Women have high ambitions to get promoted and earn more over the next two years, but also share significant concerns about burnout and confidence hindering their careers.
And more than three quarters of women (77 per cent) believe they may have experienced burnout in the past 12 months.
That’s according to the latest survey of 1100 women by Women’s Agenda, asking about their key ambitions for the next two years and what they believe could get in the way.
A massive 42 per cent of respondents reported being concerned that burnout could get in the way of their ambitions over the next two years — the number one leading potential hurdle, coming in just ahead of ‘confidence in my abilities’ with 41 per cent listing this as a key hurdle.
Such concerns may stem from the large proportion of women who already believe they have experienced burnout, with overwhelm around balancing career and home responsibilities cited as a leading factor in suspected burnout.
Despite this, women still have huge ambitions to achieve in their careers over the next two years. The survey found that 36 per cent of respondents cited ‘looking to earn more’ as a key ambitions, with 26 per cent reporting they are looking for a new role, and 25 per cent saying they are aiming to get promoted.
Women across Australia were surveyed in April 2023 for the 4th version of the Women’s Ambitions Report, made possible thanks to support from AGSM at the UNSW Business School.
This year, as well as looking at ambitions for women over the next two years and perceptions around what could get in the way, the survey also examined some of the experiences of women who’ve taken extended career breaks to care for young children at some point over the past 10 years.
Among women who’ve taken career breaks, 66 per cent said increasing their salary and earning potential is a key career goal, and 43 per cent said they are “more ambitious now than ever before.”
But then 78 per cent said they feel “rushed and time poor most of the time.”
The results also indicated that career ambitions change with having children, with 67 per cent of this cohort reporting they have changed career aspirations since having children.
This year, Women’s Agenda also asked about how working structures might be supporting or hindering career ambitions and asked what skills women believe will be critical for leaders over the next two years.
You can check out the full report here. Women’s Agenda will be sharing more from this report over the coming days.