Sponsorship is essential for women to advance in tech—here are 3 ways to help

There’s a problem in tech. And it doesn’t have to do with the growing demand for digital transformation or increased threats to cybersecurity. It has to do with the lack of women in leadership.

According to the U.S. Census, women are nearly half of the U.S. workforce but comprise only 27% of STEM workers, up just 19% since 1970.

Because men outnumber women in tech, an unfortunate reality is that gender inequality issues exist. A 2021 study by New View Strategies surveyed 1,000 women working in tech and found that one in three women experience gender bias at their workplace, and 43% believe there’s a gender pay gap. But one of the biggest challenges noted was the lack of advancement opportunities.   

According to TrustRadius’s 2021 Women in Tech Report, 66% of women feel there is no clear path forward for them at their current company, and 41% identified the lack of a mentor as an obstacle to promotion.

One reason for the lack of mentorship among women in tech is unconscious bias. Unconscious bias makes us more inclined to support those who look like us and stops us from connecting with those who do not. This is especially prevalent in spaces where women are the minority. Women in tech aren’t getting the structural support they need at their companies, which can pause or prohibit their career growth altogether. 

How can women in tech get the visibility they need to advance in their careers? With a sponsor.

What is a sponsor? 

Sponsors are people in high-level positions, like executives, who use their political capital to push for change and advocate for others. Sponsorship can help women overcome barriers because it provides them with someone who is always in their corner ready to advocate for them and fight on their behalf. 

As an executive, I know the importance of using my reputation and political capital to help women in tech advance in their careers. I’ve sponsored multiple female employees over the years to help them get hired for jobs and be considered for promotions that they wouldn’t have been otherwise. These opportunities to assist fellow women in tech have helped me foster more diverse and innovative workforces at several companies. And in my experience, these kinds of workforces drive more revenue.

Here are three ways a sponsor can elevate the careers of women in tech:

1. Stand up to other executives

Pushback from executives can often hold women back. These executives have final say on who is and isn’t hired, and women are often not even considered for jobs they are fully qualified for. Sponsors can stop this cycle and can stand up to other executives.

Let’s say a tech company is hiring for a strategic role but the executive team won’t consider a woman with a résumé gap despite her having the right qualifications. A sponsor can fight for the candidate to help her get the job. 

And the work of a sponsor doesn’t stop there: Sponsors should make sure the sponsee is supported and invested in so that they can prove they were worth the fight.

2. Provide professional coaching 

Being a sponsor isn’t only about advocacy; it’s also about providing professional development. Sponsors can do this through constructive criticism and tough love to ensure candidates have the tools they need to succeed in their roles.

For instance, if a sponsor invites the woman they’re sponsoring to an executive meeting, they can advise them on what behaviors to exhibit while attending. Instead of the employee coming with a pen and paper—which could have them mistaken as a notetaker—a sponsor can instruct them to proactively prepare their thoughts, have something to say, and remember three important points from the meeting. That way, the sponsee will be taken more seriously and gain confidence being in those spaces.

3. Champion for promotions

Getting promoted in tech can be an unfair process for women. Internal promotions often use informal short lists to determine final candidates for a role. And since tech is dominated by men, those short lists are also typically dominated by men. There may be equally qualified women candidates, but men frequently come to mind first. It’s up to sponsors to make sure women are considered for promotions as well. 

A sponsor can advocate for a sponsee and help guard them against discriminatory promotion practices. For instance, let’s say a sponsor notices that one employee, who is a man, is quickly promoted to the VP level while another employee, who is a woman, is put through more rounds of interviews for the same position. It’s up to a sponsor to flag these kinds of inequalities. Addressing structural issues in promotion practices can help even the playing field for all employees—including sponsees. 

Sponsorship is essential for women to advance in tech. This can be beneficial not only to women but also to any organization hoping to foster a more diverse, innovative, and productive workforce. The tech industry has more work to do to create an equitable environment for women, but with sponsorship, executives can forge more space for women professionals to thrive.

Mariana Cogan is the CMO at People.ai.