“42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.”Â
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. The new CareerCast.com Jobs Rated study reported on the nation’s least stressful jobs for 2014: 1) Audiologist; 2) Hair stylist; 3) Jeweler; 4) University Professor; 5) Seamstress/Tailor; 6) Dietician; 7) Medical records technician; 8) Librarian; 9) Multimedia artist; and 10) Drill-press operator. Enlisted military personnel, military officers, firefighters and airline pilots jobs were rated the most stressful.
2. Gallup announced 70% of the U.S. workforce was either disengaged or miserable in its 2013 State of the American Workplace Report. Work overload, lack of career advancement, stagnant salaries, an increasing skills-gap, and the complexity of a hi-tech global marketplace have all arguably played a roll in an overwhelmed and sometimes stressed-out workforce. After all, 65% of workers cite work as a significant source of stress, with one-third of workers chronically stressed (APA 2013).
3. CIPD, a UK based Human Resources training and development organization, reports that over the last year alone, the number of employers making workplace cultural changes to try to reduce long-term absence levels has increased 20% in the last year. It its Simplyhealth Absence Survey, 85% of the respondents revealed they are making changes to working patterns, environments and flexibility.
4. ComPsych reports that “elevated stress levels are the new norm for employees.†The employee assistant provider says its 2013 StressPulse Report found that 62% of all employees indicated high levels of stress, and that one-third lose an hour a day in productivity as a result of stress.
5. Work-Life balance is under Hi-tech pressure. In Glassdoor’s third annual Top 25 Companies for Work-Life Balance, the jobs and career community found that 24/7 technology was making it “tougher to maintain a healthy work-life balance.” Time for all of us to take a nap at work!
6. A survey by Virgin HealthMiles Inc. and Workforce Management Magazine, suggests 77% of employees responded that “health and wellness programs positively impact the culture at work.â€Â As an example, stressful situations at work are once again linked to cardiovascular disease. Recently, German researchers tracked biological markers in the blood associated with stress, revealing an escalated inflammatory response, which can trigger heart problems.
7. A study out of Tel Aviv University which found an association between burnout and coronary heart disease, obesity, insomnia and anxiety. That study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, contends that the top 20% in its assessment of those suffering job burnout, had a 79% increased risk of coronary disease.
8. A recent American Psychological Association stress survey found Millennials are the most stressed out generation with nearly half saying they do not believe they are doing enough to manage their stress. The APA study found that group with a stress level of 5.4 on a ten-point scale, in contrast to the national average for all age groups which is 4.9.
9. Poor communication may do the greatest harm to workplace morale, suggests a new Accountemps survey. Other contributors included micromanaging (18%), failure to recognize accomplishments (15%) and fear of job loss (10%).
10. In the SHRM/Globoforce survey, 803 HR leaders and practitioners shared their practices and perspectives on engagement and recognition and their impact on performance. Some of the findings include: 1) Employee engagement is the most important HR challenge facing organizations; and  2) Employees are more motivated and perform better when rewarded through praise and prize.
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)
