Women confirm they will take care of their wellbeing and improve their work life balance and many aim to seize new opportunities in 2021
At the beginning of December we published a survey that asked our followers whether there was anything specific that they would change in their life as we step into a new year.
Our survey revealed a staggering 100% of participants stated they are going to take care of themselves and their own wellbeing and also that they are going to ensure they have a better work life balance in 2021. This represents just how important wellbeing has become for many of us this year, and we believe that the negative effects of the pandemic may have influenced this.
Of course, this goal of getting a better balance is often cited by many as a New Year’s resolution that few of us manage to achieve, and it’s not evident from our survey whether men would have answered in a similar manner, because all the respondents were women. However, various reports recently have highlighted that women have carried more of the caring and domestic burden resulting from the pandemic than their male peers, indicating a work-life overload may currently be being disproportionately experienced by women.
One participant added, ‘I’m going to learn to look after my wellbeing more. Learn to accept help when my workload becomes too much and offer the same support to colleagues.’ Taking into account the wellbeing of others and providing support for all is also a key factor and in doing so, we often find a way of helping ourselves.
Encouragingly for our Automotive 30% Club members, as well as aiming for wellness and balance, 67% of the respondents stated that they will in fact seize new opportunities that come their way and a further 50% will aim to learn a new skill. We were delighted to see these results and as ever, we believe that developing a skill set and having the confidence to seize opportunities will be the key to women progressing throughout the sector.
However, only 17% of participants stated that they would apply for promotion if it comes up. As part of the Automotive 30% Club’s “30 by 30” strategy, we aim to pull women through the promotional pipeline, by overcoming obstacles that prevent talented women from progressing. It is known that most women are less likely to put themselves forward for promotion than men, and this response highlights the need for employers to proactively encourage women to apply.
If this year has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot be afraid of change and we must have the right coping strategies in place. We urge women to seek help and support, apply for that job, take that plunge and progress up the promotional pipeline. We urge men to support women’s careers as well as their own, equitably share domestic duties, and also focus on their own wellness and work life balance. By working together, both men and women will achieve more fulfilment as carers and with their careers.