Your team is composed of a unique group of individuals. Some are notably social and outgoing, but others are more introverted. The extroverts have no problem speaking up and saying what they need to be more productive, but that’s not how the introverts work.
As a company that provides staffing support in Lehigh Valley, PA, HTSS, Inc. has plenty of experience with introverts — including motivating them to reach their maximum productivity. If you’re struggling with that, use this advice to manage them in a manner that aligns with their personality.
Five Tips to Motivate Introverts
Offer Flexible Work Options
If you don’t already, allowing employees to work from home at least part of the time can be exactly what introverts need. Unlike extroverts, they’re not motivated by the energy of being in the office surrounded by their peers. In fact, this likely drains them. Having the ability to work away from the chaos of the office can help them achieve higher levels of productivity.
Make Project Teams Smaller
Introverts tend to get lost in a group setting. Since they’re not people who like to speak up in front of a large team, their voice isn’t typically heard. This can cause them to lose interest in projects, because they feel like their input doesn’t matter.
Avoid this by breaking project teams into smaller groups. Working closely with only a few other people will make them feel more comfortable sharing their opinions.
Send Meeting Agendas in Advance
Chances are, the introverts on your team rarely contribute to staff meetings — at least on a voluntary basis. It’s true that public speaking isn’t their thing, but not giving them an agenda until the meeting starts doesn’t help.
Encourage them to speak up by sharing the agenda a day or two before the meeting. This will give them time to prepare remarks in advance, which is what they need to feel confident enough to share.
Praise Them Privately
Like everyone else, when introverts do great work, they want to hear from the boss. However, unlike extroverted employees, they don’t crave public praise — they actually hate it.
When an introvert does outstanding work, send them an email or quietly stop by their desk to thank them. They’ll feel great knowing they pleased you, and will be beyond relieved to avoid the embarrassment of having the entire teams’ eyes on them.
If you need to hire in the Lehigh Valley, HTSS, Inc. wants to help. Contact us today to fill your open positions with top talent every time!