Our recent survey identified the five most common workplace personalities. Each has its own characteristics and is motivated by different ambitions and leadership styles. Together with the expertise of behavioural psychologist Donna Dawson, UKG research found that the most prominent personality types in the workplace are:
● The Go Getter
● The Visionary
● The Negotiator
● The Thinker
● The Executive
As managers, you play a crucial role in creating a productive and successful workplace. In this article, we delve into the strategies you can employ to maximise each personality type's potential. By doing so, you not only help individuals succeed but also contribute to the overall success of the workplace and create a positive culture.
Let's look at how you can get the most out of the five most common workplace personality types you will likely find in your team.
Getting the most from the Go Getter
The Go Getter works best when the rules and rewards of what is expected are clear and set out from the onset. Working in this way empowers them to easily measure their level of success and achievement against a set standard.
According to our survey data, the Go Getter excels when working both in person or virtually but with the caveat of enjoying independent work so that they can power their own development, agenda, and careers.
Supporting this employee by utilising feedback forms that can be completed virtually at a time that works best for them can be an excellent way to find out where their needs aren't being met and where they may benefit from further support.
Communicating with the Go Getter
Managers should consider giving Go Getters direct and tangible feedback to support them in their work and get the best out of them. Go Getters aren't ones for lengthy or complex communication; they like any communication to be short and to the point. This helps them take any advice or instructions and make them actionable.
Given their communication preference, Go Getters find instant messaging platforms and services, such as Teams and Slack, useful tools for quickly passing on and receiving information.
Supporting growth at work
Exposing Go Getters to new opportunities and experiences is the best way to support their growth. Pushing them outside of their comfort zone can be crucial to their development.
Our survey data found that the Go Getter typically likes to make decisions quickly when pushed, so encouraging them to be more analytical and patient in their decision-making or seeking external support can be a good first step in their development.
The Go Getter desires to work alone rather than in a team but will be willing to collaborate if their ideas are supported by other colleagues. Encouraging the Go Getter to work with others and be open to the value of external ideas and visions can be a key area for their development.
Helping the Visionary excel
The Visionary is also particularly receptive to feedback. Of all our workplace personality types, they are the only type that truly welcomes all feedback, citing that it can help formulate ideas.
When interacting with Visionaries, it's crucial to engage in detailed communication. This includes thorough one-to-one meetings and appraisals. They thrive on in-person discussions that allow for a dynamic exchange of ideas and the exploration of the best strategies.
Margin for error
While clearly hungry to use their bold ideas to shape the bigger picture, the Visionary can find that they fall short when it comes to detail. Our survey revealed a creative spark in these people, so much so that they can often neglect to notice the finer details of work.
Therefore, managers must support and guide the Visionary to take the time to assess the details. This is exactly why they work best in companies where the structure is flexible and the atmosphere is relaxed, giving them the freedom to express themselves.
Visionaries are clear that exchanging ideas is the best way to get the most out of their talents, so people managers should seek to foster situations that can spark new ideas where the Visionary can take charge and drive innovation.
There's no 'I' in team
It's no secret that teamwork really does make the dream work here. The Visionary works effectively in brainstorming sessions, sitting around a table and bouncing ideas off their colleagues. That said, there's a lingering need for alone time to allow them to process high energy idea generation sessions.
Visionaries prefer to work in environments where they can be stimulated by interaction with colleagues and can process this at a time that suits them.
Maximising the potential of the Negotiator
As the most common personality type in the workforce, with more than a fifth of respondents in our survey identifying as a Negotiator, it's essential that people managers understand how to support and guide these employees to get the most out of them.
The Negotiator is the most flexible and adaptable of the five workplace personality types; they are happy to go with the flow. As a result, they thrive in a fast-paced work environment where staff work closely alongside each other to complete tasks.
To get the most out of the Negotiator, managers should always suggest a collaborative work approach, where they can communicate with colleagues and brainstorm ideas. The Visionary and the Negotiator can make a powerful team.
Where the Visionary commands, the Negotiator bridges the gap between thoughts and helps bring a levelled, balanced approach to idea generation. Because the Negotiator is so comfortable working as a team player, they're also likely to bring the best out of their colleagues.
Managers should take advantage of this strength, pairing Negotiators with less sociable or less confident team members so they can have a positive impact where it's most needed.
Supporting growth at work
While the Negotiator brings many great qualities to a team, pushing them out of their comfort zone and encouraging them to make decisions for themselves rather than always operating as part of a team to get the job done is important.
Our survey found that Negotiators only make decisions once they have all the facts and also rely on others for advice when pushed to make a snap judgement. To support their development, the Negotiator should be given the confidence to have strength in their convictions and be encouraged to make decisions for themselves under pressure.
Our results also revealed that the Negotiator prefers working as part of a team over working alone. Allocating individual tasks to employees with this personality type will ensure that they are well-rounded individuals who are equally adept in both a group environment and when relying solely on their own initiative.
