4 Part Series on Recruitment, Interviews
and Introversion
Introduction
This
post is the first in a 4 part series on recruitment and interviews from an
introversion perspective.
Why
consider introversion you wonder? Research, indicates that more than half of
the potential job market is introverted. In fact, according to the MBTI Manual published in 2018 56.8% of the
worldwide population classify themselves as introverts. Yet the culture is most
western countries and organisations is extroverted. MBTI also state that 9/10
people surveyed in the UK felt pressure to act extroverted. So, it is worth examining
the intersection between recruitment, interviews and introversion.
Current
Labour Market
We
are in the middle of a pandemic and almost certain recession. Many
organisations might not be focusing their efforts on the recruitment process
but for those that are, getting your talent acquisition process right is more
important than ever. According to the
Society for Human Resource Professionals, ‘a recent study found that employers
who excelled in recruiting, experienced 3.5 times more revenue growth and twice
the profit margin of other employers.’ As they say, every penny counts.
The
current labour market will provide a larger pool of candidates increasing the
complexity for the recruiter and a challenge for the job seeker from which to
stand out. Potential employers will need to carefully craft their message to
potential candidates and job seekers will need real clarity around their unique
offering.
About
Introversion
There
is no longer one single definition that captures the introvert experience.
Introversion like extroversion is on a spectrum and just one aspect of our
personality. However, there are certain commonalities that tie introverts
together usually grouped around how energy is managed and information is
processed. Introverts, will generally need considerable time alone to recharge,
prefer smaller groups and tend to have more intricate neural pathways in the
brain influencing how information is processed. In recent years there has been
more recognition that introvert strengths are an asset to an organisation
rather than something that needs to be fixed.
Crafting
the Message
In
order to hire great talent, you need to attract great talent. 50% of that
talent lies within the cognitive diverse group of introverts. When potential
candidates are assessing your organisation, they look at the job description,
information on the website, employee reviews and information shared on social
media. Inclusivity begins with the job analysis and description.
One
single word can turn a potential applicant away. Buffer, the social media company was using the word ‘hacker’ in
its job descriptions which it turns out was contributing to the fact that only
2% of its developers were women. We know women are less likely to apply for a
job unless they meet 100% of the requirements, I would suggest introverts with
their self-critical nature would also follow this pattern.
Does
your job description emphasise lots of socialising opportunities? We like to
socialise but in our own way, ping pong tables and lots of games will probably not
attract introverts. Lunch time events and happy hours will also drain
introverts who need to recharge. Do you use clichés like fast paced environment?
Introverts are more prone to anxiety and their strengths in reflecting and
tapping into their creativity are not always done well under pressure. Reframing this to suggest the applicant needs
good time management skills is more effective. Keep your job descriptions
specific to the skills required and it will be clearer both for applicants in
terms of what is required and for recruiters on which to assess.
Introverts
will look to assess whether they have opportunities to work independently, most
especially some remote work going forward, a support system in place and a work
environment that meets their values.
Finally,
how about adding a line at the end like this one which celebrates all the
facets of our individuality?
‘Diversity is more than a commitment at
Viacom—it is the foundation of what we do. We are fully focused on equality and
believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion,
ethnicity, national origin and all the other fascinating characteristics that
make us different.’
Harnessing
the potential of all personality types will bring engagement to your workforce
but getting this diversity in the door starts with the job description.
If
you believe your recruitment team would benefit from learning more about this
area reach out to aoife@insidestrategies.ie and I would be happy to design a training session specific to
your business.
Comments
Post a Comment