Log in or become a subscriber

Sponsorship is one of the top drivers of career advancement, but when conducted informally it tends to "favour the bold", placing employees who are quiet achievers at a disadvantage, an experienced talent leader says.

If employers want to develop their high-potential talent and retain future leaders, giving sponsorship programs more oxygen is going to be "critical", Parity Consulting founder Victoria Butt tells HR Daily.

She describes a sponsor as someone who is "advocating for you in a room you're not in". A sponsor enables mobility, visibility, advocacy, and access to new roles and projects, because when a leader speaks highly of an employee and advocates for them, it creates promotion pathways based on their reputation.

However, when researching how employers approach sponsorship, Butt noticed that especially compared to mentorship, sponsorship tends to be informal, relationship-based and trust-based, and "by its very nature discriminates against certain segments of individuals"...