Employers often misunderstand sensitive people, and thus they may be overlooked in the hiring process, the founder of a website for sensitive people wrote in Fast Company.

Sensitive does not mean weak, fragile, or easily offended, wrote Andre Sólo. They process information more deeply, they think deeply and feel strongly. Their “most misunderstood trait,” Solo wrote, is their strong emotions, which “can … be harnessed as passion, empathy, and the ability to rally a team around a vision.”

Sensitive people are “profound thinkers, capable of tremendous innovation and creative problem-solving,” and they “spend more time contemplating the same details that others gloss over and making connections that others miss,” he wrote. As such, sensitive people have strengths that appear as reliable high performers, the best decision makers, and the good investment.  

Reliable high performers are the “most conscientious individuals in your company,” Solo wrote, because they notice the details that other miss, they sense whether the boss is pleased, they a have a powerful work ethic. The best decision makers use their sensitivity to consider more data from more sources, and are more willing to seek the input of others, he wrote. The good investment uses what Solo termed the "Boost Effect"—a sensitive person absorbing more of support and training than others —“to take that support and use it to achieve even more.”

Spotting a sensitive person may be difficult, but there are ways to do so, Solo wrote. A sensitive person may get overstimulated easily, so he or she may use a soft desk lamp rather than the bright overhead lights, wear earbuds, or seek out quiet places to work.

To assess a person’s sensitivity in an interview, Solo advocated taking one of three approaches: direct; indirect, such as through the use of a hypothetical; or asking a series of questions about personality traits. Once identified, sensitive people can be supported by providing them with the ability to block off time for focused work without distractions such as email or social media, giving them reasonable control over their physical workspace, or offering flexibility in working from home or in private office spaces.

“Most sensitive people feel they need to hide [their sensitivity] at work,” Soto concluded. “[W]hen they realize they don’t, you might be surprised by who speaks up.”