“Sociability” critical to success in insurance, study finds

Social skills are more critical for success in insurance than in any other industry, according to a study by PsyMax Solutions, a Cleveland-based, human capital assessment firm.
“‘Sociability’ in the workplace means being able to relate to others in a highly-engaging, expressive and lively style,” according to PsyMax Solutions CEO Dr. Wayne Nemeroff. “Of course, sociability won’t by itself guarantee success in any particular business or organization. But based on comprehensive scientific and statistical data, ‘sociable skills’ emerges as a strong predictor of success in insurance when compared with others.”
The firm analyzed data from 12 industries, as well as the work styles of more than 13,000 employees, and identified the behaviors and skills of the most effective managers in each sector. Insurance had the highest industry score for sociability. In contrast, the research and scientific sector trailed all others in the need for sociability.
PsyMax Solutions provided sociability rankings for 12 groups of industries in the study: insurance ranked the highest, followed by healthcare/medical services, utilities personnel, human resources, and those people working in training and education.