When people start their working lives they find themselves with a wide sea of options, with different tasks, hours and salaries. Of course, the job offer varies in each country, according to its population and economic activity, however, the income is not always enough for the worker to achieve financial stability.
This phenomenon is the result of various factors such as debts, lifestyle, dependents, among others. According to a study by economist Miriam Gensowski, some personality traits also influence workers’ annual earnings percentage.
Gensowski, an expert in the origins and consequences of inequality, analyzed the personalities of men throughout their professional careers. Her study of her was based on the Terman study, which consists of a psychometric test with the aim of evaluating intelligence and identifying elements in the cognitive development of an individual.
In this sense, the academic decided to direct her analysis of her exclusively with information from men, indicating that “changes in job opportunities for women have meant that there is not as much data regarding their professional performance.” Likewise, thanks to the Terman study, Gensowski had access to information on 595 men, whose wages were registered from 18 to 75 years of age.
Impacts of personality on professional life
Gensowski, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Copenhagen, found that “early in men’s professional lives, differences in personality traits were not shown to have as much of an effect on the wages they could receive.”
“If one considers that the effect of the personality of a manager or head of area has on the productivity of the team under his charge, it is clear that there are marked differences in these age ranges,”she explained.
While the study found that personality doesn’t seem to have a significant impact early in career, it did point out that it does influence workers’ earnings in the long run.
keys to success
According to Professor Gensowski’s research, published in the Harvard Business Review , the key to success has three fundamental axes: “being detail-oriented, extroversion, and how pleasant you are to co-workers.” In this sense, the academic explained that “being observant and careful allows the productivity of the individual to increase”, which can affect the worker to be promoted in her work.
According to data from the Terman study, extroversion has a relevant impact on the salaries obtained by men. Along these lines, Gensowski notes that an introverted worker earns, on average, $290,000 less throughout his life than those who are extroverts.
Contrary to what is commonly believed, being too nice does not guarantee that the worker can receive more promotions, according to what was found by the academic. In fact, in her study of her she mentions that “people who are nicer and who tend to help their partners consistently receive about $270,000 less in their lifetime than men who are less nice.
What role does educational level play?
Having professional careers or postgraduate studies, such as master’s degrees and specializations, is a plus that workers can achieve to give greater relevance to their resumes and be more competitive in the labor market.
According to Gensowski’s study, an extroverted man with a master’s degree can earn up to $760,000 more in his lifetime than an introverted man with the same level of education. Consequently, he points out that extroversion significantly enhances the percentage of earnings of a male worker, according to the data analyzed from the Terman test.
