@FitchLearning has today (12 Jan) published a research report entitled “Women in Financial Services – Say Goodbye to Imposter Syndrome”, which sheds a new light on the top issues and professional behaviours that traditionally limit many women in the global financial services industry from achieving their full career potential.

The report presents the findings of a research poll carried out by Fitch Learning amongst an audience of 320 senior banking and L&D executives with typically over 10 years’ industry experience from leading global financial institutions, who came together virtually at a webinar held last October. The findings reveal that:

• 92% of these female attendees felt they had suffered imposter syndrome at some time.
• 82% play down their personal and professional achievements.
• 67% often apologize even when they didn’t do anything wrong.
• 50% worry that others overvalue their success and as a result consider themselves a fraud.
• 45% of attendees felt they didn’t deserve their achievements and successes – that it was just down to good luck/good timing.

Imposter syndrome can be defined as feelings of insecurity and self-doubt, such as feeling that you are not worthy of your success or a general sense that you are a fraud in certain situations. If you don’t recognise and control your imposter then it can lead to stress, anxiety or (even worse) depression. Whilst imposter syndrome can be viewed negatively, there are some really positive things that women can do to say goodbye to imposter syndrome, including noting key successes, celebrating their uniqueness and talking to others about their experiences – as well as knowing it’s okay to be themselves in the workplace!

Sarah Butt, Client Partnership Director, Fitch Learning, said:

“Fitch Learning has a long-standing commitment to the empowerment, training and development of women in the financial services and in the typically male-dominated sector of finance, gender parity has now become a key topic of focus. While positive, the mere fact that it is a point of discussion can perpetuate feelings of self-doubt or ‘imposter syndrome’ among females working in the industry, and this report provides a set of recommendations for how women can overcome these obstacles and go on to have rewarding careers.”

The full published report is available to download now and the webinar replay is available here.

Fitch Learning Insights Webinar Examines Women in Financial Services

26th May 2021: Fitch Learning (@FitchLearning) is delivering its latest webinar in the Fitch Learning Insights series – Women in Financial Services – Communication Styles.

This communication styles webinar is specifically designed to enable women working in this sector to better understand their communication preferences and also learn how to successfully communicate to those with the same or different styles.

During the webinar, participants will be able to gain valuable insight into a simple communication style model and the Four Styles (Analytical, Driver, Expressive, and Amiable). Topics for discussion will include the benefits of understanding the styles of others, and how women can use these to positively impact upon their work and relationships by flexing to communicate clearly based on their preferences. It has been proven that the ability to flex styles is key to developing relationships and rapport with both clients and colleagues.

Sarah Butt, Client Partnership Director, Fitch Learning, said:

“We are pleased to host our latest insights webinar on communication styles. Women are starting to pave the way in the financial services industry, where challenges and obstacles can be overcome by communicating well in the workplace. In fact, recent research in the “Advancing the Future of Women in Business: A KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report”  also showed that in spite of their brilliance seventy-five percent of executive women have personally experienced imposter syndrome at certain points in the career, which can make it hard for them to act confidently and strike up meaningful relationships. This session is designed to enable participants to gain a rapid insight into communication styles, so that they overcome such traits, remove these barriers and enjoy successful careers.”