Q&A with ABB UK

In our latest Q&A with the team from ABB UK, we explore what makes ABB a Top Employer, its biggest people challenges, key HR initiatives, and what’s next.

Tell us about your organisation

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and more than 105,000 employees worldwide.

Part of the ABB Group, ABB in the UK is headquartered in Warrington, Cheshire and employs 1750 people operating from 22 locations nationwide. We supply around £0.5bn of innovative solutions, products and services annually in the UK to clients in a wide range of market sectors.

What makes ABB UK a Top Employer?

ABB is dedicated to investing in its people with a global people strategy that focuses on three key components of ‘Empower’: our “high performance – high integrity” culture is grounded in empowerment and engagement, ‘Grow’: we innovate in a changing world to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow, taking responsibility to learn, connect and grow, and ‘Impact’: we impact a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive workplace and society.

ABB is a company that continually strives to improve for its people and its customers, challenging the status quo and exploring new ways to innovate. We are proud of the various people innovations and best practices launched at ABB such as our global DEI strategy, open job market, and our upcoming global transformation project, which will bring numerous efficiencies to our HR team, our managers, and our employees around the world.

What is the biggest people challenge your business currently faces? And what are you doing to meet this challenge?

ABB is no different to many other engineering organisations when it comes to increasing the number of females in engineering as well as skill gaps. As part of our overall People Strategy we are striving to become a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

In ABB UK we are proud to be partnering with educational establishments, including, primary schools, secondary schools and universities to inspire the talent of the future. These partnerships enable our employees to speak passionately about the opportunities available in the world of engineering, something which is available to all, either joining the organisation straight from school or as an apprentice or a graduate.

Tell us about a recent HR initiative you have instigated within your organisation that you are most proud of?

The UK HR team is set to launch a volunteering policy as part of our overall corporate social responsibility strategy. ABB already partner closely with Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides different opportunities to volunteer and raise both awareness. Our new volunteering policy will enable the business to expand on this and apply formal recognition and structure to our employees for their volunteering passions. The HR Team recently partnered with a local disability charity close to our UK Head Office. A team of six volunteers supported a local initiative ran by the charity aimed to positively impact young people with disabilities and their families over the festive period. We look forward to continuing this partnership and future partnerships and beyond.

How is AI affecting your business? Is it helping or challenging you in terms of your people practices?

ABB has already started using Generative AI, to the advantage of customers as well as internal applications. For example: Intuitive user interaction with ABB Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite. AI@ABB’s aim is to accelerate the development, deployment and use of AI – both analytical and generative – across ABB divisions and functions to drive innovation for our customers, enhance internal efficiency and further strengthen our technology market leadership.

Which wellbeing offerings in your business are proving the most popular with employees?

ABB are proud to have an established wellbeing offering globally and locally. Influenced by our Wellbeing Board within the UK we offer a range of support mechanisms from our qualified wellbeing first aiders, local awareness campaigns and initiatives, and our Employee Assistance Programme providers are also on hand 24/7. Offering our employees a multidisciplinary approach enables individuals to select the best approach for them. Sine the impact of COVID, we have focused our initiatives on bringing people together to build connections and create networking opportunities without our various locations.

What’s next? Tell us about a new initiative for 2025 that you’re most excited about?

ABB is embarking on the implementation of a new people management platform, which will provide employees and line managers with access to data and processes at the touch of their fingertips. The new platform will create a more engaging workforce, which in turn will amplify many organisational efficiencies.

Moving beyond traditional talent acquisition and retention strategies

By Dr. Martin Hofmann, Executive Vice President of Human Resource, Orga & ITP of Volkswagen and David Plink CEO of Top Employers Institute

Executive summary

In this dramatic time of change, Top Employers must move beyond traditional talent acquisition and retention strategies to focus on economic value-based talent management. Regular organisational reviews as a way of adaption to business challenges, market impact and new technologies are forcing Top Employers across industries to rethink their human resource strategy and practices. Suddenly, there is an implicit challenge and criticism from employees to their employer, as cost efficiency, stricter performance orientation, a permanent exchange of competencies and, as a result, the steady renewal of organisational structures calls for new methods, tools, and processes. Managing the selection and separation of talents is becoming key for employers. Driving performance in the company to develop a high talent density organisation, applying new technologies with artificial intelligence to abolish inefficiency in processes and tools are core success indicators to keep the company a top performer and Top Employer in their industry. In this time, where major transformation has arrived in all industries, it is of utmost importance to every company to take care of the impacted talents in a professional manner. This needs new ways to define Top Employer excellence and correct the narrative that Top Employers are immune to professional separation management to maintain a dynamic, successful, and adaptable workforce.

