13 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: THE UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD THE UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD Less access to senior leaders Good sponsors open doors for their protégés, but 9 A majority of employees with sponsors they are rare. say they provide career advice, highlight their work to others, and advocate on their behalf for new opportunities. Employees with sponsors are 1.4 times more likely to say they’ve had a meaningful interaction with a senior leader and 1.5 times more likely to aspire to be a top executive themselves—and this is especially true for women. Yet fewer than one in four employees has a sponsor. WOMEN HAVE FEWER INTERACTIONS WITH SENIOR LEADERS % OF EMPLOYEES WHO NEVER INTERACT WITH SENIOR LEADERS MEN WOMEN OMEN OMEN OMEN OMEN OMEN OMEN OMEN S OMEN S OMEN CK W OMEN CK W SIAN W TINA SIAN W TINA ALL MEN ALL W WHITE W A LA BLA LESBIAN W ALL MEN ALL W WHITE W A LA BLA LESBIAN W I never have a substantive interaction with a senior leader about my work I never have an informal interaction with a senior leader 9 A sponsor is someone with power who is senior to you, knows your work, and takes active steps to help you advance. They might introduce you to influential connections, highlight your work to senior leaders, or recommend you for jobs and promotions.