Unconscious bias in the office: Recognising the value of introverts
Quieter individuals are often overlooked for leadership positions, to the detriment of an organisation.
Woman at work, office, working alone. Pexels/Marcus Aurelius
The Money Show's Stephen Grootes is joined by Advaita Naidoo, MD for Africa at Jack Hammer Global.
It's long been recognised that there is an unconscious bias towards extroverts in general, and in business in particular.
The loudest voice in the room tends to dominate, leaving the more reserved introvert overlooked for leadership positions.
But this is starting to change, says Advaita Naidoo, MD for Africa at executive search firm Jack Hammer Global.
Managers have come to understand how unconscious bias impacts on hiring decisions, often negatively, she writes in an article on the subject.
Stephen Grootes gets more insight from Naidoo on The Money Show.
"For the longest time we've all tended to think of leadership as something loud - the charisma, the confidence, the commanding presence."
Advaita Naidoo, MD: Africa - Jack Hammer Global
"This has created a bit of a skewed leadership pipeline in some companies, but organisational complexity is increasing, psychological safety is becoming more important... so there is a real case for rethinking assumptions about what leadership looks like, because it doesn't need to be loud and powerful anymore".
Advaita Naidoo, MD: Africa - Jack Hammer Global
Naidoo points out that extroverts are not necessarily the best leaders or even the most confident.
And overlooking the introverted carries the risk of shutting out people who do bring the real value in terms of deep thinking, careful listening and reflection.
However, organisations and society in general are getting better about recognising the power of the quieter individuals, she says.
Tapping into the potential of introverted leaders means recognising, and mitigating against the unconscious bias towards extroversion through more structured engagement that focus on the skills and the experience that they bring to the table.
"We can call on the introverts to offer rather than expecting them to volunteer; there should be opportunities to showcase their abilities in less demanding settings like the more hybrid scenarios or smaller meetings... and sometimes consciously asking the people who are usually the loudest in the room to maybe take a step back"
Advaita Naidoo, MD: Africa - Jack Hammer Global
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