AGENT TURNOVER
We can conclude with confidence that this factor correlates strongly with:
• Tenure length
• Job satisfaction
• Burnout risk
• Leadership ratings
• Feedback tolerance
These findings align with a growing body of peer-reviewed research on the insecure overachiever profile and workplace outcomes.
What I’ m observing in call centers mirrors patterns documented across high-pressure, customer-facing industries: confirming that this isn ' t just correlation, but a robust and replicable phenomenon.
... THE HUMANS WHO WILL THRIVE IN THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT WILL NEED MORE THAN EMPATHY OR QUICK THINKING. THEY ' LL NEED MENTAL RESILIENCE, EMOTIONAL ENDURANCE, AND THE RIGHT SUPPORT SYSTEMS.
THE BIG FIVE TRAITS IN CONTACT CENTERS
The Big Five— also called the Five-Factor Model— is arguably the most commonly-used personality framework in recruitment. It groups traits into five broad dimensions:
1. Openness( curiosity, creativity) 2. Conscientiousness( organization, reliability) 3. Extraversion( sociability, assertiveness) 4. Agreeableness( empathy, cooperation) 5. Neuroticism( emotional reactivity, stress sensitivity)
These traits reliably predict job performance, stress, and more.
That’ s why the Big Five underpins many widely used recruitment tools: including Hogan HPI, SHL OPQ32, Criteria’ s EPP / CPI, PMaps’ BPO screener, PI Behavioral Assessment, Traitify- and various tests from vendors like TestGorilla, TestGroup, and HiPeople.
But there’ s a limitation: Big Five traits are stable and hard to change, making them less useful for training. In contrast, models focused on malleable traits— like perfectionism and performance-based self-esteem— offer sharper insights and clearer paths for development.
Furthermore, emerging research suggests that the insecure overachiever profile may outperform the Big Five in predicting stress, burnout, and early turnover risk.
RECRUITMENT IMPACTS
Here’ s where the insecure overachiever trait is becoming critical. It is sharply on the rise, particularly among younger generations.
Large-scale studies, such as this one published in Psychological Bulletin that examined generational differences show that Gen Z, especially young women with strong academic records, are increasingly tying their self-worth to external success.
Since this wasn ' t a common factor until recently, it ' s been missed in traditional recruitment models. This creates a paradox for recruiters: the very traits that make someone look hireable— being ambitious and taking personal responsibility— can also signal vulnerability.
If unchecked, this feeds the cycle of churn and stress-related absenteeism.
A PROGRESSIVE SOLUTION
So how are HR leaders to resolve this paradox?
One option is to identify and filter out insecure overachievers during recruitment. This is certainly the simplest and most cost-effective approach in the short term.
But there ' s a more progressive— and sustainable— approach: equip them to thrive. The psychological tendencies that underlie insecure overachievement are not hardwired; they are malleable. If they weren ' t, they wouldn ' t have increased so sharply in response to social and digital environments.
The truth is that these psychological patterns have been addressed in cognitive behavioral therapy for decades.
Building on this knowledge, I developed a brief psychometric assessment that accurately identifies insecure overachievers. It equips them with tools to manage their inner drivers more constructively, reducing stress and increasing staying power.
These are bright, hardworking, and driven individuals. With the right support, they don ' t just survive in call centers: they can thrive.
THE PATH FORWARD
The rise of AI doesn ' t eliminate the need for humans in call centers: it elevates it. But the humans who will thrive in this new environment will need more than empathy or quick thinking. They ' ll need mental resilience, emotional endurance, and the right support systems.
44 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE