The Caregivers – Understanding the ESFJ Personality Type
In the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator framework, personality types represent various approaches to life. Each one is a fascinating study with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. And people have succeeded immensely by understanding them better.
Most people take the MBTI in order to understand themselves. Understandably so. However, this tool is just as useful in understanding others, especially for managers and HR personnel.
There are 16 different MBTI personality types, which might seem like a daunting list to familiarize yourself with. Yet the benefits can be intense.
When we really know who we’re working with, we’re in a much better position to maximize their potential.
Take the ESFJ, also known as “The Caregiver.” Quite common relative to the other 15 categories, it makes up a good 12% of the U.S. population. But that hardly means it should be taken for granted. ESFJs are extreme people persons who can have some of the best affects on their fellow human beings – something societies can always use more of.
Here’s what you need to know about ESFJs, what makes them tick, and where they best fit into the workforce.
An ESFJ’s Daily Life
If you’re an ESFJ, your main way of evaluating and interacting with life is externally oriented; you handle situations based on your external facing view and how that aligns with your personal experiences.
And those personal values are very, very people oriented. ESFJs absolutely adore their fellow human beings, taking a genuine interest in those around them. They collect precise, in-depth information about people, then transform that data into affirmative judgments.
ESFJs tend to have strong beliefs about how things ought to be and don’t hesitate to voice them. Yet it’s important to realize that their moral codes are often shaped more by the society they live in rather than personal convictions. Moreover, they have an intense need for social acceptance and crave friendly environments.
On the plus side, this makes ESFJs very supportive of others and highly dependable. Detail-oriented in the extreme, they place a high value on stability and security, and take their tasks seriously. Moreover, they’re good at it, identifying tasks quickly and exceeding expectations in completing them .
However, they do seek recognition for their contributions and authenticity, and they’re easily wounded if others act indifferently to them… assuming negative intentions even when none exist.
ESFJs share many traits commonly associated with women in our culture. But ESFJ men don’t tend to look feminine at all. While they may become sensitive as you get to know them, male ESFJs will come across as very macho and female ESFJs as very feminine.
Either way, they place a high value on stability and tradition, seeking stable lives where they can spend ample time with friends and family.
ESFJ Strengths
Since they tend to be raised and surrounded by strong, moral, and genuinely goodness-centered value systems, ESFJs are often the kindest, most giving people you’ll ever meet. Armed with a high degree of social awareness, they will give you anything, no questions asked.
As such, they have a unique ability and desire to bring out the best in others. And their talent at reading people and discerning their perspectives is impressive. So it only makes sense that people appreciate being around them.
ESFJs have a long list of “best” traits, including:
- Warmth
- Sensitivity
- Cooperation
- Helpfulness
- Tact
- Practicality
- Thoroughness
- Consistency
- Organization
- Enthusiasm,
In short, they’re incredibly giving, vivacious individuals who derive a great deal of personal fulfillment from seeing others happy.
Challenges Faced by ESFJs
For all their positives, ESFJs may acquire extremely dubious values if they don’t have the opportunity to evaluate them against a sound external system.
In these situations, since they lack an internalized sense of morality, they typically and sincerely believe their distorted value system to be true. This lack of intuition keeps them from seeing the broader picture, and they’re good at finding plenty of justification for whatever moral infraction they choose to defend.
Compounding this, ESFJs lack the intuition of their ENFJ cousins to help them comprehend the true effects of their actions. They believe their behavior is ethical and therefore justified even when it’s really all about them and their personal objectives.
Since ESFJs typically enjoy a good deal of popularity and know how to work a crowd, they can also be skilled manipulators. In fact, their extraverted feelings can push them to control and manipulate.
Because ESFJs are such compassionate people, there are occasions when they find it difficult to acknowledge or accept a tough truth about a person they hold dear.
An ESFJ who hasn’t matured to his or her full potential may also be prone to feelings of insecurity and excessive people pleasing.
Coaching and Development for ESFJs
Every ESFJ has an innate need to be in charge of their surroundings. They seek closure and demand organization wherever they are. That’s why well-structured environments suit them the best.
You won’t generally find them enjoying tasks requiring impersonal analysis or abstract, theoretical concepts.
Managers should be fully warned that pairing an ESFJ with a more free-spirit colleague can be disastrous without proper preparation on both their parts. They think everyone should respect and adhere to the laws and regulations of authority – and they don’t take kindly to contrary thinking.
Being so conventional, ESFJs would much rather follow the path less traveled instead of trying something new. Their need for security motivates their eager adoption and devotion to the established system’s rules. And they may occasionally accept norms without thinking about them or asking questions.
Speaking of which, ESFJs are usually very aware of gender norms. So much so that they often feel most at ease in a role that corresponds with cultural gender expectations.
ESFJs in the Workplace
Being so people-oriented, the ESFJ personality type can find plenty of opportunities that reward both them and those they interact with. Just as long as they work hard to acknowledge and overcome their sensitivities and struggles, they can be extremely useful and effective members of society.
Potential ESFJ job possibilities include:
- Household economics
- Nursing
- Education supervisor
- Child welfare
- Family-based medicine doctor
- Religious work (including clergy positions)
- Office supervisor
- Social work and counseling
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Administration assistant.