“It’s an inspiring and rewarding programme”

Emily Whitnall, programme partner at Compass Group, found her work for Moving Ahead’s cross-company mentoring programme, Mission Gender Equity, inspiring and emotional.

The Mission Gender Equity mentoring programme had such a positive impact on our participants that we’re doing it all over again. And I’m extremely proud to hear some of the women talk about the difference it has made to their confidence and careers. I’ve a bank of anecdotes from mentors and mentees on how valuable they found the programme. They feel like we’ve invested in them, and in turn are more engaged. They’re going for more opportunities – and they’re getting results. It’s made them realise what is possible and how they can tap into their potential.

We’ve had many success stories from this cross-company programme, designed and delivered by Moving Ahead. Some mentees have since been promoted. For others, it’s made them reflect and think about their ambitions and has helped raise their profiles which has opened doors to new opportunities, as well as boosting their confidence. One colleague in particular has visibly grown in herself and is radiating confidence.

Progress and changing culture

Moving Ahead’s programme matches mentees and mentors cross-company, which gives people different insights and brings in fresh thinking. It gives people the chance to form a more open and honest mentoring relationship, which helps them get the most out of it.

Moving Ahead trains mentors in skills such as active listening so they can support and guide the mentees. The mentors then become an independent sounding board, helping mentees overcome challenges. The programme also provides group events and learning sessions with brilliant speakers on topics such as confidence.

And importantly, I’ve also noticed another shift: being a part of this programme has raised awareness amongst our male colleagues about the challenges women face in the workplace.

At Compass, this is not just a ‘tick box’ exercise for us; we’re investing in our female colleagues in a number of ways; as members of the 30% Club, we participate in Mission Gender Equity because not only does it fit with our overall DE&I strategy, but we care about our colleagues and it’s the right thing to do. We’re passionate about creating a culture in which all our people, whatever their background and experiences, can perform to their full potential.

Community matters

Last year, 20 of our colleagues took part as mentors or mentees, who were matched with partners from other companies and sectors. As the programme partner for Compass Group, my role is to support our cohort throughout their mentoring journey. This year, we ran an application process across the global central function and UK&I business. As we continue this partnership, I think there is huge potential to extend the programme to more of our colleagues.

We wanted to create a sense of community within this cohort of Compass colleagues which we’re doing in various ways. We’ve built an internal network of Mission Gender Equity alumni, set up a Compass Cohort WhatsApp group, published a booklet of mentor and mentees’ profiles and facilitated and organised multiple internal events to complement the programme. We have also engaged our own female leaders who inspire, motivate and act as role models to the cohort, and have become allies of this community.

At our internal launch event at our global head office, four previous participants shared their experience, which was incredibly inspiring for this year’s cohort. And it was quite emotional to hear how these women had grown personally as well as professionally.

All this has been enabled by Moving Ahead’s core programme, expert support, and thoughtful approach. They're constantly tailoring the programme to make it more suitable for everyone involved. They're also continually asking for feedback – and respond incredibly quickly. This has all helped me perform better in my role too.

Empowering future success

Overall, this programme fits well within our wider people strategy – creating opportunities for all. We need diverse voices and thinking throughout our company – and we need all of our people to feel welcome, included, and valued by everyone.

I’d certainly recommend Mission Gender Equity to other organisations as part of investing and growing their female talent. It’s an inspiring and rewarding programme which will not only empower them but will equip them with the tools to navigate their career, helping to set them up for future success.

For more information click here or contact Maria.May@moving-ahead.org