Introduction

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, often called the “new normality,” driven by technological advances, globalisation, and evolving economic dynamics, the demand for skilled workers has skyrocketed, resulting in a growing talent shortage.  A Korn Ferry study from 2021 predicts that skills gaps could result in more than 85 million unfilled jobs worldwide. Meanwhile, according to a 2022 Glassdoor report, 75% of job seekers consider a company’s reputation before applying. Being seen as a Top Employer has had a significant impact on talents and within the relevant industrial community.

The Top Employers Certification is the way to prove that the conditions for employees to develop themselves are at an adequate, often best practice level. A key attribute was to be attractive to potential recruits in talent acquisition and during their life cycle on board. However, this is has changed significantly, in the last few years after the COVID crisis.. As the economic landscape evolves, the influence of new technologies has arrived in all industries. Moreover, geopolitical impact and the disruption of value chains due to a global separation of spheres push companies worldwide into a mode where new efficiency requirements impact human resource management. High talent density approaches to strengthen employee performance and quickly adjusting organisational structures to new market needs are now essential.

In these tumultuous times, company success through a more efficient and leaner workforce is at the forefront of employers’ agendas. This leads to debate and confusion. On one side, the question is whether the investment companies have made in becoming a Top Employer over the past decade can be retained to win more and more specialised talents with rare skills. On the other side, the question is how to drive workforce reduction and create professional separation management. This contrast of investing in talents on one side and separating from talents on the other side is part of the same coin. However, the compounded technological shift in labour markets and industries now poses significant challenges for employers to innovate and remain competitive in a globalised economy. The key question is: what is the definition of a Top Employer in today’s environment?

Key human resource professionals from a variety of industries were interviewed to answer this question and share the practices of market leaders. These interviews provide valuable insights into the strategies used by leading organisations and help to reflect on what is needed for an up-to-date Top Employer definition. Additional case studies and practical insights were analysed to prove and support some key findings. Using thematic analysis, it was possible to synthesise key trends and strategies, especially those of Top Employers who can maintain their position in these ambivalent times. Three key areas are shaping an impactful part of an updated narrative when it comes to a Top Employer definition: first, core economic value and talent management; second, a consequent review of organisational and individual performance; and third, professional separation management.

Core economic value and talent management

Talent management has emerged as a cornerstone of success. Insights from Smith in 2020 suggest that companies excelling in this area enjoy a boost in employee engagement, productivity, and overall performance. This is not just about human resources; “Talent management is a strategic imperative that drives organisational success.” It is about recognising that the right people, effectively developed and engaged, can be the difference between a company that thrives and one that merely survives.

Under these circumstances, strategic workforce planning becomes a helpful solution. In practice, strategic workforce planning along certain competencies mostly gives good insight into what is coming and needed in the next two to three years. However, in long-term planning, it often remains a theoretical and analytical exercise. This needs to be converted into organisational renewal and consequent management of measures related to workforce capability and size.

Strategic workforce planning requires organisations to consider both economic trends and business developments in a rational, forward-looking manner. By aligning workforce planning with business value, organisations can minimise workforce size while ensuring that the right skills are in place to drive growth and profitability. This rational approach, combined with cascading action plans into the last business unit and clear economic indicators for each planning cycle, helps to optimise the workforce. This ensures it is right-sized and strategically positioned to meet current and future business needs, supporting better financial performance.

The research above links talent management to improved financial performance, while Collings & Mellahi’s research in 2009 found that it enhances a company’s economic value by optimising its workforce. Brown, in 2019, echoes this, noting that such practices lead to higher employee satisfaction and retention. Moreover, Jones, in 2019, observes that effective talent management is key to an organisation’s agility and resilience, allowing it to bend but not break in the face of challenges. The research paints a clear picture: organisations that prioritise action-based talent management see the benefits in their cost structure and business value creation. But this is not just theory; real-world examples show the impact of these strategies. It is a testament to the idea that considering economic value in talent management is more than a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for organisations aiming to stay actively ahead.

Looking into the practice of human resources management teams in  China within leading companies, it is demonstrated that management teams who manage their workforce with the principle of “right sizing to expected forward-looking volume” have faced severe challenges from both internal and external perspectives. Like many other top global companies, they have realised their overcapacity problem in the Chinese market in the recent past. They must take proactive measures to manage workforce structure under a new paradigm. Creating workforce flexibility while ensuring a stable supply of new competencies and having human resource strategies in place to adapt more quickly to shifting volume and competence demands is essential.

