How companies can use sponsorship to support Asian women
Despite being more likely to be highly educated, Asian women in the US, Canada, and the UK are falling behind at the senior leadership level.
Only 6% of roles within three reporting levels of the CEO were held by women of Asian descent, the lowest of any group studied. Similarly, in Canada, Asian women were the least likely to occupy leadership roles in large firms according to Statistics Canada.
The culprit: a lack of mentorship and sponsorship.
Catalyst found the majority of Asian women in Canada, the UK, and the US felt their career trajectories were limited by a lack of mentorship, sponsorship, and performance feedback. In the US alone, 92% of Asian women said an absence of mentors and sponsors was impacting their career advancement compared to 52% of US Asian men.
Asian women aren’t waiting for companies to take action. They’re filling the gap through cultivating their own advisors. Yet, these numbers show it’s not enough.
Forward-thinking employers are maximizing their existing talent pool and setting themselves up by creating programs and structures that support these efforts. These programs enable companies to capitalize on the vast skills and expertise of Asian women, while also enhancing employee morale, reducing attrition, and bolstering employer reputation.
Organize structured sponsorship programs
HR leaders have the power to create a workplace environment that fosters proactive career advancement and mentorship, especially for Asian women and other underrepresented groups. Formal mentorship and sponsorship programs that match employees with experienced mentors—supported by training for both parties and structured sessions—can alleviate pressure on everyone involved.
Mesa Lewchalermwong, Chief Financial Officer Northwestern Mutual – DC, said at a Catalyst webinar, “Early on in my career, I felt very ignored by a lot of my supervisors and bosses who maybe didn't take me under their wing in the same way [as they did others].”
“I would highly encourage, especially, Asian women, to think about formally finding somebody within the area that they work in and demonstrating through their work ethic to find a sponsor,” advised Raveena Maheshwari, Client Services Partner, EY.
How do employees do network mapping to find a sponsor, especially if they’re not in a location like a company’s headquarters?
“One thing that can be helpful is to really think about what are the skills or areas that you want to focus on and then locate individuals who have those skills or experiences.” Maheshwari added “And I think asking people that you work with closely to help you understand the map of where those individuals might be in the organization and who could help you make those connections can be useful.”
Once a relationship is in place, “You’ve got to manage your mentorship and sponsorship relationships like you manage your work projects. Make sure that there is a cadence that's been agreed upon and that it’s really clear in terms of what you want to get out of that relationship,” Maheshwari said.
Maheshwari also suggested expanding sponsor conversations from role performance to “core development and career goals overall… identifying blind sports, development areas and opportunities,” like how to position employees for board positions or public speaking.
Implement other results-driven talent development strategies
Build and make public career pathways by creating transparent, structured opportunities for professional growth.
Employees who understand the steps and skills required for advancement are more likely to be engaged with their work, resulting in elevated performance and business results. By openly sharing these pathways, organizations not only empower their workforce but also attract talent eager to envision their future within the company.
Employee resource groups (ERGs) foster belonging and retention and accelerate career advancement. Encourage ERGs to host career coffee chats with their leaders to set the stage for meaningful connections, inspire collaboration, and provide professional growth opportunities. These informal conversations allow employees to engage directly with leadership, ask questions, and gain insights into career pathways within the organization.
Speaking about her own experience with a culture-specific ERG, Maheshwari explained “it really helped increase visibility of Asian women...and for them to expand their visibility of getting mentors and sponsors. They had a lot more openness and approachability through that group and getting to know them.”
One of the strengths of ERGs is creating a cross-functional community, but cross-departmental networking events don’t have to be identity-specific. By engaging with colleagues from various areas of expertise, professionals gain broader insights into the organization’s operations and develop a more holistic understanding of the business.
Be attuned to differences in cultural upbringing and leadership styles
Cultural upbringing plays heavily into many Asian employees' experiences. Rather than asking these employees to change, teach managers to recognize different leadership styles and techniques to identify signs of talent, rather than rely on the loudest voice in the room.
“Asian women tend to grow up in households where there's a lot of pressure to make sure that you are collaborative, so you don't sabotage anything that prevents you from achieving. And that prevents you from speaking up because that could lead to conflict. I found that very early on in my career, I was afraid to speak up,” Maheshwari said.
By creating initiatives to support and advance underrepresented groups like women of Asian descent, organizations can more fully tap into the diverse skills and perspectives that underrepresented employees bring, driving innovation and business results.
For more insights, watch Paving the way to success: Supporting women of Asian descent in the workplace.