Why Organisations Are Using Mentoring Programmes - Brief Case Studies

Talent shortages or retention problems

A large organisation became aware that one division had 10 times the normal drop off rate for employees and subsequently was lacking in suitably experienced individuals for management positions in that department. They set up a mentoring programme to retain and grow individuals in to management roles. This programme has subsequently been rolled out to other areas of the organisation. Mentoring and coaching are key aspects in an organisation's talent management strategy.

During times of organisational change

Another large organisation made coaching and mentoring available to key personnel in a time of significant change to supply the level of personal and professional support that was required to manage both themselves and those around them through this critical phase of the organisation's development.

Changes in job role

One public sector organisation uses mentoring to support new managers in the first 6 months of their new role . Mentoring is increasingly being incorporated in to management induction training processes and the benefits of regular mentoring are embedded from day one.

When the organisation expects that behaviour can be changed in a short period of time

Mentoring and coaching accelerate professional development and learning so are especially useful when organisations need individuals to make significant shifts in culture, values or modes of working.

Developing the skills of ‘valuable' technical experts

One large organisation has designed a year long induction process for new graduates who are moving in to key technical roles. This involves 5 job rotations around different parts of the business and mentoring from the corresponding managers associated with that business unit. The managers receive mentor training plus professional mentoring themselves to develop their own mentoring skills.

When there is a need for leadership development

One organisation put all of its managers through a series of leadership development modules and when they discovered that individuals were not putting the new skills in to practice, set up leadership mentoring groups to support the transfer of training to the workplace. Many leadership programmes have incorporated regular mentoring for all participants and have also set up peer learning groups that often exist well after the programme has finished.

When jobs require people to use them selves as the instrument of the work

Police, teachers, nurses and managers are good examples of jobs that rely on personal skills and attributes to fulfil the role. These occupations are well advised to provide professional mentoring sessions to individuals on a monthly basis to promote ethical practice, quality standards and to ensure people are sustained in the role. The recent changes in the Occupational Health and Safety Act identifying stress as a workplace hazard have led employers to relook at the use of mentoring and coaching as a stress management intervention.