New survey data from TRESemmé Canada, a brand with a long history of advocating for women empowerment, and female-led networking and career platform, Monday Girl, shows what fuels workplace confidence among their community of future female leaders. According to the survey of over 2,000 career-focused young professionals, personal style/presentation is the second-highest factor fuelling workplace confidence (79.4%), behind professional knowledge and expertise (93.1%). With today being National Boss Babe Day, we asked Laura McMurray, brand manager at TRESemmé Canada, to tell us more about the significant role confidence plays for women in the workplace and its connection to personal style and presentation. —Noa Nichol
What inspired TRESemmé Canada and Monday Girl to conduct this survey on workplace confidence and personal style?
TRESemmé has a long history of equipping people with the tools and resources needed to look and feel their best every day, not just on salon days. One way we do this is by teaming up with organizations and individuals who share our belief in empowering individuals in their daily lives. The Monday Girl community has built an incredible network of future female leaders who are lifting each other up through inspiring voices, shared resources and connections and we were very inspired by that.
The survey was done to demonstrate how feeling good about oneself relates to self-confidence and how that self-confidence can act as fuel to help a person pursue their passions or goals. It’s going to look different for everybody but it’s a simple and powerful reminder of the importance of self-worth and the power it can have.
Can you share some key findings from the survey that particularly stood out to you?
Expertise was the number one thing that made people feel the most confident at work but what was surprising was how many, 79.4% in fact, ranked personal style and presentation as the next thing that fueled self-confidence. Between these two, we can see that self-assurance inside and out is a powerful tool to boost confidence in a professional setting.
How do you think personal style and presentation impacts workplace confidence, especially for young professionals?
While I can’t speak for everyone, I do believe self-doubt is a common feeling people have when learning something new and that goes for anyone whether starting school, starting a new job, or even levelling up at work. Women don’t need more barriers to overcome professionally so when a person feels good about their personal brand and how they show up, they have one less barrier to overcome. And that’s important because it allows them to place more focus on what matters more to them, the reason why they showed up in the first place.
In your opinion, what steps can companies take to support and empower women in the workplace, beyond just focusing on their appearance?
Expertise and opportunity should be a primary focus. Our survey results indicated that knowledge and expertise is the top factor that contributes to workplace confidence (93.1%) so providing women with the resources and education to further develop their craft is necessary. If you want to empower women in the workplace, give them access to development opportunities like training sessions, educational courses, and networking opportunities.
Could you elaborate on the concept of “good hair days” and its correlation with workplace confidence, as highlighted in the survey?
The concept of “good hair days” can mean and look differently for everyone, but what it ultimately comes down to, is feeling good about how you present yourself so that you have the confidence to put your best foot forward.
Do you have any personal anecdotes or stories about how your own personal style has influenced your confidence in the workplace?
For me, it is about ensuring I feel confident from the inside out. I do this by preparing properly for any work meeting or presentation, so I feel ready and have confidence in my expertise. I also like to wear something that is extra special or that I feel comfortable in, and I spend a little more time on my haircare routine. This helps fuel both my inner and outer confidence. I also think it’s important to be true to my own personal style and be my authentic self as I truly believe others can feel this and it leaves a lasting impact.
If you could offer one piece of style advice to young professionals aiming to boost their confidence at work, what would it be?
Only you know when you feel good. Don’t let imposter syndrome take the lead.
What’s your go-to hairstyle or beauty routine for those days when you need an extra confidence boost?
When it comes to my hair, I believe in the idea of “less is more” as it allows me to channel my most authentic self which is when I feel the most confident. Day-to-day, I like to wear my hair down with an added beachy, effortless wave – and I use products that offer smoothing and heat protection benefits like our TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Weightless line. I love that it gives me effortless, weightlessly smooth hair and helps prevents damage when I use hot tools for styling.
As a female-led brand, how do you celebrate National Boss Babe Day and empower women in your own workplace?
The TRESemmé brand promotes the values of independence, self-reliance, and most importantly, the confidence you need to step up and meet the next challenge. We see this celebration of women and the boss babes that make up our team every day at Unilever. Internally, we have the Women’s Interactive Network, a Business Resource Group whose mission is to make a positive impact in employees’ lives by championing and developing benefits of gender equality.
Finally, on a lighter note, if you had to choose one hairstyle that best represents your personality, what would it be and why?
My go-to hairstyle is beachy, effortless waves and it represents my personality well. This style is fairly adaptable and aligns with my personality. I like to pride myself on the fact that I can adapt to any situation, keep a solutions-oriented mindset, and approach every situation with a positive attitude.
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