To commemorate International Women’s Day (March 8, 2018), we asked colleagues from throughout C&W Services to weigh in on issues ranging from the importance of mentors, to succeeding in a traditionally male-dominated business, to their hopes for greater workplace equality in the future. In today’s post, we focus on mentoring; posts later this week will cover other topics.
Mentorship, whether formal or informal, is critical to professional development for both the mentee, and the mentor. A study of mentors and mentees at Sun Microsystems showed that 25% of mentees and 28% of mentors saw positive change in their salary grades after participating in mentoring programs, compared to 5% of non-participants. Retention rates among the mentor/mentee groups were 20% greater than the non-participant group.1
But while 71% of Fortune 500 companies report having mentoring programs2, not everyone has access to a formal program. And when it comes to industries with dispersed workforces like C&W Services, where many of our employees are on-site with clients, formally connecting mentors and mentees can be a challenge.
Several members of our team who found informal mentors early in their careers shared their stories about mentors who made a difference, and offer advice on how to find the right mentor for your career.
Thank you to the men and women who contributed to our International Women’s Day series, which continues on March 8 and 9.
Read Part 2 on women succeeding in the traditionally male-dominated field of facilities.
Read Part 3 on the opportunity for women in the facilities field.
If you’d like to comment or add your thoughts, please visit our LinkedIn page and keep the conversation going.
