The Gender Confidence Gap

Systemic bias has long impacted women’s confidence at work and when women do feel confident at work, research suggests it’s under-recognised, which contributes to slower career progression.

“Gender stereotypes continue to limit opportunities for women at work and in society, so we need to acknowledge that it can be difficult for women to feel confident in themselves,” says SEEK’s Resident Psychologist Sabina Read.

Signs of the ‘confidence gap’ can be seen at almost every point of employment. “If people don't feel as confident, then they don't act as confidently,” says Read. “If you’re not being rewarded for speaking up, for example, it makes sense that you may have learned to dial down your voice.”As a leader or manager, here are five ways you can create an environment that encourages confidence at work.

1. Normalise flexibility

Construction company Roberts Co is building flexibility into the sector.“Women are an untapped market for the construction industry,” says Alison Mirams, Executive Chair at Roberts Co. “And one of the biggest inhibitors to women coming into the industry is the requirement to work six days a week.“We've pushed to remove Saturday work so that everyone can have more balance.”

2. Address cultural barriers

An inclusive culture supports confidence by ensuring that no one’s needs or experiences are overlooked.“An inclusive workplace culture has inclusive practices, like a gender balance on interview panels,” says Read.

3. Let women see who they can be

Women are underrepresented in key decision-making roles across almost all industries in Australia.“Much of it comes down to ‘you can't be what you can't see’, but when there is more equal representation of women in leadership, other women tend to feel more confident about their own career progression opportunities,” says Read.

4. Provide mentoring and sponsorship

Investing in women’s career success can also help to build their confidence at work. Roberts Co runs a sponsorship program through the Cultivate sponsorship app, which aims to help organisations attract and retain talented women and build their confidence and skills to progress into leadership.

5. Commit to equal pay

Australia’s gender pay gap on base salary is 13.3%. Read says closing the gap can help build confidence among women at work.“It's difficult for anyone to feel confident in themselves – and in their employer – if they’re paid less for who they are and not for what they do,” she says. At Roberts Co, transparent pay bands apply to all employees.