To celebrate International Women’s Day, eBay for Charity has partnered with women’s charity Dress for Success who help empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
To mark the partnership, the online marketplace has created the first ever Women at Work Report which gives insight into how today’s women find empowerment and balance in their careers, whether that’s dressing for success or seeking solidarity with female colleagues.
When it comes to 2019, the report has found that women would rather rock their yoga pants to feel empowered at work than fashion themselves on style icon, Meghan Markle and mum’s the word when it comes to personal and professional advice. And with eBay.co.uk powered by thousands of female owned SMBs, the site is pleased to further support women as they work toward success and economic parity.
Time’s Up on the Old Boys Club
- The office sisterhood is replacing the old boys club, as almost half of women (48%) think it is important to have another female at work they can talk to about tricky situations and 45% of women believe that a solid support group of women at work is important.
- When it comes to inspiration at work, it is their colleagues that women look up to most, but interestingly nearly a fifth of those surveyed said they would look to Michelle Obama for inspiration when it comes to life values (16%).
- Mums also feature high up on the list, with more than half (53%) of 16-24 year olds seeking personal advice from ‘Ma’, and a quarter (26%) of the same group would look to her for career advice too!
The Glass Ceiling Doesn’t Need to Be Broken with Stilettos
- More than a third (40%) of women feel most confident in jeans and a t-shirt, even more than a little black dress (32%) or work clothes (32%) and one in ten feel most confident in yoga gear. Proving that when it comes to the 2019 power suit, casual is queen.
- And not surprisingly, more than half of women (77%) aged 16-24 are bucking the traditional work place dress code and would choose casual attire to feel most confident. As Gen Z begin to climb the career ladder, they prove that a woman’s armour for success doesn’t need to be suits and stilettos.
- Women are also becoming increasingly frugal when it comes to their work wardrobe with one fifth of women (20.7%) spending only £200 a year on their work wardrobe. Just one in ten (14%) women in London admit to spending as much as £500 on their work wardrobe annually.
- With millennial and Gen Z women opting for a more casual work look it’s not surprising that just one in seven women (14%) look to emulate Meghan Markle’s classic look.
- When it comes to dressing to feel empowered, perhaps unsurprisingly it’s interviews (69%) where we make the most conscious effort, with dates and work meetings coming joint second (41%). We’re more concerned with nabbing the corner office than a second date.
Colleagues Replace the Career Coach
- 40% of women look to colleagues for career motivation, with 35% looking to family and nearly a third (32%) looking to friends, as we forgo the career coach for support closer to home.
- Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day with over half (56%) of women reporting it makes them feel motivated for the day ahead. Queuing up a fire Spotify playlist is almost equally important with 44% of women listening to music for morning motivation.
- Despite recent reports on the negative impacts of social media on young people, more than a third of 16-24 year olds (36%) surveyed feel motivated following a morning scroll through social media as Generation Z gets Insta-spired.
- To feel empowered at work, it’s substance over style, as being praised by a boss is most empowering for women (58%), followed by colleagues asking for advice (52%). Only 10% of us feel empowered by having our hair done and 5.8% with a fresh set of nails.
“We’re pleased to celebrate International Women’s Day with our first Women at Work Report. With this report and our eBay for Charity partnership with Dress for Success, we aim to understand what inspires and drives women in the work place and continue to advocate for female empowerment, advancement and equality.”
– Murray Lambell, Vice President of Trading, eBay UK
