FinTech Futures Jobs: This is why remote work makes imposter syndrome worse

If you’ve ever hit send on an email and immediately started second-guessing the way you phrased something, been sat in a virtual meeting and stopped yourself from speaking up for fear your idea might sound stupid, or fretted that your manager was about to fire you over a minor mistake in your otherwise exemplary work, you’re probably no stranger to imposter syndrome.

Click on the image to see all the vacancies on the FinTech Futures Jobs portal

And what’s worse is the problem is exacerbated by remote working.

First coined by psychologists Dr Suzanna Imes and Dr Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970s, imposter syndrome is a catch-all phrase for feelings of professional self-doubt. It disproportionately affects high achievers who find it difficult to assimilate their achievements, particularly women.

In a 2020 report released by KPMG, 75% of executive women surveyed admitted to having personally experienced imposter syndrome at certain points in their career, and 74% shared that they feel their male counterparts don’t experience the same levels of self-doubt.

However, working from home has shifted the balance somewhat, and now that inner critic is affecting both males and females in much the same way, and according to the International Journal of Behavioural Science, 70% of workers have suffered from impostor syndrome at least once.

Lost in translation

While working from home affords many benefits, being isolated from colleagues and all the nuances of body language and tone of voice can tap into feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, as well as second-guessing what people are really trying to say to you, especially if most communication takes place over email or an instant messaging platform like Slack.

Advances in connectivity, notably the advent of video calls, have undoubtedly facilitated a new way of remote working, but they can also lead to miscommunication (especially when team members don’t turn on their cameras) and an anticipatory anxiety of always having to be “on” to prove you’re doing the work.

A recent survey by communication platform Loom found that 91% of workers had digital messages misunderstood or misinterpreted at work. The findings also revealed that 47% overthink emails and messages and the vast majority (62%) shared that miscommunication and/or misinterpretation of digital messages at work had affected their mental health.

Lack of support

Imposter syndrome and procrastination can go hand-in-hand and left unchecked can lead to loss of productivity and disenfranchised employees struggling with burnout. In a report conducted by team-building platform Wildgoose, employees from 129 different UK companies were asked whether their mental health at work had improved or worsened over the past year as a result of remote working.

The report found that a third of employees felt less comfortable raising mental health concerns during remote meetings, and 86% felt they can’t be open about mental health at all. The report suggests that this stems from lack of support from the top down, and disconnection between colleagues is also contributing to work-related anxiety and burnout. Over a third of employees (37%) believe that a lack of in-person socialising has contributed to the growing number of unnoticed mental health concerns.

So, if you feel like you aren’t being supported in your current role and want to make the move to an organisation that meets both your professional and personal needs, the Fintech Futures Job Board is filled with opportunities, including the three roles below.

UK Financial Reporting Manager, BNY Mellon, Manchester

The UK Financial Reporting Manager will be responsible for the delivery of statutory and regulatory financial reporting requirements for clients’ collective investment vehicles, including the calculation of distribution rates and taxation amounts.

You will manage a financial reporting team, ensuring appropriate staffing with skills in place, and deliver required financial reporting services, as well as plan and organise assistant manager activities. You’ll monitor team performance, conduct appraisals, and manage required recruitment for the team and ensure appropriate training and development.

You’ll need significant experience of managing small/medium-sized teams of professional staff and strong accounting knowledge covering relevant accounting standards and regulations including UK GAAP and the IA SORP. Apply here.

Senior Account Manager, eClerx, London

eClerx prides itself on its workplace culture and has training forums, job role guidance, and employee recognition initiatives in place to support its staff at every level. Currently hiring a Senior Account Manager to work with clients across the EMEA banking vertical, the ideal candidate will lead client engagements and strategy primarily in the areas of analytics, customer experience, content, CRM campaigns, data governance, data management, robotic process automation, and IT application support. See the full job spec here.

Premium Travel and Lifestyle Consultant, American Express, Brighton

Employees at American Express can benefit from learning platforms, development programmes, and an online learning academy to reach their career goals and develop as leaders at all levels. This Premium Travel and Lifestyle Consultant role will see the successful candidate benefit from an intensive paid training and coaching programme to become a highly skilled travel consultant. Your day-to-day duties will include researching, planning, and personalising travel and lifestyle experiences for premium card members. Find out more here.

For more great opportunities, check out the Fintech Futures Job Board today.