Look at all the shy people
Shy people have many personal and professional qualities vital to any organization. Yet, people tend to misinterpret their shyness. This article reviews all stages of the employment life cycle and its influence on the shy.
You are sitting in a meeting, which has already started, and you can’t find your pen. Rummaging through your bag feels too awkward, and you realize you will have to ask someone in the room. “Can I borrow a pen?” That seems easy enough, but for you it is not, because you dread saying it out loud. You end up thinking about this pen for the rest of the day.
You’ve ended a very successful presentation in front of 25 colleagues, and you are very pleased with yourself. When you see a friend in the crowded elevator, they say, “Hey, how did that date go yesterday?” You can feel everybody in the elevator looking at you and awaiting your response. Your formerly extroverted self crumbles, and all you can manage is a weak nod.
Whether you are an introvert, an extrovert, or even “occasionally” shy, it happens to you in many areas in life, and it often comes with a price. Evident, especially at work. Every person has their own strengths, talents, and capabilities that make them ideal for particular professions and pursuits. So do shy people, but shy people don’t tend to sell their talents — they sell themselves short.
Being shy isn’t all bad; there are benefits, but it’s tough being shy, and it is most dramatically evident in the workplace. They work well alone, but they are good team players. They bring the much-needed balance between employees who see themselves as leaders and those who maintain a rather restrained character. But Shy people keep shying away from their ideal job and advancement because of constantly belittling themselves and selling themselves short. This exists in every phase of the employment cycle, starting with the very first step — the job search. And so, the shy miss out on the world, and the world misses out on shy people.
Job Hunting
Job hunting is a complicated process for everybody, and even more so for shy people. They hide their true aspirations from themselves because, in a way, they do not dare to dream. So naturally, their search is inevitably narrowed down before it even starts. Their low self-belief prevents them from considering the position, even when they are qualified — as opposed to non-shy individuals, who will aim higher than their existing knowledge and experience. They are too shy to even ask a friend for a favor — to help them find a job or introduce them to the hiring manager of a position they wish to apply for.
Writing the resume and the cover letter is extremely hard. Instead of being proud of their achievements, shy people feel embarrassed about what they perceive as boasting, so they struggle with each word representing their capabilities.
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On-boarding
Being a company’s rookie is emotionally demanding. The need to quickly grasp new information, get to know new people, and the overall life change it brings to an employee is challenging. It is even more complicated for introverted people as they may sense loneliness, anxiety, and even confusion. Every organization should have an on-boarding process for new employees, but sadly, only 12% of the employers think their companies onboard new employees well enough. According to Taormina, the need to cushion shy people’s first stages at work is acute. When shy employees are introduced to the organization, its culture, and procedures — it helps them succeed and feel confident about their job and overall career success. He underlines four organizational socialization factors — Training, Understanding, Coworker Support, and Future Prospects — as significant contributors to shy employees’ career success. Once a shy employee enters the office for the first time, it is essential to get them acquainted with the firm’s basics: their colleagues, where to get coffee, the bathroom, etc. As much as it may seem superficial, showing the new on-boarding worker where to get a stapler will boost their confidence.
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Performance
Shy people are known to have many advantages regarding their working achievements. They are good listeners, which allows them to seize details that non-shy people might be omitting. They enjoy solitary work, they avoid taking unnecessary risks, and they are highly adaptable. On the other hand, introverted workers will try to avoid speaking up in front of others and may even be reluctant to share difficulties. Furthermore, they hardly ever take credit for success; they leave that to the extroverted others. The shy take responsibility for failures and are likely to suffer the Imposter Syndrome. Mostly, shy people’s problem is not their performance but in self-perception thereof. Shy employees are good team players. As managers, they will give their extroverted employees the space to evolve in their own way. Shy managers will listen to their employees rather than make all the decisions independently. They feel it is their responsibility to support employees and therefore avoid micromanagement. It can turn into a problem if they do not set firm boundaries or criticize poor performance when needed.
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Evaluation & Benefits
Introverted shy people may settle in and be great employees, fun to work with, and benefit the organization by their presence, yet one thing will never change — they will always be the shy employees. They will be reluctant to negotiate their terms. Firstly, asking for a salary raise or a promotion is tough because, similarly to the job interview, it will require pointing out their achievements and contributions. They will have to take credit for the good job they have done, which is something shy people struggle to do. Secondly, shy people are constantly worried about their poor performance and career, resulting in low expectations of being promoted. Unsurprisingly, only 2% of the top executives are introverts.
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Conculsion
There are many shy people around us. They will inevitably be in a workplace and encounter difficulties. In recent years, the employment echo-system has constantly been trying to improve the employees’ environment and watch out for their wellness as it contributes to a successful outcome. Whether you are a shy employee or an employer, the life cycle from the job-hunting stage until settling into a daily work routine is not at all easy. Furthermore, switching jobs means starting the whole process all over again with all the difficulties that go with it.
Providing youngsters with proper employment skills and improving their social skills may benefit them in the later stages of their lives. Future employees are also less exposed to social interactions, as they are digital natives. Studies already show that a young Generation Z employee would rather look for a job elsewhere than ask for a salary raise or a promotion. The upside will be apps and other digital tools that will provide emotional support and confidence to have conversations, as difficult as they may be.
CommReady is an innovative chatbot companion that helps users prepare for conversations, allowing them to manage their emotions and thoughts. CommReady app features on iPhone and Android mobile devices.
