How ‘Insecure Overachievers’ Can Calm Down: Sarah G. Carmichael

There are plenty of reasons employees might be feeling more insecure at work these days: fears that generative artificial intelligence could wipe out our jobs; mass layoffs; the rise of remote work and, with it, ever-shifting return-to-office policies. It’s not surprising that rates of workplace stress and anxiety have measurably increased post-pandemic.

And some employers prefer it this way.

Laura Empson, a professor at London’s Bayes Business School and author of Leading Professionals, has repeatedly called out elite companies for intentionally recruiting and hiring what talent professionals have called “insecure overachievers:” talented, hardworking people driven by their fears of inadequacy. ...