“Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity.”
Why Assess Stress?
Before the pandemic, the World Health Organization reported that high levels of stress at work were causing unprecedented occupational illnesses. One in three employees stated that they had left a job because of mental-health-related issues. More than one-third of Americans (36%) say COVID-19 has had a serious impact on their mental health and most (59%) feel COVID-19 is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives.
Mental Health has become one of the biggest challenges for employees and employers to manage with the continuously evolving work dynamic. Companies are realizing that they must address this topic to avoid a decline in productivity and to prevent burnout. We suggest you start by assessing your workplace stress using the Stress Quotient Assessment.
TTI Stress Quotient Assessment
The Stress Quotient is an accurate diagnostic for revealing the stressors at play in your office. This assessment helps you understand whether or not the stress in your office is dramatically rising and hampering productivity, killing your culture, or staying within reasonable levels. Once you know, you can address the root causes – which can include lack of job fit, miscommunications, or mismanagement. Stress Quotient is available in individual and group versions.
Seven Stress Factors
The Stress Quotient assessment examines seven different types of stress in individuals:
- Demand Stress: Poorly designed jobs, excessive demands, or poor job fit.
- Efforts/Rewards Balance Stress: High output and effort met with minimal reward.
- Control Stress: High responsibility paired with low authority, and lack of control.
- Organizational Change Stress: Restructuring, poorly communicated policies, and leadership changes.
- Manager/Supervisor Stress: Enormous pressure or challenges from your superior.
- Social Support Stress: Lack of support among peers and competitiveness.
- Job Security Stress: Fear of losing a job or threatened job status.
Identifying Signs of Stress
Stress manifests in different ways for different individuals. For some, it takes the form of a physical toll, while for others, it may cause memory loss or distraction. The four main signs of stress are:
- Physical: Low energy, aches, and pains, frequent illness
- Emotional: Irritability, feeling overwhelmed, moodiness
- Cognitive: Inability to concentrate, memory problems, poor judgment
- Behavioral: Eating or sleeping issues, procrastination, nervous habits
How the Stress Quotient Assessment Works
After everyone within a workgroup or organization completes the Stress Quotient Assessment, results are examined as a group. Themes emerge and help distinguish if and in what areas an organization is experiencing detrimental stress. Only when you understand how much stress you’re dealing with can you begin to create a more productive work environment.