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Some experts believe introverts comprise 50 percent of the population. That’s according to a recent article in Fortune. But many organizations are screening them out — either intentionally through psychological testing, or accidentally via untenable office design.

If you are struggling to recruit top talent, you can’t afford to exclude half the candidate pool.

Many hiring managers wrongly assume that introverts are shy, lack people skills, or aren’t team players. These are unfortunate stereotypes.

Introverts can be excellent meeting facilitators, top sales people, and charismatic leaders. However, they need periods of privacy and quiet to “go internal” to recharge, assimilate information they’ve gained in meetings, formulate ideas, and generate work products efficiently.

Maybe you're familiar with these two new business books which describe the strengths and needs of this demographic group: 

• The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Business and Leadership by Lisa Petrilli

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

“Some 70 percent of our workplaces are ‘open plan’ offices, where people must deal with the noise and gazes of their co-workers all day long,” says Cain. And that’s draining for introverts.

What is your organization doing to attract and retain talented introverts?

Read the Fortune article here.