Working environment
The Negotiator feels most comfortable in a shared workspace and is least likely to want to work in an isolated environment. Some Negotiators indicated that they preferred to work collaboratively at all times because they enjoyed the collective opportunities that a group environment creates.
So, for the majority of Negotiators, allowing them to work in co-working spaces or implementing regular team days is a good way to ensure they're feeling their best. This preference aligns with the findings that the Negotiator thrives in a team environment.
Encouraging employees to venture into the office and creating a lively workplace environment will get the best out of the Negotiator and build a culture that matches their personality type.
Helping the Thinker grow
The Thinker likes to be in control of their own tasks and schedule and feels most comfortable when taking on solo projects. To maximise the Thinker's potential, managers should accommodate this preference and be careful not to overload the Thinker with collaborative projects and group activities.
Managers can benefit from the Thinker's methodical approach by asking them to review established processes to see how they could be improved. Because of the Thinker's logical thinking and problem solving abilities, they can often spot inefficiencies or bottlenecks that are slowing down current processes.
The Thinker enjoys clearly defined processes that help them organise their thoughts. Managers should ensure that they provide clear, consistent process guidance so Thinkers can complete a task to the best of their ability. Managers should also offer detailed instructions when Thinkers ask for help.
Supporting growth at work
The Thinker generally feels neutral towards work colleagues and may only have a few they consider friends. To support their growth, employees with this personality type should be encouraged to put themselves forward for group projects and interact with the wider team.
Soft skills are becoming increasingly important across every industry. So, while technically minded employees have significant value, people managers should encourage Thinkers to upskill and nurture their interpersonal skills to focus on building strong relationships with colleagues who benefit their current work and their career beyond.
The survey data also shows that Thinkers respond well to both positive and negative feedback and can learn from both. Regular and honest feedback will highlight areas for improvement. Thinkers will pay close attention to any guidance they receive and look to implement any proposed changes to improve their performance.
Flexibility, agility and autonomy
The Thinker prefers to work independently, more so than any of the other personality types. The Thinker works best when they have time and space away from meetings and group discussions.
Flexibility is the key to supporting this type of employee. They should have relative freedom when it comes to choosing when they work collaboratively and when they need time to knuckle down without being given the option to isolate themselves completely.
If the Thinker is working independently, it is important that they still receive regular feedback to support their development, as this is an integral aspect of their growth and improvement.
Empowering the Executive to lead
The Executive works best under clearly defined and pre-determined conditions. Our survey data revealed that the Executive believes established processes and rules give the workplace structure and help them thrive.
Therefore, managers can optimise the performance of this personality type by ensuring they have set guidelines for completing tasks and are not given ad hoc work to figure out for themselves. Managers should also ensure the Executive feels that the work they are doing is for the greater good of the company or work team.
Explaining the rationale behind a task they have been asked to complete can help them better understand the reasoning behind their role and how it directly benefits the business's performance.
Supporting growth at work
The Executive is often a results-driven individual who is willing to sacrifice personal relationships to deliver success for the business. Employers can support the growth of this personality type by helping them to understand that a happy and harmonious work culture is also highly valuable to the business and that cultivating personal relationships across teams is essential.
It may also be beneficial to ensure that the Executives don't overwork themselves. They should be encouraged to step away from work to be productive and engaged during work hours. Our survey findings also highlight that the Executives prefer to tackle unfamiliar tasks by consulting more experienced managers or colleagues.
So that they develop independent decision-making skills, the Executive should be encouraged to take the initiative and try to complete a task on their own before consulting a more senior staff member. It is important that the Executive is pushed to work on and develop problem solving skills and can innovate and be creative when asked to overcome unforeseen challenges.
The only way these capabilities can be nurtured is by taking on individual tasks and operating without the immediate support of a manager or wider team.
Putting in the groundwork
The Executive favours working in a bustling environment, as they believe work belongs in the workplace. Managers should ensure employees always have the option to contribute their thoughts and ideas when they need to and feel they are being heard.
When the Executive is in a group environment, managers should encourage them not to view colleague relationships as purely transactional but instead encourage them to try to form bonds with team members who they interact with regularly.
Make good workplaces great with UKG
UKG is on a mission to inspire every organisation to become a great place to work through HCM technology built for all. We want to equip workplaces with the tools they need to lead through culture. Here at UKG, we recognise that a strong workplace culture can increase productivity, improve profitability and enhance staff retention.
Our solutions, such as the UKG Great Place to Work Hub, can help businesses take action to develop their workplace culture and promote a sense of belonging. We combine AI with the world's most extensive collection of people, workforce and culture data to create exceptional workplace experiences.
Our HCM technology helps drive people and business success; we help over 80,000 organisations achieve better business outcomes.
Discover your work personality
Are you an Executive, or perhaps you're a Go Getter or a Thinker? Take our test to explore which work personality you are. Find out more about our research in our 'What's Your Work Personality?' white paper.
