There you are, sitting in a meeting, and suddenly, a voice in your head whispers, “You’re not good enough. You’re not an expert like your colleagues. Someone is going to find out you’re a fraud.” While you feel doubt internally, your skills, experience, and accomplishments objectively prove you’ve earned your place in that room.
This internal conflict is more common than you might think — around 70% of people experience it at least once in their professional careers. Although not considered a psychological condition, the psychological response is very real, inducing ongoing feelings of anxiety and unworthiness, and a need to be perfect alongside an intense fear of failure.
Many high-achieving women falsely chalk their successes up to luck rather than acknowledging their own hard work, further embedding a sense of unworthiness. Why? Because of decades of gender bias and stereotypes permeating the workplace.
The Universality of Imposter Syndrome
That said, imposter syndrome doesn’t just affect women – anyone can experience it. It’s often linked to more significant societal issues like racism, classism, and prejudice. Discussions about imposter syndrome and its effects have become more frequent, but many times, those conversations fail to incorporate all types of discrimination, leaving numerous marginalized groups on the sidelines.
While data shows women experience imposter syndrome more frequently and intensely than men, feeling like fraud and dismissing one’s own experience with a phrase like, ‘If I can do it, anyone can,’ is universal. This classic sign of imposter syndrome can come out of the mouths of smart, hard-working younger employees and executives alike; the sense of doubt and inadequacy is the same.
There is some good news, though. Organizations can start addressing the situation by openly recognizing it as a cultural issue and establishing gender equality policies such as equal pay and advancement opportunities, as well as focusing on an environment that promotes and accepts different perspectives and behaviors. At Taboola, for example, diversity and inclusion are championed. Our leadership team has set an ambitious goal: to ensure that 45% of all promotions and new hires, including leadership roles, will be women and/or racially diverse by 2025.
Actionable Steps Organizations Can Take
Company culture and meaningful change start at the top. As a Sales Leader in tech and an Executive Coach passionate about women’s leadership, I’ve developed a unique perspective. I advise and encourage leaders to openly recognize and speak about their experiences with imposter syndrome because it allows others to feel less isolated and empowers them to address their discomfort without embarrassment or fear.
Organizations can also help reduce the conditions that fuel imposter syndrome by creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Recognizing and rewarding diverse perspectives, along with highlighting role models beyond traditional success stereotypes, helps people both see and be seen for their unique value and contributions. One way we do this at Taboola is by providing hybrid working with flexible hours, and a generous paid parental leave policy. Another way is by hosting events such as last year’s LeadHer: Navigating Leadership Paths and Inspiring Change in Digital Media and our Women in Leadership Dinner. Both events featured panels of impressive female leaders who shared their advice, candidly answered questions and left audiences feeling inspired and optimistic about their futures.
I encourage individuals to reframe their personal narrative, recognize and shift away from using self-deprecating language, and embrace a more positive outlook. I spoke about some of these strategies at “Il tempo delle Donne”, a 3 day festival in Milan organized by the influential newspaper “Corriere della Sera”.
Companies can support employees on this journey with mentorship programs and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). TaboolHER, the official Taboola Women’s Collective, for example, was formed with the mission to highlight the value women bring to the workplace, make the company a place where women can grow, and celebrate the contributions of our female Taboolars.
Tackling Gender Bias
Gender bias is another issue women face, especially in tech. In the workplace, this can manifest in substantial ways, from unequal pay to unequal opportunities for advancement. For an objective perspective, I suggest turning to your company’s People or HR data, which can show disparities and a pathway toward rectifying them. Examining data is something we do at Taboola, and it helps us eliminate the unconscious biases everyone has. We also apply this data to our recruitment and talent pipeline, and the results are well worth the extra effort. Companies need to ask themselves hard and challenging questions if, for example, they have a higher rate of promotions in male employees vs female.
Our Founder and CEO Adam Singolda says, ‘When companies push for diversity, diverse communities consider joining them, multiple voices participate in conversations, better decisions are made based on collaboration — and better, more impactful business decisions overall. You execute better, and we all win.’
Gender Bias and AI: Friend or Foe?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become integrated into our workday. While it has immense power to boost efficiency and streamline processes, we must be aware of its potential drawbacks. AI learns from the data we feed it, so if that data reflects human biases, AI systems can inadvertently perpetuate and even amplify them.
With the right frameworks and guardrails in place, we can turn AI from a potential problem into a solution that fights discrimination, breaks down barriers, and creates a more equal world.
A Collective Effort Toward Change
Confronting imposter syndrome and gender bias in tech isn’t just an individual challenge—it’s a systemic one. While self-awareness and personal mindset shifts can help, real progress requires organizations to create environments that foster inclusivity, recognize diverse talent, and actively work to break down biases. By implementing equitable policies, encouraging open conversations, and leveraging tools like AI responsibly, we can collectively build workplaces where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to succeed.
The tech industry thrives on innovation, and the most groundbreaking ideas come from diverse perspectives. By addressing these challenges head-on, we not only uplift individuals but also drive better business outcomes. It’s time to move beyond just acknowledging the issue—to actively being part of the solution.
