The 8th March 2024 is International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day 2024 campaign theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’ When we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.
Recently I read an article about woman being both less aggressive in negotiating their pay and tend to make fewer high-risk decisions than men, and this got me thinking about Imposter Syndrome is there a link?
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome refers to the experience of believing you are less competent than others perceive you to be. People with impostor syndrome often feel like they are “faking it” leading to a fear of being found out or exposed as a fraud. They can display signs of perfectionism because of a fear of making mistakes and they can downplay success, attributing it to good luck or timing.
More than half of women (54%) feel they have experienced imposter syndrome, compared with just 38% of men. Those who identify as non-binary are worse affected, with 57% doubting their abilities in the workplace.
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The research found that a person’s sexual orientation also has an impact with bisexual (69%) and homosexual (57%) individuals being significantly more likely to experience imposter syndrome than average (50%).
Perhaps less surprisingly, the older you are, the more likely you are to have strong self-belief. Gen Z (66%) and millennials (58%) were much more likely to have experienced imposter syndrome than Gen X (41%) and people in their sixties (25%).
Of those to have experienced imposter syndrome, 72% feel it has held them back at work; and 43% have experienced it at least once a week.
Imposter syndrome by sector
Most likely to experience
Science and Pharmaceuticals (78%)
Marketing, Advertising and PR (72%)
HR and Recruitment (67%)
Information Research and Analysis (67%)
Publishing and Journalism (64%)
Least likely to experience
Property and Construction (29%)
Transport and Logistics (31%)
Engineering and Manufacturing (39%)
Retail (44%)
Environment and Agriculture (45%)
Useful strategies for overcoming impostor syndrome include:
acknowledging your feelings
talking to others about your concerns
taking steps to overcome perfectionist habits.
At Sanitas Hub we can provide a 60 minute ‘Wellness Session’ where we can work with delegates and talk about feeling you may have such as Imposter Syndrome. To book a session email info@sanitashub.co.uk.
Booking a Mental Health Wellbeing Course with Sanitas Hub
Mental Health Consultancy in the Workplace
For further inquiries, company group training or mental health consultancy please do not hesitate to get in touch at sanitashub@gmail.com
