Talent Management Facts #39

“42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.”

Steven Wright

Another addition of leadership and talent management “facts” from all over the world.  Some intuitive and some not….what do you think?

1. Stress is the number one workforce risk issue, ranking above physical inactivity and obesity, according to the 2013/2014 Towers Watson Staying at Work Survey, conducted by global professional services company Towers Watson,  and the National Business Group on Health. However, only 15% of employers identify improving the emotional/mental health (i.e., lessening the stress and anxiety) of employees as a top priority of their health and productivity programs. 

2. Research by Adam Galinsky (Columbia School of Business) and Garvin Kilduff (NYU Stern School of Business) found that people made to feel promotion-focused, powerful, or happy before a group task behaved significantly more proactively and achieved significantly higher status than those not primed (e.g., being asked to imaging themselves in a powerful position over others or to reflect on a time they felt joy and excitement).

3. Recent research suggests that superstitions and rituals provide some sort of a hedge against uncertainty and seem to help some individuals believe they can be higher performers. For example, people given a golf ball they were told was “lucky” made 35% more golf putts than people with a “regular” ball.

4. Some new research suggest that Male brains are “hard-wired” for focus and attention while

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5. A 2013 Leadership IQ study found that in almost half of organizations middle and low performers are actually more engaged than high performers. This was based on key findings that showed high performers’ efforts largely going unrecognized while low performers reaped the benefits of constant motivation and recognition from their managers.

6. A 2013 study by Towers Watson concluded that top performers are most engaged when they are guided by a clearly communicated mission and vision, a dedication to core values, and a strong sense of positive corporate ethics.

7. Despite uncertainty in the job market, the top reasons working Americans say they stay with their current employers are work-life fit and enjoying what they do, according to a recent 2013 survey by the American Psychological Association (APA). More women than men cited both work-life fit (72 percent vs. 62 percent) and enjoying the work (72 percent vs. 63 percent) as reasons they stay with their current employers. For employees who said they plan to stay with their current employers for more than two years, the biggest drivers of expected tenure were enjoying the work, having a job that fits well with other life demands and feeling connected to the organization.

8. According to a new report released in November 2013 by Gallup there are twice as many “actively disengaged” workers in the world as there are “engaged” workers who love their jobs. The vast majority, some 63%, are “not engaged,” meaning they are unhappy but not drastically so. In short, they’re checked out. They sleepwalk through their days, putting little energy into their work.

9. Talent development professionals recently reported an increase in demand for high-potential employees, according to a recent survey conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School. But, almost half (47%) state that the current pool of high-potential talent does not meet the anticipated future need. Eighty-four percent of the respondents reported that the demand for high-potential talent has increased in the past five years, driven primarily by growth (74%) and competitive pressure (61%).

10. Research at Stanford University with their men’s varsity basketball team suggests that optimal sleep is likely beneficial in reaching peak athletic performance. Subjects maintained their habitual sleep-wake schedule for a 2–4 week baseline followed by a 5–7 week sleep extension period. Shooting accuracy improved, with free throw percentage increasing by 9% and 3-point field goal percentage increasing by 9.2% (both statistically significant).

Back to research some new talent development facts….Be well….

Ken Nowack

Kenneth Nowack, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist (PSY13758) and President & Chief Research Officer/Co-Founder of Envisia Learning, is a member of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. Ken also serves as the Associate Editor of Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. His recent book Clueless: Coaching People Who Just Don’t Get It is available for free for a limited time by signing up for free blog updates (Learn more at our website)