While the workforce must be planned forward-looking and more strictly according to product volume and competence demand, efficiency KPIs often do not allow contingency planning anymore. Active apprentice strategies, an ideal workforce structure of experienced senior and junior profiles, and innovative cells of internal talents and external experts need to be included in the planning to increase flexibility and adaptability during transformation times. As a result, Top Employers need concrete plans to size, up-skill, and re-skill their workforce, including necessary rotation if the structural aspect or competence level does not serve the business appropriately.

Consequent review of organisational and individual performance

An organisational review is not new to the Top Employer definition, as it linked strategic goals to the organisation for decades. However, the dynamic of how organisations structure their workforce and way of working is becoming a core criterion for success. Reviewing the current workforce structure helps identify skill gaps, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement. The overall organisation of work, processes, and decision-making structure amplifies success when reviewing Top Employer impact in different industries. Especially in disruptive industries, modern workforce and process structures are key differentiators of success in speed and efficiency.

Regular reviews and benchmarks help Top Employers make informed decisions about staffing, restructuring, and training. Make sure the workforce is adaptable to future needs. While this may be uncomfortable for units wishing for stability, it fosters operational efficiency and long-term growth. As Brown & Jones highlighted in 2019, regular assessments help identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement, leading to better performance. These reviews allow companies to assess their structures and operations, ensuring they are on track to meet both short- and long-term goals. Williams, in 2021, adds that companies that conduct these reviews are better equipped to identify new opportunities and mitigate risks, positioning themselves for success.

Companies should use a systematic, data-driven approach to conduct effective organisational reviews, including evaluating structure, employee performance and gathering stakeholder feedback. Researchers emphasise the importance of identifying bottlenecks, redundant processes, and skill gaps that slow performance. Continuous reviews, rather than one-time events, ensure organisations can fit market changes, improve efficiency, and refine strategies.

In practice, the final value of organisational renewal and restructuring always comes with reviewing and matching individual performance. Since organisations are composed of units, teams, and individuals, the questions come down to the core: who is the right person for the challenges ahead? Each function needs to be analysed for occupation or deletion. If there is a need to occupy the function, the question is, who can do it? In terms of competencies, skills, and performance, human resource strategies need to answer these questions during restructuring. Therefore, periodic personnel changes are essential to maintain competitive strength. A basis for this is not only excellent training and skill management but also a performance-driven culture, including a clear approach to differentiate talents. This includes the creation of talent relativity to award top performers and address low performers with the same distinction and clarity. Leaders and managers are crucial in this process but are often the weakest part of this value chain. It is essential for a high-performing organisation to address the right level of expectation and provide honest feedback to those who do not meet the set level. Human resources strategies need to support and select the performance and internal employability level in a revolving process.

Especially in challenging market situations, internal and external employability is key for talent development, which is not limited to the current position. Future companies that want to be Top Employers need to consider and address this openly and frankly, not just rest on good, solid, or acceptable performance in their current function. Taking transformation seriously and believing in the strategic role of personnel changes, most employees will likely be affected by new assignments, pivoting functions, or efficiency measures. As the organisation’s long-term health lies in its ability to renew and change, human resource strategies in this field are crucial to support high talent density in all aspects. Experience shows that managing resistance to change, especially during job cuts, is a critical success factor. The agility to change processes, tools, and methods is a differentiating factor for future Top Employers when assessing forward-looking, successful HR practices.

Professional separation management

One of the most common feedbacks during job cuts at Top Employers is the phrase: “Top Employers don’t lay off people.” However, the time to leave an organisation, voluntarily or involuntarily, is part of the employee journey. This process is necessary for Top Employers to maintain competitiveness, as it allows for the continuous renewal of the organisation with new influences, skills, traits, and competencies. This does not contradict talent retention strategies; rather, it complements them. Both parts underpin the need for companies to orchestrate healthy competition among talents based on transparent organisational and individual performance criteria and honest feedback.

When it is time to leave the organisation, effective separation management is critical to minimise the impact of employee departures on organisational performance and maintain a positive workplace culture. As Williams in 2021 points out, having professional separation strategies in place can significantly enhance an employer’s brand and reduce turnover rates.⁸ When managed well, separations can lead to higher employee satisfaction and morale, which in turn supports organisational stability. For example, one multinational company that implemented a comprehensive separation management programme saw a 10% reduction in turnover and an improvement in its employer brand. This example may be the best endorsement of this point of view. In addition, Smith in 2020 suggests that companies that implement professional separation strategies often report improved employer branding, which can attract top talent and create a more resilient workforce.

