Kolbe Report Reveals Hidden ‘Misfit Work’ Crisis Costing Businesses One Day Per Week

New research shows 42% of respondents spend a quarter of their time on tasks misaligned with their natural strengths

PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kolbe Corp, a leader in strengths-based performance solutions, has quantified the widespread impact of ‘misfit work’, costing businesses one full day of productivity each week, according to their comprehensive Workplace Reality Report. What Kolbe calls ‘misfit work’ refers to the productivity drain caused when employees work on tasks that fight against their natural strengths.

The statistically significant report of more than 1,000 professionals across multiple industries and countries found that 42% of workers spend at least a quarter of their week—equivalent to one full workday—on tasks that fight against their natural strengths. This "misfit work" is driving workplace stress, reducing productivity, and threatening employee retention across roles and industries.

"For nearly 50 years, we've been studying how people naturally take action, and this new research reveals a workplace crisis hiding in plain sight," said David Kolbe, CEO of Kolbe Corp. "When organizations ignore instinctive strengths, they're essentially paying employees to struggle rather than succeed."

The report found that misfit work is directly linked to retention risk, with 38% of respondents actively looking or considering leaving their jobs because they can't use their natural strengths. Among individual contributors, the risk is even higher, with 29% actively job hunting compared to 13% of leaders.

"The solution is surprisingly simple, yet most organizations get it wrong," said Amy Bruske, President of Kolbe Corp. "Leaders need to match work assignments with natural strengths instead of forcing square pegs into round holes."

The Workplace Reality Report also uncovered alarming stress levels, with 86% of respondents reporting at least one stress symptom in the past year due to work, including lost sleep (62%) and irritability (59%). Only 38% believe their current level of work stress is sustainable long-term.

The misfit work crisis comes to light as Kolbe Corp celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of pioneering work in understanding the conative part of the mind—how people instinctively take action. The company's flagship Kolbe A™ Index has helped millions of individuals and thousands of organizations identify and leverage natural strengths for improved performance and reduced stress.

The Workplace Reality Report findings on misfit work and its impact will be previewed at KolbeCon 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, October 22-24, along with practical strategies for organizations to address task-to-strength misalignment and create more aligned, productive workplaces.


About Kolbe Corp
For 50 years, Kolbe Corp has been helping people and organizations around the globe Do More, More Naturally. Founded by Kathy Kolbe—a noted theorist, entrepreneur, and best-selling author—our mission is simple: we help people tap into their instinctive strengths to improve their lives in the ways they care about most.

Unlike traditional personality tests, Kolbe measures the conative part of the mind — how you naturally take action — and helps people and teams be more productive with less stress. Our signature online assessment, the Kolbe A™ Index, is a game changer when it comes to understanding personal strengths. Additionally, Kolbe Corp offers consulting, other assessments, and tools that empower people of all ages to recognize their conative strengths, boost their confidence, and thrive in school, work, and life. Millions of people, a myriad of large organizations from the Phoenix Suns to Charles Schwab, and endless fast-growing small businesses have used Kolbe's validated assessments and software to boost performance, build stronger teams, and hire the right people.

Visit Kolbe.com to find out how Kolbe solutions can help you and your team Do More, More Naturally.


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Morgan Ray
10 TO 1 PUBLIC RELATIONS
morgan@10to1pr.com

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