CASE: GOLDMAN SACHS For junior-level employees who are trying to impress higher-ups and secure themselves a very lucrative career in the investment Page 149 banking and financial services industry, the demands and stress levels can be especially intense. The responsibility, workload, and time pressure can lead to all-nighters and the feeling of being overwhelmed, and, in some cases, the consequences can be deadly. In fact, there have been well-publicized cases where junior-level employees have committed suicide because they couldn't cope with the demands of their jobs. As an example, 22-year-old Sarvshreshth Gupta, a Goldman Sachs analyst, killed himself by jumping from an apartment building into a parking lot due to stress. This occurred just after Gupta told his father that "it is too much." In response to events such as this, and with knowledge of the negative impact of stress on job performance and the increasing costs associated with stress-related mental health disability leaves and other stress-related health claims, Goldman Sachs decided to make significant changes to its employee wellness programs. One key part of this initiative included a program that helps employees develop resilience. Whereas conventional wellness programs help employees navigate and cope with the demands they are currently facing, the Goldman Sachs resilience program is meant to be preventive. The idea is to foster energy and readiness so that employees can take on highly demanding tasks and to adapt to unforeseen change with confidence. By shifting the emphasis from helping employees deal with their stress so they can cope, to helping employees develop resilience to stress so that they can perform optimally in demanding work environments, the stigma of participation has been reduced. Driven investment bankers might not care much for a program that reduces their cortisol levels and blood pressure, but the idea of building a competency that allows them to perform at their peak is quite appealing to them. Goldman Sachs' resilience program involves lectures and one-on-one coaching on an ongoing basis and quarterly resilience training for managers. Every other year, a "Resilience Week" is held in which lience-related activities and presentations take place. A core element of the resilience program involves mindfulness training. Workshops and other instruction is delivered to help employees become more alert and aware of the present moment, and to be less judgmental. The idea is that these capabilities allow people to think more clearly and to experience calmness and happiness in highly demanding situations. Although some might be tempted to dismiss training in resilience and mindfulness as fluffy managerial fads, employees believe that the program has been beneficial and are more happy with the company. 5.1 Identify and describe the types of demands that Goldman Sachs' employees experience in their jobs. Explain why these employees can be motivated and committed to the company while also experiencing a great deal of stress. Describe how Goldman Sachs' resilience training might influence different parts of the stress process as it is described in this chapter. Identify and describe potential limitations of Goldman Sachs' resilience training program. How can these limitations be mitigated? 5.2 5.3