Hocking Leadership – a strategic advisory firm supporting advancement leaders, teams, and workplace culture in higher education – has released a new report that showcases the unique strengths and challenges facing women in top advancement roles at colleges and universities, as well as the best opportunities for their professional development. Currently, just 35 percent of senior advancement roles at the top 100 universities in the United States are held by women.
For their study, Hocking Leadership surveyed a sample of 49 women who are chief advancement executives at higher education institutions in the United States and Canada regarding their experiences in the workplace. About 90 percent of participants had at least two decades of fundraising or alumni relations experience and nearly 70 percent had been in their current role for three years or less.
Although the entire sample reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress due to their work responsibilities, women who said their institution had structural challenges – such as issues with policies, systems, or culture – were more likely to report feeling overwhelmed and less confident. Conversely, women who felt they were paid equitably were less likely to feel stressed and more likely to feel confident earlier in their tenures.
Notably, the report found the hiring and onboarding process for chief advancement roles had a significant impact on the participants’ experiences. Compared to women who were promoted to their roles internally, women who were hired externally were more likely to face challenges with their employees and peers, feel pressured to meet their fundraising goals, and struggle to obtain a work-life balance. Furthermore, over 70 percent of participants stated they had no formal executive coaching or professional development during their onboarding. Those who did not receive intentional onboarding were more likely to feel overwhelmed, while those who did were more likely to feel confident within their first year on the job.
Based on their findings, the authors outline three key focus areas for supporting women advancement leaders in higher education. They urge universities to ensure leadership development begins in the onboarding process and remains an ongoing priority; focus on building cultures centered on collaboration and respect; and develop leadership pipelines for women in lower advancement roles.