Mentoring is the Vehicle of Choice
Our client, Motability Operations, is a charity that runs the biggest car fleet in the UK. Motability wanted to recruit a small number of graduates - 6 in total. This was their first attempt at attracting graduates to their organisation and they knew that they were competing with big names and even bigger budgets.
Our idea was to introduce a Mentoring Programme for their new graduate intake. This would serve many purposes: supporting graduates to be effective in their role as quickly as possible and signalling that the graduate Programme was sponsored at a top level within the organisation. Working with Motability, our first step was to define the objectives and desired benefits for both the business and graduates. Amongst the many benefits, distinguishing Motability Operations as an employer of choice, in an extremely competitive graduate marketplace, was crucial.
Once expectations were clear, we worked to get senior management backing. Mike Betts, CEO, agreed to be our champion, increasing the credibility and reputation of the programme within the organisation. The Board of Directors agreed to participate as mentors, which clearly signalled top level commitment to the Graduate Mentoring Programme.
It was also important that all participants were prepared for their role so we designed workshops for mentors and mentees; line managers were briefed regarding their participation. Tailored training at the outset was important. It provided opportunities for peer interaction, sharing of experiences and a means of managing expectations among the mentor and mentee groups. It also ensured that clear boundaries were set around the mentoring relationship including practical issues such as time allocation, programme length, roles and responsibilities. Agreement about the relationship, confidentiality, methods of communication and feedback was also covered.
At the mentee/graduate workshop we worked closely to support the new recruits to develop career, experience and skill goals. Some of the goals included building credible reputations, developing a comprehensive network and building self-confidence. Incorporating a clear goal achievement process provided an effective way of maintaining motivation and measuring outcomes.