Find a mentor
Our mentoring programme supports talented individuals to develop fresh perspectives and gain insight from an experienced professional working in another sector.
As a WIG mentee, you’ll benefit from the guidance, challenge and support of a senior professional, working together on a one-to-one basis to collaborate and grow. We work with our diverse membership of central government departments, arms-length bodies, top FTSE companies and not-for-profit organisations to find the right mentor to suit your development needs.
Having a mentor is proven to improve career progression. Mentees are five times more likely to be promoted than colleagues without a mentor. Source - Forbes
Benefits of having a mentor
Are you looking to develop your leadership skills? Do you want to broaden your perspective and gain insight from other sectors? Would you benefit from the support and challenge of a talented peer?
If so, we can support you to find the perfect mentor.
A mentor is an experienced professional who can work with you on a regular, confidential basis to share their knowledge and support your professional development. A mentor can offer:
- Insight, knowledge and experience from another sector or industry
- A fresh perspective on professional challenges
- Constructive criticism and feedback on career goals and direction
- A critical friend and trusted sounding board to test decision-making
A mentoring relationship can encourage you to develop your skills and experience, challenge you to move outside your comfort zone and help you to identify areas for career progression.
If you'd like to start your mentoring journey, please get in touch with our talent team to find out more about mentoring and express your interest.
Find out more
"What surprised me through my mentoring partnership was that the problems you think are unique to you are in fact suffered by many people in other sectors – this really reinforces the value of sharing experiences. "
David Ball
Head of Product Management at Ordnance Survey
Top tips! We've developed some guidance to help you make the most of your mentoring relationship.
How does the mentoring process work?
Our talent team supports mentors and mentees through a year-long relationship to ensure productive and supportive relationships.
The process involves:
- Objectives – our mentoring coordinator supports each mentee to understand the development goals they want to meet through mentoring.
- Matching – we’ll match each mentee with up to three potential mentors from our extensive membership and help them find the right mentor for their needs.
- Goal setting – at their first meeting, the mentor and mentee will agree and record specific, practical goals for their relationship.
- Regular meetings – through regular monthly meetings, the mentor and mentee will work towards achieving a personally tailored action plan.
- Three-month review – our mentoring coordinator will check in with the mentor and mentee assess the effectiveness of the relationship and provide any support needed.
- Final review and evaluation –we’ll check in with the mentor and mentee individually to evaluate their experience of the mentoring programme.
Each mentoring relationship lasts up to one year with a time commitment of up to two hours per month.
If you're interested in finding a mentor, please get in touch with our talent team.
Get in touch
