Fortune favours the bold: A third of businesses believe extroverts are ‘more creative’ than introverts
UK businesses are making significant assumptions about workers, with over a third (36%) believing that extroverts are naturally more creative than introverts, compared to only 18% who believe the opposite. That’s according to new research from employee experience company, Qualtrics.
The research, carried out with more than 1,000 UK workers, has found that over half of those who identify as being introverted (55%) feel that their ideas are less likely to be heard by their CEO, management team, direct line managers and even their colleagues. This is despite the fact that almost two-thirds (61%) of introverts believe that they have ideas which would benefit the wider organisation. In contrast, only 32% of extroverts feel they are not being heard.
The findings also indicate other notable concerns with how comfortable more introverted workers are with sharing feedback and speaking openly. Over half (57%) of introverts say they feel uncomfortable sharing their thoughts directly or in a group setting, compared to only 23% of extroverts — highlighting a potential bias toward more outspoken employees if alternative ways to share ideas or contribute feedback are not accommodated.
Speaking on the findings, Laura Harding, EX XM Scientist at Qualtrics, said
“Although less likely to offer direct and spontaneous feedback, the silence of introverts doesn’t mean that they don’t have anything to contribute. With introverts making up around half of the workforce, it’s important this more cautious group is given the platform to share their valuable insights in a way that both makes them feel comfortable and benefits the business.”
Harding continues:
“While different personality types are known to add value to a business, there’s still a huge experience gap between what these individuals believe they can contribute and how much they feel listened to by their employer. As a result of this disconnect, companies are potentially missing out on important ideas, purely because the correct cultures and technologies are not in place to help these voices be heard. This will ensure all personality types feel valued, supported and listened to.
To find out more about Qualtrics’ Silent Worker research, visit https://www.qualtrics.com/uk/lp/silent-worker/
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