Want More Women In Tech? Don’t Just Mentor — Sponsor

Mentorship is important in bringing more women to executive positions. A 2017 survey by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association reported lack of mentorship as the number one barrier experienced by women in technology.

But mentorship is only part of the solution. Women don’t just need mentorship; they need sponsorship.

What’s the difference between mentorship and sponsorship? One way to put it is that a sponsor has skin in the game.

Think of the example of a woman seeking a job. One of the first things she might do is work on her resume. She takes her resume to two colleagues. The first offers feedback and advice on the resume. This helpful information, but only goes so far. The first person this job seeker talks to is a mentor — they take no risk in the situation. The second colleague this woman takes her resume to not only offers feedback, but says they will forward the resume to someone in their company. The second colleague is a sponsor, their name is on the email they forward. This sponsor vouches for the woman and when doing so puts their own reputation on the line.

Another difference between a mentor and a sponsor is that sponsors have more social capital. Someone who has a small network or is not as high up in an organization has less of an impact if they forward a resume versus an individual who does.

Sponsors are active, they promote, push and advocate. When positions come up, they don’t just give advice, they encourage those they are sponsoring to apply or recommend them for the job. The reach of sponsors is higher. Mentors can raise up others to their level, but sponsors can lift up others to heights above their own career.

According to a Harvard Business Review Study, women are “over-mentored and undersponsored relative to their male peers.” The study reports that women are 54% less likely to have a sponsor than a male.

Sponsors are typically higher level leaders and executives, and those positions are typically dominated by men. In general, men are more likely to sponsor those who are like them, other men. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle — fewer women in executive positions means fewer female sponsors, which means less women rise to executive positions and become sponsors.

The tech community has a shortage of women leaders. Only about 22% of leadership positions at top tech companies are held by women.

Tech companies have developed worthwhile mentorship programs — but to really create equity they not only need mentors, but sponsors.