Importance of Mentorship and Impacts to the Bottom Line
Why You Need Both a Mentor and a Sponsor A mentorship relationship is born when someone, the mentor, shares knowledge and guides another, the mentee, who learns from the experience and the example. Mentorship is important to human resources and organizational leaders because it: Survey on Mentorship Says! One of the most powerful tools to…
Why You Need Both a Mentor and a Sponsor
A mentorship relationship is born when someone, the mentor, shares knowledge and guides another, the mentee, who learns from the experience and the example. Mentorship is important to human resources and organizational leaders because it:
- Elevates the level of support: mentees often have more support in reaching specific goals.
- Improves connections: mentees form meaningful relationships with skilled professionals which creates a feeling of fulfillment.
- Enhances the sense of belonging in the workplace: sponsorships takes mentorship to the next level, providing a safe space for mentees to grow in their role.
Survey on Mentorship Says!
One of the most powerful tools to retain a high-performing workforce is a structured, outcomes-driven mentorship program. This goes beyond occasional networking events or informal coffee chats. It means partnering with experienced organizations, offering mentor training, aligning matches to clear goals, and building systems for accountability and growth. In today’s competitive landscape, mentorship isn’t optional—it’s essential.
As HR leaders and executives refine their workforce strategies, incorporating mentorship into the fabric of employee development is no longer optional—it’s a business imperative. The data makes it clear: when employees feel supported, connected, and seen, they stay—and they lead. That’s why organizations must look beyond ad-hoc programs and toward scalable, structured mentorship strategies that align with long-term business goals. The following data points from the Chronus Software blog, 31 Mentoring Statistics That Speak for Themselves, illustrate just how powerful—and necessary—mentorship can be.
23%
greater profitability
is seen in organizations with high employee engagement versus those with lower engagement
18%
higher productivity (sales)
is achieved by businesses with highly engaged employees compared to those with disengaged employees
$228–$355
million annually
is lost to employee disengagement at a median-size S&P company due to reduced productivity
10%
higher customer engagement and loyalty is found in businesses in the top quartile for employee
Mentorship Impacts for Women in Technology
Mentorship has proven critical for women, especially in the tech sector, where representation remains disproportionately low and the path to leadership is often unclear or uneven. A strong mentor can offer more than guidance—they can validate experiences, help navigate systemic barriers and provide insight into unwritten rules of the industry. For women who may be the only or one of few in technical roles, mentorship creates a sense of belonging, fuels confidence, and opens doors to growth and advancement. It’s not just about career development—it’s about retention, resilience, and creating a future where women are empowered to lead and innovate.
58%
of entry-level women
want to be in leadership positions, but only 39% believe they have a mentor to help them achieve that goal
85%
of women in tech
consider mentorship programs essential for career advancement. Studies have shown that employees with mentors are promoted up to five times more often than their peers, and mentors themselves are promoted up to six times more often.
In a global business survey
71%
of businesswomen who had a mentor
said that their mentor was influential in their career advancement.
Sponsorship in the Workplace
According to a 2023 Gallup Workplace survey, only 40% of employees report having a mentor—and sponsorship rates are even lower, at just 23%. While the impact of sponsorship is well-documented, many companies have yet to establish formal programs. One reason is the perceived demand on executive time; successful sponsorship requires active engagement from senior leaders, which can be seen as a significant commitment in already overextended schedules. Unlike mentoring, which is often more flexible and advisory in nature, sponsorship requires sponsors to put their political capital on the line, advocate for their sponsees, and facilitate career-advancing opportunities.
In addition to time constraints, many organizations lack the structured framework necessary to launch an effective sponsorship program. Clear processes for matching sponsors and sponsees, setting expectations, and measuring outcomes are essential—but not always in place. Compounding the challenge is persistent confusion about the distinction between mentorship and sponsorship. In many companies, existing mentoring programs are mistakenly assumed to cover both functions, leading leaders to undervalue sponsorship as a distinct and strategic tool. As a result, high-potential talent—especially women and people of color—often miss out on the critical advocacy needed to reach the next level.
However, sponsorship programs yield clear, measurable benefits for both employees and organizations.
In the book “Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, The New Way to Fast Track Your Career,” Sylvia Ann Hewlett, with the Center for Talent Innovation, shares that employees with sponsors are 23% more likely to advance in their careers compared to those without.
Sponsorship has also been shown to increase retention—particularly among women and people of color—by reinforcing a sense of visibility, value, and support. A Harvard Business Review study found that 70% of sponsored employees feel more satisfied with their career progression. Sponsorship programs not only accelerate leadership opportunities but also strengthen the talent pipeline by ensuring high-potential employees are recognized, developed, and promoted. According to 2019 research from PayScale Inc, those in the workforce who have a sponsor are paid 11.6 percent more than those who do not. Perhaps not surprisingly, for men, the “sponsorship premium” is even higher: 12.3 percent compared to women at 10.2 percent.
Sponsorship makes a difference
Additional findings from the report, Sponsors: Valuable Allies that Not Everyone Has, include:
The gender of your sponsor matters:
Females who have female sponsors make 14.6 percent less than females who have male sponsors
Males who have female sponsors make 8.7 percent less than males who have male sponsors.
Black and Hispanic women are least likely to have sponsors:
At least 60 percent of respondents overall said they have an advocate at work; however, only 55 percent of Black and Hispanic women reported having an advocate.
For comparison, 62.5 percent of white men reported having an advocate in the workplace.