HIGH ABILITIES/GIFTEDNESS: WORKERS’ PERCEPTION OF THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS, SUPPORT NETWORK, INCLUSION IN THE LABOR MARKET, AND APPLICATION OF THEIR SKILLS

Abstract

This article aims to identify the perception of adult workers identified with high abilities/giftedness (HA/G) regarding the identification process, the role of the support network, inclusion in the labor market, and the possibilities and difficulties of applying their professional skills. This is a descriptive and exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, using bibliographic and field research procedures, grounded in the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Data were collected through interviews with six workers identified with HA/G, active in the formal labor market, and analyzed using Content Analysis, organized into three categories: perception of the identification process, perception of the support network, and the world of work. The results indicate that, before identification, participants perceived themselves as different and misunderstood, both in formal education and at work, and that the family and social support network, as well as late identification, influence the construction of identity and the professional trajectory of this population. It is concluded that there is a need to expand knowledge about HA/G in adults in organizational contexts, in order to reduce prejudice and promote labor inclusion.