Employer's guide to giftedness in the workplace

If you are reading this, you may be employing or wanting to employ an employee who has indicated that he/she has attributes of giftedness. Or perhaps characteristics of giftedness have been identified.

This guide answers a number of questions:

  • What are qualities of giftedness, is it only about IQ?
  • What can the gifted employee do for your organization?
  • What can you do so that your employee does her/his job well and with pleasure?

Not every gifted employee needs extra help and usually these are small adjustments to support someone's effectiveness. Modifications that cost little and do not have a major impact on the organization.
With some attention, mutual understanding and respect, the qualities and talents of gifted people can be optimally deployed in your organisation.

What are qualities of giftedness? What can the gifted employee do for your organization?

Many gifted people have the following qualities:

  • Is a fast and smart thinker, who can handle complex matters
  • In a challenging place a very energetic, motivated and concentrated employee
  • Autonomous, curious (seam of the stocking) and driven by nature
  • A sensitive and emotional human being, intensely alive
  • can often provide unusual, innovative solutions

People with giftedness are all different and have a wide range of interests, skills and intelligence, just like others. It is important to discuss with your employee individually what could be helpful.

What is giftedness?

There is no generally accepted definition of giftedness. A limited definition assumes an IQ score with a validated test. A score of 130 is often used as the lower limit, but giftedness often involves much higher scores. Giftedness in a broader description also focuses on characteristics such as great curiosity, strong sense of autonomy, absorbing a lot of impressions from the environment - sensitive and emotionally responsive.

There may be a number of points of attention for highly gifted employees:

1. Communication:

-Gifted people are often sharp and critical observers. When they communicate too vehemently, emotionally, about their findings, conflicts can easily arise.
-Gifted people are sometimes unable to explain their ideas, plans or results clearly enough, leading to a lack of understanding and resistance on the part of the other party.
-Gifted people can come across as pedantic and stubborn
-doesn't let itself be steered indiscriminately, wants to know why and for what
-could annoy or outdo others

2. Understimulation:

-due to their great cognitive ability, they are easily bored when a task is not challenging enough
-impatient towards slower colleagues or supervisors

On the basis of a broader description, figures are given for approximately 600,000 adults in the Netherlands who are said to have characteristics of giftedness (Kooijman, et al. 2008).

Highly gifted people may also have properties from other conditions, there is often overlap with properties of AD(H)D, autism and dyslexia. Highly gifted people with dyslexia have often had a lot of compensation possibilities at a young age due to their intelligence. However, they may get stuck later in life if they have not recognized their dyslexia.

How is giftedness treated?

At the moment that conflicts often occur in communication, it can be useful to call in assistance aimed at getting more control of the obstructing characteristics. If there are also properties from other conditions, then any help can focus on that. A suitable and sufficiently challenging working environment can be very helpful.

What can you do so that your HB employee does his/her job well and with pleasure?

With the qualities mentioned in the Delphi Model of giftedness, a gifted person can be of extra importance to your organization for

  • work with:
    • need for quick overview in complex cases
    • challenges that require a resolving creative ability.
    • much autonomy
    • where knowledge and innovation are important, gifted people can often excel.
  •  work that doesn't fit:
    • many routine actions
    • little autonomy

Which adjustments can be helpful?

  • matching talents and tasks, matching job profile to employee qualities
  • be flexible in assigning different tasks in consultation and agreement with colleagues
  • staying alert on how to communicate on content and on the process
  • provide clarity about vision, opportunities, responsibilities and mutual expectations

Privacy

As is the case for all employees, it is also important for highly gifted people that the employer treats the employee (s data) with care and does not share any diagnosis or other data with others without permission. A company culture where there is little understanding for someone's individuality and talents is not only an unpleasant environment for gifted people to work in.

For more information

Instituut Hoogbegaafdheid Adults is a knowledge, project and network organisation.

See: www.ihbv.nl

  • Literature Nauta N, Corten F. (2002). Gifted men at work. For practice] TBV 2002; 10(11): 332- 335. Bodzin, C. (2014).
  • Sozialkompetenz und chronicer Stress bei hochbegabten Erwachsenen. Masterarbeit. Human- und Gesundheitswissenschaften Study of Clinical Psychology, Master of Science Sommersemester 2014. Persson, R.S. (2009).
  • Intellectually Gifted Individuals' Career Choices and Work Satisfaction: A Descriptive Study. Gifted and Talented International 23(2), December, 2008; and 24(1), August, 2009: 11-24. Nauta, N. & Van de Ven, R. (ed.) (2017).
  • Highly gifted adults. Use your gifts intelligently and positively. Delft/ Utrecht: IHBV/ Big Business Publishers. Nauta N. & Vogel, F. (2014).
  • ADHD and/or giftedness: how do you keep them apart? Published in Susan! No. 2, April 2014. 24-28. Van der Waal, I.J. & Klabbers, S. (2016)
  • Their talent is unprecedented Published in Arbo nr 3, March 2016 17-19

Established in cooperation with the IHBV