Researchers from Auburn University, USA, questioned 288 working adults, more than 80% of them with at least one child, and found that 38% of women felt that they didn't meet their own high standards at work.
Women also felt more dissatisfaction with their performance at home compared to men.
Researcher Jacqueline K. Mitchelson explained that perfectionists are driven by an all-or-none mentality in their pursuit for high personal standards.
Perfectionist women are more likely to feel they are underachieving at home for two key reasons; they are less able to execute such control over their domestic affairs, and the ability to get objective feedback does not exist as formally at home as it does in the workplace.
Although perfectionism can be a positive factor it can have negative implications. This is especially true if there is an inconsistency between their high standards and how well they feel they performed.
This information can prove extremely useful to employers as maintaining a good work-life balance is important for the general mental health and wellbeing of staff.
Psychometric testing can help employers identify staff who may have these personality traits and who may need additional support to help them reduce stress.