Unlocking staff potential through mentoring

Our staff mentoring programme provides a fantastic learning opportunity for both mentors and mentees by facilitating the sharing of knowledge, skills and experience spanning various business roles and personal backgrounds. Mentoring can open doors while promoting a culture of inclusion where everyone is empowered to realise their full potential.

Jade, one of our WH mentees said:

I asked to take part in the mentoring programme as I want to progress in my career. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first got my match. I assumed it would be someone opposite to me, however, I’m seeing many similarities in my mentor. These similarities give me the faith that I can learn, develop and adapt her skills to suit my own way of working. 

I have had only a few meetings with my mentor, but already it has been amazing. I am learning so much; new skills, how to manage different situations, and how to progress positively in my job role. I feel the mentoring programme has helped me build my confidence and I’m already seeing progression. My manager has commented on my new positive, solution-orientated outlook. I feel my mentor has brought that out in me as well as giving me a nudge to do things I might have otherwise not had the self-confidence to do.

I did not expect such a great match but trust the process! I really admire my mentor and I’m glad this programme has put us together, as I’m unsure if we would have spent time together otherwise.

The programme has made me reflect a lot on my own skills and really think about the direction I wish to go in. I feel the skills I’m developing now are essential for moving forward and I’m building great relationships along the way.

I would recommend mentoring to anyone!

Fiona, one of our WH mentors said:

When I joined the mentoring programme, my main aim was to share knowledge and skills I’ve gained through my experience, and have the benefit of hearing a colleague’s different experiences. I was keen to use this to help improve what I do in terms of communicating with all staff and customers and making sure messages are targeted correctly for each audience. 

It’s been such a rewarding experience and I’m so glad I have carved out the time to do it! I’ve helped my mentee to work through challenges by asking questions or offering a different viewpoint, so they’ve been able to find the right approach that works for them. My mentee has had some fantastic successes during the time we’ve been in the process and I feel privileged to contribute in a small way to their skill set and watch them evolve into a more confident and capable professional.

I also think there are real benefits to the company from the mentoring programme. In a big organisation it’s easy to work in siloes, and as you’ll often be paired with a colleague from another directorate it can help to develop understanding and allow different teams to work together more effectively. It’s also a good way of creating a mindset and discipline for ongoing learning and personal development which can start to slip as you move into more senior roles, where you might feel you have all of the skills and knowledge you need already. For me, the mentorship role has helped me to develop my leadership skills and empathy. It’s also benefitted me understanding more about the challenges that other teams face in their roles.