Why You Should Hire An Introvert Now

Warren Buffett, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, poses for a portrait in New York October 22, 2013.Photograph by Carlo Allegri — Reuters

Take a second look at Warren Buffett and the other quiet ones.

Are you a fan of the movies? If so, do you like Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Emma Watson or Audrey Hepburn? If you’re a fan of television, do you like Courteney Cox, Barbara Walters, and do you miss David Letterman? If you’re a sports fanatic, are you an admirer of legends like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird? In the world of business, do you believe that Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have been quite successful? Agree that Abraham Lincoln was one of our best presidents?

Did you know all are or were once introverts? It’s true, and yet as introverts, if you interviewed them, chances are you might have opted to remove them from consideration and move forward with more extroverted candidates. The question is, why?

Think about it. Introverts are stereotypically perceived as quiet and shy, people who don’t like to talk or be around others. Some might more severely define introverts as weird, awkward, aloof, or even rude. If you believe even some of these statements, then chances are when interviewing an introvert you might have been disappointed by their short answers and how they may have appeared nervous. In the end, you probably didn’t hire them.

Not hiring them might have been a big mistake. First of all, most of the behaviors associated with introverts are myths that simply aren’t true. Second, and please refer back to the list of introverts at the beginning of this article, introverts are some of the highest performing people on our planet. Not selecting someone based solely on their interview performance will negatively impact your company’s diversity as well as its overall performance. So it’s clear, if you continue to penalize introverts when hiring, you are making a huge mistake.

Although the world is finally beginning to understand that introversion is not synonymous with shyness and introverts can be strong leaders and very effective employees, many employers are still falling far short in terms of getting introverts through the door. That’s because the deck is heavily stacked against introverts in the traditional hiring process.

In-person interviewers still tend to favor people who engage quickly and energetically in conversation, who make connections (even superficial ones), and whose outgoing nature seems to signal confidence, competence and dedication—all ideal criteria for extroverts. The problem arises when employers fail to separate the signal from the noise. They forget to ask: is this candidate actually the right fit for the position—and a good cultural fit at the organization?

Source:Fortune