Some 40% of business professionals say public speaking is their biggest workplace fear, according to a recent report from Forward Role Recruitment.

The report was based on data from a survey of 750 professionals living and working in the United Kingdom.

A slightly higher percentage of female respondents cite public speaking as their top fear compared with men (41.7% vs 39.5%). Older workers are also more likely to say public speaking is their top workplace fear (44.4% of respondents age 35-44 say so, compared with 38.3% of respondents age 25-34).

Being interviewed is the second most mentioned professional fear (20% of respondents cite).

That's followed by approaching superiors with concerns (10%), pitching/reporting to clients (10%), performance reviews (9%), and taking on new responsibilities (7%).

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of 750 professionals living and working in the United Kingdom.