Gift 4: Why stress hits some people harder than others

Our fourth study gift for your organization draws on Hogan Assessments research into personality and how Hogan tools can provide insights into why some people experience more stress than others. The key takeaway? Individuals who appear steady and compliant on the outside can still be internally depleted. Let’s take a closer look at these findings.

We all know work can be stressful. You don’t learn anything new here. Deadlines pile up, priorities clash, feedback stings. What this study explores is something subtler—and more important for organizations: why stress seems to drain some people far more than others, even when they’re in similar roles.

The answer, it turns out, has a lot to do with dark-side personality—the parts of our personality that show up under pressure, fatigue, or frustration.

This research from Hogan Assessments looks at how those dark-side tendencies relate not just to behavior at work, but to health, energy, and emotional wellbeing.

What the researchers wanted to understand

The starting point was a simple observation: People don’t respond to stress in the same way.

Some become tense and withdrawn. Some get cynical. Some burn out quietly. Others, interestingly, seem energized—even when they’re not easy to work with.

The researchers asked:

• Which dark-side personality traits are linked to fatigue and poorer wellbeing?
• Which ones aren’t?
• And does workplace stress help explain those links?

Who and what did they measure?

About 285 working adults completed:

• The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) to assess dark-side personality traits
• A well-established health and wellbeing questionnaire
• A measure of work-related stress

The scales most strongly linked to fatigue and poor wellbeing

Five Hogan derailers stood out consistently:

Excitable

Emotionally intense, quick to react, easily frustrated.

People higher on Excitable reported:

• Much higher fatigue
• Lower emotional wellbeing
• Lower social functioning
• Worse overall health

Cautious

Reluctant to act, worried about mistakes, sensitive to criticism.

This was one of the strongest predictors of:

• Fatigue
• Poor emotional wellbeing
• Lower general health

Living in “don’t mess this up” mode under pressure can be exhausting.

Skeptical

Distrustful, cynical, always watching for hidden motives.

Higher Skeptical scores were linked to:

• Lower emotional wellbeing
• Poorer social functioning
• More fatigue

When you’re always on guard, work takes more energy than it gives back.

Reserved

Detached, emotionally distant, disconnected from others.

Reserved individuals tended to report:

• Lower social functioning
• Lower emotional wellbeing
• More fatigue

Leisurely

Independent on the surface, quietly resentful underneath.

Leisurely was associated with:

• Higher fatigue
• Lower emotional wellbeing
• Worse general health

But you know what? Some dark traits feel energizing!

Bold and Colorful, traits often associated with over self-confidence and attention-seeking showed:

• Lower fatigue
• Higher perceived energy
• Better general health ratings

This doesn’t mean these traits are always good for teams—but it does mean that confidence and attention-seeking can buffer people from feeling drained, at least emotionally.

Scales that didn’t seem to matter much for health

Two derailers showed little relationship with health outcomes:

• Diligent (perfectionistic, rule-focused)
• Dutiful (eager to please, authority-oriented)

These traits may create other challenges, but they didn’t strongly predict fatigue or wellbeing in this study.

Key takeaways?

1. Burnout isn’t just about workload

Two people can have the same job and very different experiences. Personality determines whether stress becomes fuel—or depletion.

2. Quiet exhaustion is easy to miss

The biggest health risks weren’t tied to loud or dramatic behavior. They were tied to:

• Withdrawal
• Cynicism
• Hesitation
• Quiet resentment

3. Development is a health strategy

Helping people build self-awareness around their derailers isn’t just about performance. It’s about:

• Energy
• Engagement
• Sustainability

4. “Strong performers” may still be paying a price

People who seem steady and compliant can still be internally depleted. Without awareness, that cost shows up later—as disengagement, health issues, or turnover.

Your Personality Guides

References:

Ferrell, B., & Gaddis, B. (2017, April). Examining the relationship between dark side personality characteristics, health, and workplace stress. Paper presented as part of a symposium at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.