Irish women lack the confidence to talk about their professional achievements and many would “panic” when asked to list them on the spot.
That’s according to a major survey by LinkedIn, which painted Irish women as being far shier than their international counterparts.
Less than 20pc of Irish women (and UK women, too) say that they’re proud of their work achievements, the average is 26pc, with India (30pc), Spain and the US (both 38pc) leading the way.
More than 1,000 Irish workers were surveyed for the report, with 11,228 adults across 19 countries taking part. One of the more surprising findings is 23pc of Irish women stating they would “panic” if they were asked on the spot to describe their achievements. For men, it was half that.
Men are similarly more confident in discussing promotions, with their 20pc far outweighing the 13pc of women who would boast about such online.
“There is a real opportunity for women working in Ireland to consider how they tell their work story and showcase their professional achievements,” said Wendy Murphy, LinkedIn’s senior director of HR in EMEA.
Wendy Murphy, LinkedIn’s senior director of HR in EMEA
The findings also showed that women like to share their family’s work achievements ahead of their own. Less than one-in-five feel pride in talking about their own work achievements, though double share their family’s professional success.
A point of note is 63pc of people in hiring positions, according to the LinkedIn figures, claim that it is important to let senior staff members know about professional achievements in order to get a pay rise or promotion.
“Being comfortable communicating the fruits of your hard work is vital if you want to climb the career ladder,” said Murphy.
“Telling your work story online is of the utmost importance for career progression and advancement too, with 70pc of those in hiring positions agreeing that the impression you make online is just as important as the one you make in person.”
Shy businesswoman image via Shutterstock
