Image courtesy of Firmbee.com @ Unsplash
In recent years we’ve seen a massive increase in the popularity of the topic Imposter Syndrome with the rise of blogging, video and audio media as well as social media channels. I for one love to see this taboo topic talked about more as it can help you to recognise it’s something you experience or you can feel like you’re not alone in this.
One thing that I found comforting when I googled Imposter Syndrome years ago and found that what I had been experiencing had a name, was hearing about a study carried out by the International Journal of Business Science in 2011, which explained that 7 out of 10 people experienced it. I could then imagine being in a meeting with 10 people and knowing that 7 of them were likely to feel like me. It was a huge sense of relief.
So I’d like to share some additional recent research that I’ve discovered that might help you to understand more about how widespread this is but also might help you feel less alone too.
So here’s 10 eye-opening facts about Imposter Syndrome:
Searches for Imposter Syndrome have risen by 150% over the last year
A study carried out in the UK in 2018 found that two-thirds of women (66%) and just over half of men (56%) experienced Imposter Syndrome at work in the last 12 months
38% said the biggest reason for this was their own self-doubt
The industry with the most affected was creative arts and design (87%)
Another UK study carried out in 2019 revealed that 7 out of 10 people had experienced Imposter Syndrome at work
The same survey carried out in 2020 revealed that working from home has seen a decrease in feelings of Imposter Syndrome (3 out of 10)
One demographic that hasn’t changed (7 out of 10) is people who have found themselves furloughed, laid off, or made redundant this year
35% of those experiencing imposter symptoms admit they’ve avoided taking annual leave or even sick days, to ensure their own impossibly high standards are maintained.
Workers with children aged between 4-6 are 15% more likely to experience feelings of imposter syndrome than those without, similarly 14% for those with a child between the ages of 7-10, and 11% more with children aged 11-13
In an US academia study in 2021 it was found that the more a field was perceived to require “raw talent” for success, the more women (especially women from racial/ethnic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in academia) and early-career academics felt like imposters
I know from personal experience and from working with my clients that Imposter Syndrome left unchecked sabotages our careers and impact our mental health. That’s why I’m passionate about bringing this much talked about subject online into the workplace.
If you’d like to understand how I can support you and your organisation to tackle this topic, book a call and let’s chat about how I can support you.