March is synonymous with International Women’s Day, inspiring us to share our insights on gender diversity from our work in networking and mentoring.
With a strong background in networking, our team at HPG is very comfortable navigating crowds, making connections and building relationships. However, we also recognise that not everyone shares this experience and appreciate that working in a crowd of people can feel particularly daunting if it is not something you do regularly. The hospitality industry is built on relationships, and an effective networking strategy can have a significant impact on your career progression.
For female professionals looking to advance their careers, mentorship and sponsorship play a critical role in building confidence to unlock and navigate these career opportunities. However, the access to these opportunities is not always equal, and different individuals experience networking spaces and career advancement in unique ways.
Women often find themselves underrepresented in senior hospitality leadership roles, and those who do succeed in this arena have the additional pressure of vast performance expectations. Understanding how to develop a strong network of influential supporters is often crucial to ensuring equal access to professional growth.
We hope that sharing our insights and experience might help all individuals, regardless of gender or background, reach their full potential in hospitality.
Building Confidence and Connections
Mentorship is a structured way to share expertise and guide others in their career development. It can take many forms, from formal mentorship programmes to informal relationships that develop naturally through networking. In our experience, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution as different individuals approach it in their own ways. Some thrive in structured settings, while others benefit from more organic, natural relationship building. More extroverted individuals may find the networking element much easier, while introverts might prefer one-on-one mentorship relationships that grow slowly over time.
For those looking to find or become a mentor, there are excellent platforms available:
- Inspiring Women in Hospitality – A global initiative that connects and supports professionals across the industry.
- Institute of Hospitality – Offers a mentorship scheme designed to support hospitality professionals at all career stages.
- Be Inclusive Hospitality – A platform dedicated to supporting underrepresented groups in hospitality through mentorship, education, and advocacy.
- Master Innholders – Provides leadership development and mentoring opportunities for professionals in the hotel industry.
While each of these platforms offers a valuable network to explore, none of them can guarantee a perfect match for each mentee. Personality compatibility is essential, and respecting your mentor’s time by knowing and communicating what you want to achieve out of your discussion is crucial to forging a successful mentorship. Ultimately, a mentee has the most to gain from this relationship and should be the driving force behind it.
Navigating Networking
From our experience, expectations of what can be achieved from networking events can differ across genders and personality types. For instance, large-scale networking events often favour people who are naturally outgoing and comfortable introducing themselves to strangers and engaging in broader, more competitive, and transactional networking, that focuses on expanding their contact base and doing deals. Those who prefer more structured, goal-oriented interactions and look to build deeper, more relational connections may find it beneficial to seek out events with pre-arranged mentorship elements or discussion groups.
While these personality types can be found across either gender, the added assumptions and gender biases can also impact these outcomes. The unconscious bias that perceives a natural masculine assertiveness more naturally suited to networking, could manifest itself into situations where women are less likely to be approached at networking events, asked about their family life more than their career achievements, less likely to be taken seriously, and less likely to be introduced to high-level contacts due to their gender.
For networking to be inclusive and effective, organisations should consider how they structure their events. Creating a mix of formal and informal networking opportunities, ensuring gender balance among speakers and attendees, and incorporating elements of structured mentoring or introductions can help level the playing field for everyone.
Sponsorship and Advocacy
While this networking and mentorship can provide guidance and support, it is sponsorship that actively propels careers forward. Sponsors are influential leaders who advocate for their protégés, recommending them for key roles and leadership opportunities. Research suggests that individuals with sponsors are significantly more likely to advance in their careers, highlighting the importance of having someone in your corner who will champion your skills and achievements.
As Naureen Ahmed, Founder of Inspiring Women in Hospitality puts it:
“Sponsorship is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”
Unlike mentorship, sponsorship is often more informal and unstructured, making it less transparent and harder to access. Effective networking plays a crucial role in connecting with potential sponsors, yet women and underrepresented groups can find it more challenging to secure these opportunities. In hospitality, where relationships have such a strong impact on career advancement, this lack of clear sponsorship pathways can disproportionately affect women. Many potential sponsors may unconsciously favour candidates who remind them of themselves, which reinforces existing gender imbalances in leadership roles. Additionally, women are frequently expected to demonstrate exceptional performance to gain the same level of advocacy that men might receive more readily. This should certainly be considered as we strive for more inclusive networking environments.
Creating a More Inclusive and Equitable Industry
If businesses want to foster a strong workplace culture, they should ensure that mentorship, sponsorship, and networking opportunities are accessible to everyone, regardless of gender, personality type, or background.
Some key actions that hospitality businesses can take include the following:
- Encouraging diverse networking environments – Avoiding exclusive, informal sponsorship networks and ensuring a balance of perspectives in leadership circles.
- Supporting mentorship and sponsorship initiatives – Providing structured mentorship programmes and creating a culture of advocacy within leadership teams.
- Recognising different networking styles – Offering a mix of formal and informal networking opportunities to accommodate different personalities and working styles.
- Prioritising visibility for underrepresented professionals – Ensuring that everyone has access to career-advancing opportunities through open dialogue and transparent promotion processes.
At HPG, we are committed to fostering workplace cultures that support mentorship, advocacy, and leadership development. If you’re looking to enhance your organisation’s people strategy, then please get in touch.
Andrea Shaw
[email protected]
+44 07714 236 469
Mara Cattaneo
[email protected]
+44 20 8600 1180
Tairona Lattanzi
[email protected]
+44 20 8600 1160
