26.05.2021

Only 4% of employees feel fully confident at work

Research conducted by professional training company Roar! Training has uncovered that only 4% of employees feel confident at work.

Providing an unique insight into confidence in the workplace, some of the key findings of the report titled '2021 State of the Workplace Report' include:

Main Findings

Only 4% feel fully confident at work
96% have experienced imposter syndrome
53% have turned down work opportunities due to lack of confidence
86% reported having worked in a toxic work environment in the past
74% said company culture was very important when looking for a job
76% said their employer has a good company culture, but 58% said their expectation of the company culture didn't match the reality
37% said they are expected to work out of hours on a regular basis
71% feel their employer has their best interests at heart

Current Perceptions

The research collated by Roar! Training's founder Kirsty Hulse shows that lack of confidence is more widespread than many would believe.

Only 4% of respondents said that they feel fully confident at work. That leaves 96% of us struggling with confidence issues on a regular basis. What’s more 53% admitted that they had turned down work opportunities due to lack of confidence.

Boosting Confidence

Keen to help find practical, actionable ways to boost confidence, the study asked people what helps them. Support from peers came up as the top choice at 82%, followed closely by practice at 81% and support from employers at 74%.

When asked what caused them to feel unconfident, the responses were varied with some general themes coming through:

Self-doubt
Lack of recognition
Being spoken over
Lack of feedback
Toxic company culture
Fear of failure
Anxiety
Limited support and training
Comparisons with others
Imposter Syndrome

Regular feedback (77%), external training (64%), internal training (59%) and regular catch ups (54%) are the top ways people said their employer could help them feel more confident at work.

Imposter Syndrome

96% told us that they have experienced Imposter Syndrome. So how can we work to overcome this? Well there isn’t a quick fix to combat imposter syndrome. In reality it takes time, and conscious behaviour to boost confidence and get yourself to a point where those moments of self-doubt start to dissipate.

Commenting on the issue Kirsty said “The problem with impostor syndrome is that, by its very labeling, it feels somehow irrational or unique. If 96% of us report experiencing it, it becomes more helpful for us to simply accept it as part of human experience, crucial for our growth.”

Kirsty continued “Next time those familiar feelings of "everybody else is better than me!" arise, try catching them and reminding yourself that what you're experiencing is commonplace. Not an individual failing but simply part of an important process in your development.”

Workplace Culture

A company can appear great from the outside looking in, but great culture is not cultivated overnight and rarely depends on how many ping pong tables and Friday beers you offer.

At its core a great company culture should be based on the people at the heart of it. 74% of respondents told us that company culture was very important when looking for a job.

76% said their employer has a good company culture, however 58% said their expectation of their company’s culture doesn’t match up to their original perceptions. In fact, 86% said they had worked at a toxic workplace.

37% said that they are currently expected to work out of hours on a regular basis. However it was promising to hear that 49% feel fully supported by their employer, with a further 46% feeling supported sometimes and only 5% not feeling supported at all.

71% feel their employer has their best interests at heart and 78% said their employer supports a good work/life balance.

5 Quick Ways To Combat Crisis Of Confidence

So how can we set ourselves on the right path to become our most confident selves?

Confidence coach Kirsty Hulse has compiled a list of 5 quick ways to combat a crisis of confidence.

1. Set an ambition to become your own cheerleader. Write it down. Commit to it. We cannot develop confidence overnight, but our intention tells us we are worth a shot.

2. Create a success spreadsheet. We often focus on what’s ahead, forgetting to reflect on how far we have come. Acknowledge and integrate your growth by consistently logging wins and reminding yourself when you need it.

3. Ask for feedback. Sometimes, we just need reassurance. Ask those that you can trust around you. “What do you think I do well? What are my talents?” The answers will often surprise you.

4. Stop saying stop. When we want to be more confident, we tend to say “stop being nervous, stop overthinking.” Instead, think about what you need to start for that to happen. This gives us a directive and moves us from judgement to action.”

5. Think about who you are when you’re confident. What do you wear? How do you stand? How do you speak? How do you treat others? Have a clear, mental picture and start by trying to embody that for a few moments every day.

Commenting on the findings Kirsty Hulse, Founder of Roar! Training said: "Our workplace findings show just how widespread lack of confidence is and how this is holding us back from our full potential. Boosting confidence isn’t an instant fix, but with the right steps in place, consistency and self belief the 96% of people feeling unconfident could experience transformative results. ”

Kirsty continued “The results of our survey show that there is definite room for improvement to ensure that the workplace is a safe, enjoyable space where employees are encouraged and left feeling as confident as possible.

"Whether external training is needed to put that framework of encouragement and support in place to boost confidence, or company culture needs to be addressed and improved, positive change is very much at the core of what we all need.”

You can download this report in full here.

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