Finally, some peace and quiet for the introverts

Are you relieved it’s January, with no more festive parties on the horizon? Do you avoid coworker happy hours? Do you frequently take lunch solo and spend your working hours at your desk, headphones on? You’re not alone — even if you often prefer to be alone.

A majority of people define themselves as more introverted than extroverted: 

• A 2023 YouGov poll found that 39% of respondents identified as either completely or more introverted, while 31% said they were an equal mix. Just 22% identified as more extroverted.
• The Myers-Briggs Company found that ~57% of the US population prefers introversion. 

While there’s nothing wrong with either personality type, it can get tricky for introverts when they’re surrounded by schmoozing and small-talk. They may feel forced to participate lest colleagues — or bosses — think they lack passion, which can lead to burn out.

In 2012, author Susan Cain published Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, which led companies and organizations to launch initiatives to support their more taciturn peers.

And since the pandemic’s remote work boom, introverts have become even more open about their work preferences, per The Wall Street Journal. 

What are companies doing?

A Glassdoor poll found that introverts value remote or hybrid work, no mandatory social events, quiet spaces in the office, and async work.

• Pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb’s office has a quiet room where introverts can recharge. It’s also had a “Valuably Quiet” program since 2021 to help supervisors and colleagues understand introverts, from how they best get stuff done to how they show enthusiasm.
• Accounting firm KPMG has placed individual desks near grouped desks, allowing introverts to listen and be near, but not directly in the mix.
• Other companies and organizations, including  have been launching employee resource groups (ERGs) that offer more introverted-friendly ways to socialize — book clubs, crafts, online forums, etc.
• Biopharmaceutical company Sobi’s Quiet ERG allows introverts to contribute ideas and perspectives in ways that work for them. 

Fun fact: Beyond extroverts and introverts, there are ambiverts (they’re somewhere in the middle) and omniverts (they flip between extremes, though there’s not much scientific research on this type). New is “otroverts,” coined by psychiatrist Rami Kaminski last year to describe people who feel perpetually on the outside.