types to succeed in the workplace. Teammates discuss how being an introvert has a positive impact on the organization, and they share different experiences to deepen the understanding of how introverts work best.?

Ambiverts?and omniverts?

It’s not as easy as?a?personality test to determine someone’s style —?as?life rarely manifests in extremes. Ambiverts are those who?possess both qualities of an introvert and extrovert, and the term?omnivert?is used?when?people?go?between the two?at any given time.??

Learn more about building an inclusive work culture with our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) whitepaper

Many people often find themselves balancing between being sociable, but then needing time to recharge. If someone doesn’t?gravitate toward?one personality type or the other, they can fall into this category of a middle ground.?If you’re managing someone who identifies as an ambivert or?omnivert, be?conscious?of these?pointers.?

Do:?

• Communicate?regularly to find what they prefer?in any given week??
• Balance one-on-one and group time??
• Reinforce your support and encourage their ideas?

Don’t:?

• Bucket them into one type of?communication style?
• Assume how they’re feeling if they did something outspoken last week??
• Call on them unexpectedly in case they’re feeling withdrawn?

How to?consider all personality styles when managing your workforce?

• Send out meeting agendas a few days before to give introverts time to prepare their thoughts?
• Structure meetings so there’s time for everyone to share their thoughts and no one person dominates the?entire?conversation?
• Ask for text-based?contributions?beforehand so you can bring everything to a meeting upfront?(and no one?feels?pressure?to speak up)?
• Give time during the day without meetings so introverted team members can work uninterrupted and process their thoughts?
• If you’re in-office, dedicate quiet workspaces so those who need to separate themselves and concentrate can do so?
• Offer flexible working times so everyone?can work?during optimal times of productivity?and?around family or other responsibilities?
• Create optional social spaces for introverts to gather, so extroverts can understand the cues if they’re wanting to be social or not?
• Communicate clearly and lend an open ear to your team in order to better understand their styles and preferences?

With everyone aligned on how to help others succeed in their daily workplace interactions,?organizations?will thrive. These action items should help you create?a more?inclusive? workplace that accounts for the reserved, analytical nature of introverts with the sociable energy extroverts bring to a room.?