How workplaces fuel imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome is often positioned as something about the individual - an 'irrational' lack of confidence. But, in my experience, it's more about the workplace. Many professionals don’t question their abilities because they’re unqualified, they question them because their work environment makes them feel that way. 

The environments we work in shape who gets heard, who gets promoted, and who gets left wondering if they truly belong. Some companies fuel imposter syndrome, whether through arbitrary feedback, opaque promotion processes, or reinforcing outdated ideas of leadership. Others are starting to fight back, changing policies to level the playing field and give people confidence - not just surface-level fixes.

For example, a leaked memo from Microsoft noted that "managers rated 'confidence' 40% lower for female engineers with identical GitHub commit histories to male peers." The solution wasn’t about telling employees to “be more confident.” They changed the way confidence was judged in the first place.

In 2023, the company introduced an Inclusive Parity Index, tying 30% of executive bonuses to reducing gaps in confidence and career progression between different groups. They stopped relying on subjective leadership assessments and instead measured concrete outputs - code contributions, completed projects, and measurable impact.

The result? Women in technical roles reported a 19% decrease in imposter syndrome over 18 months.

The takeaway? It wasn’t about making women 'feel' more confident. It was a bias that made women doubt themselves in the first place. It wasn't imagined.

When employees know what success looks like, they stop feeling like frauds. Microsoft’s data-driven changes did more than offer generic advice and tell people "to be more confident" - they created systems that made confidence logical.

Recognising imposter syndrome in the workplace

Many employees don’t realise they are experiencing imposter syndrome because it often disguises itself as self-doubt, overwork, or perfectionism.

Here are some common signs:

• Feeling like a fraud - Employees may believe they’ve only succeeded due to luck, rather than skill or hard work.
• Fear of being ‘found out’ - They may avoid leadership opportunities or speaking up in meetings because they feel unqualified.
• Over-preparing or overworking - Employees might spend excessive time perfecting their work to avoid criticism.
• Difficulty accepting praise - They may downplay their achievements, attributing success to external factors.
• Avoiding challenges - Employees might resist applying for promotions or taking on new responsibilities due to fear of failure.

How coaching helps employees overcome imposter syndrome

Coaching provides a structured way to unpick what is real and what is an internalised belief shaped by a workplace culture that reinforces doubt. Here’s how it helps:

• Clarifying reality vs. perception: Coaches help employees distinguish between self-imposed doubt and actual gaps in skill or experience.
• Reframing success: Employees are guided to redefine success in measurable impact rather than subjective validation.
• Developing strategic confidence: Coaching builds the ability to navigate workplace structures and advocate for oneself effectively.
• Building a career roadmap: Employees can create a strategy for moving forward, within their current organisation or elsewhere.
• Strengthening communication and leadership skills: Many people experiencing imposter syndrome struggle to articulate their value. Coaching helps develop persuasive communication and executive presence.

How businesses benefit from addressing imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome impacts innovation, company culture and individual and team performance. Organisations that tackle it proactively see significant benefits.

For example, employees who feel valued and supported are less likely to leave.
When they aren’t caught in cycles of doubt, they can focus on their work with greater confidence and efficiency, when companies address systemic confidence gaps, they can cultivate a stronger, more diverse leadership team.

Equally, employees who trust their abilities contribute more ideas and take creative risks. Plus there's less likelihood of overwork and stress-related disengagement.

Creating workplaces that foster confidence

Workplaces create imposter syndrome when they move the goalposts, reward the wrong traits, or leave employees guessing. They have the power to eliminate this by making success clear, fair, and measurable.

If you’ve ever felt like an imposter, ask yourself: Is this really about me, or is it the structures around me? Confidence is more than mindset - it’s shaped by the way workplaces define, measure, and reward success.

The good news? Companies can fix this. The bad news? Most aren’t doing it fast enough.

So what’s the alternative?

As Liz Fong-Jones put it best: “You can’t meditate your way out of a rigged system.” If your workplace fuels doubt rather than confidence, it might not be you - it might be time to push for change. However, if you've been in such environments for a long time, you might not be able to think or see clearly. This is where career coaching can help.

Sources:

• The New York Times: “Google Walkout: Employees Protest Treatment of Women” (Nov 2018).
• Microsoft 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Report (public PDF).
• Bloomberg: “Goldman Gender Bias Suit Exacerbated Women’s Self-Doubt” (May 2023).
• United Tech Workers Union: “Spotify Bargaining Outcomes” (2023).
• Wired: “How Tech Unions Are Fighting Imposter Syndrome” (June 2023).