The confidence gap: Who is more confident in job interviews – men or women?

Learn about the confidence gap. Alison Crowe explores confidence in job interviews – are men or women more confident?

The confidence gap: Key insights

For as long as I have been working, there has been an ongoing dialogue surrounding the “confidence gap” between men and women. The confidence gap gained momentum after a 2003 study by Cornell University, which suggested that men tend to overestimate both their skills and performance when presented with a task.

Women, on the other hand, tend to underestimate themselves. These findings were the same even when both genders were equally qualified to complete said task.

But why does the confidence gap exist? 

The confidence gap: Background

Working within the recruitment sector, I wondered whether this confidence gap rang true when applying for jobs. Specifically, I was interested to find out whether men are more confident than women when it comes to applying for roles which they aren’t 100% qualified for. 

So, I decided to conduct a poll which was promoted via our blog and featured in my previous post: “Men apply for jobs on Mars, women on Venus”. The poll asked the respondent to confirm their gender. Respondents then stated whether they were likely to apply for a job if they felt that their skills and experience only matched 80% or less of the criteria listed on the job specification.

How big is the confidence gap when applying for jobs?

Analysing the data in a different way, I wanted to see if geography, (and possibly culture), had a part to play alongside gender when it comes to confidence levels and job applications.

When I looked at the results by location, I found that in the UK, Ireland and Europe, men are more confident than women when applying for roles. Yet, in North America, it’s the other way around. Across Australia and New Zealand, there would appear to be no difference. I have detailed the breakdown for you below:

To me, this is a real shame. No candidate will be 100% perfect, and most employers will appreciate this, and won’t be looking for someone who meets every single pre-requisite. But if this isn’t clear on the job description, they could be deterring potential talent without realising.

The big finding to me? That the majority of job seekers, regardless of gender, didn’t feel confident enough to apply for jobs they considered to be a stretch in skills and experience.

So, here’s my advice for building a job specification which is more welcoming to those talented, but less confident job seekers:

1. Prioritise the essentials

Of course, some hard skills will be fundamental to the role you’re recruiting for. But surely there are some which can be taught on the job? Think about the hard skills vs the soft traits which would benefit this position – such as being a fast learner or having a curious mindset.

I would then advise that you emphasise the absolutely crucial hard skills which you don’t have the resource to teach. Follow those with the softer traits which will help the successful applicant pick up the rest.

Separate the “must-haves” from the “nice-to-haves” in the job description. Then, describe the softer, more universal prerequisites, you will make your job advert far less intimidating and isolating to job seekers.

2. Create a more welcoming tone

Secondly, I think you should be striving to create a more welcoming tone. Try to create a tone, overall, that better depicts the type of person who would suit this role.

You could achieve this by describing the personality traits which would benefit this role. Inform candidates of the company culture, the dynamic of the team, and how individuals are respected and supported.

I think this is far more encouraging to a candidate than just a bulleted list of credentials. It is also more likely to give them the confidence to apply for the job.

3. Share success stories

Lastly, describe the development opportunities within your organisation on the job description. You could share other people’s stories or link to case studies of employee career journeys.

These stories should reflect employees who joined the organisation and developed their skills to progress their careers since then. Show candidates what they could achieve.

In doing this, the candidate will envisage their own career journey within your organisation. They’ll also receive a confidence boost by picturing their own personal development.

The confidence gap: Next steps for your business

Issues of self-doubt and confidence when applying for a job may not be a gender-specific issue. It is an issue, though. And in order to attract a wider pool of potentially suitable candidates, employers must change the way the job description is put together.

Mould the opportunity to show these jobseekers that the successful applicant can be hired on the basis of their potential – rather than how many boxes they tick. Try to emphasise other aspects, like soft skills and personality fit.

Employers doing this will appeal to candidates who have the capacity to grow as people and professionals. In the end, this can only deliver great results to your company.