‘Outdated stereotypes’ still affecting female career progression
Workplace pressure has led to three-quarters of female workers changing their behaviour or appearance in order to succeed professionally, new research has revealed.
Nearly half of women consciously adopted a different persona at work compared to at home, and many felt the need to assume more traditionally ‘male’ characteristics, the study by telecommunications firm O2 found.
The survey of 2,000 working women asked specific questions about how they presented themselves at work. One-quarter admitted to dressing in a masculine way and half said they felt compelled to hide their true emotions.
One in twenty of the respondents aimed to mirror the behaviours of male colleagues, while one in four reported that the senior women in their company conformed to a dominant and controlling ‘alpha stereotype’.
One in ten of those canvassed said there were no women in senior positions in their organisation. Some 39 per cent felt that it was impossible to ‘be nice’ and reach the top, while a fifth felt women had to act ruthlessly to be respected at work.
The number of women who thought it was possible to have both a happy home and fulfilling career was just 47 per cent.
O2 said that while the business case for diversity had been well-documented, these new figures highlighted a “desperate need” for organisations to take action to create an environment in which women could succeed “as themselves”.
Ann Pickering, O2’s HR director, said: “While businesses today have come a long way from the offices of Mad Men, the reality is that many modern women are still feeling the pressure to conform to outdated stereotypes.
“Businesses have a responsibility to create the right opportunities to help everyone within their workforce to fulfil their true potential – while still being themselves,” she continued.
“These results should act as a wake-up call for businesses to ensure they don’t miss out on the valuable contribution that women can make to their organisations. Through a number of simple measures – such as providing better flexible working, mentoring or training – businesses can ensure that they help all their people to achieve their potential regardless of the stage of their career or gender.”