Yahoo Finance Live anchors discuss a new study that suggest a majority of workers don't feel comfortable being their authentic selves in the workplace.

Video Transcript

SEANA SMITH: Hiding your true personality in the workplace, it's actually pretty common. There's a new survey out that finds that more than 2/3 of employees are fearful of being their authentic self around their coworkers. 70% of those people say that they adopt a whole new personality when it comes to work. Look at that, 7 in 10 adopting a whole new personality. To me, Dave and Rachelle, I want to know which one of us is being a little bit fake because two out of the three of us aren't showing our true colors if this thing is right.

DAVE BRIGGS: I think it is right, and I think it's just a requirement of what we have to do in the modern workplace. I don't think you're being fake. I think we just have to wear our certain armor to work. No one needs the home Dave around this office.

SEANA SMITH: There's a home Dave?

DAVE BRIGGS: Believe me. You just don't need to see that guy.

SEANA SMITH: I don't think I want to see it.

DAVE BRIGGS: You don't need to see the way I-- well, I'll just leave some things to the imagination. But I think there are just certain personality traits that we don't need in the modern workplace. And the number one issue that they're finding that people hide is their political preference. And I get that. That is such a divisive issue today. Which party you vote for right now is probably the most divisive thing you can reveal in the workplace. So I think we have to be fake. It's a survival instinct, Rachelle.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: I think it's one of those things where it feels like there's too many mind-- like, too many minds you can step on when you're talking about different topics these days, because people do have a very visceral reaction to things. I would like to say, though, I think the older you get, the less you start to care about those things. It's like, look, we're in the middle of the Great Resignation, the Great Realization. If you're going to switch for a job, you hope that you do it in a place where you can feel authentic.

And this study from [INAUDIBLE], I did think it was quite sad that we did see it was marginalized groups. 85% of LGBTQ+ employees felt like they had to hide themselves, more than half of Black employees, and one in three Asian employees. You want to be at a place where you can be yourself because that's actually the main reason that people tend to stay at jobs.

DAVE BRIGGS: Yeah, people value authenticity in the workplace more so than any other quality. That's what's odd about this survey, is, they value authenticity, but they're not authentic at work. Who knew?

RACHELLE AKUFFO: Indeed. Well, hopefully, everyone can be themselves wherever they are going forward. This is a wake up call.