To achieve these benefits, organisations should establish clear, well-structured separation management systems, including well-defined policies and procedures to ensure fairness and consistency. Offering support to departing employees, such as career counselling or job placement assistance, can help make a positive impression and maintain strong relationships after they leave. In examining best practices, data from the Top Employers Institute shows a slight decline in the consistent use of formal offboarding programmes—from 85% to 79%. While most Top Employers maintain structured exit processes, this decline signals a potential concern. However, the increase in recognition of departing employees, from 50% to 54%, reflects a growing appreciation for their contributions. Similarly, the increase in post-departure conversations, from 18% to 21%, and alumni networks, from 16% to 18%, suggest an increased focus on maintaining positive relationships with former employees. These efforts can lead to a stronger alumni network, potentially aiding in rehiring and promoting the organisation’s brand.

While there is still significant room for improvement in this field across all industries, the trends observed in these practices point to a shift toward better recognition of departing employees and a greater emphasis on post-departure relationship management. Companies that excel in these areas are likely to experience not only reduced turnover but also improved employer branding and a more resilient workforce. The rise of more fluid employment relationships and the decline of lifetime employment are driving a shift toward long-term talent relationship management. Employers are increasingly focused on nurturing these relationships after employees leave, providing opportunities for future rehiring. Alumni networks and referral programmes allow organisations to stay connected with former employees, attract them back, or leverage their networks to identify new talents. This evolving approach reflects a dynamic and interactive talent ecosystem that extends beyond an employee’s tenure and contributes to long-term organisational success.

Based on other best practices, the approach to managing separations demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering positive relationships with departing employees while maintaining the integrity of the organisation. For managing separations, processes are needed to accompany this phase, starting with defining the ways to identify positions or functions that need to be abolished and defining selection mechanisms on the people side. Along with this first approach of a professional separation identification mechanism, it is important to integrate strategies for different incumbents in affected functions and positions. Best practices include programmes to facilitate departure for employees close to retirement age, programmes for re- and up-skilling, as well as measures of downgrading, ordered position transfer, secondments, and other assignments within the internal and external labour market. A significant trend among Top Employers is to invest in strategies to bridge this period and invest in this part of the talent lifecycle. It becomes clear that in challenging times, the last part of the departure process is as important as the talent acquisition part. However, not enough strategies are observable in the market.

A benchmark is a professional, clear, and structured process for separations, where the company ensures that both the management team and employees are well prepared for the transition and the ultimate decision of no longer working together. This is especially crucial in companies that have never experienced or applied a professional separation process. A key best practice was the on-site transfer hub, which allowed employees to cool off and maintain a connection with the company, creating a smoother exit process. In addition, the company’s focus on offering a variety of support options, such as on-site career consultations for employees, highlighted their care for departing employees, enhanced their employer brand, and fostered a resilient workforce. Furthermore, the company’s recognition of the importance of long-term professional relationships with former employees through alumni networks and referral programmes exemplifies a forward-thinking approach that not only aids in talent reacquisition but also strengthens the company’s reputation as an employer of choice.

Conclusion

Human resource management is no longer just about filling roles or managing processes. Companies must adopt strategic workforce planning, regular performance reviews, and effective separation management to navigate these challenges. These practices ensure that organisations remain competitive, driving growth and profitability. By focusing on core economic value and talent management, consequent review of organisational and individual performance, and professional separation management, companies can maintain their status as Top Employers and thrive in the “new normality.”

The Lasting Impact of Burnout



UK organisations may be adjusting to a post-pandemic world, says Marlene Mey from Top Employers Institute, but for their employees, the battle against burnout is far from over.

Mental Health Awareness Week has transformed our understanding around mental health issues, particularly over the last few years. The Covid-19 pandemic is (hopefully) behind us, but in its wake it has left a trail of challenges that we continue to battle against. Amongst those, burnout remains one of the biggest.

Research from Ceridian at the end of last year showed us that burnout remains a big problem. More than three-quarters (79%) of UK workers had experienced burnout, it revealed, with 35% reporting high or extreme levels. And although employers have been making rapid adjustments towards a new normality of hybrid working arrangements in the first half of 2022, many of their employees are not feeling remotely “normal” about their new working lives.

Burnout: Quick to arrive, Slow to heal

In the UK, the first wave of COVID-19 had an immediate impact on mental health, with psychological distress at work increasing to 28% in April 2020, from 18% in 2019, according to the Institute of Labour Economics. While the impact of the pandemic was instantaneous for mental health, the scarring it caused is unlikely to recede any time soon.

In addition, with new hybrid working arrangements emerging, employers are treading a narrow tightrope. Some risk coercing reluctant employees back into office-based working patterns that no longer fit with their lives. Other businesses have opted for a largely remote workforce, with employees left at home – and very much alone. According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in four of us feel lonely some or all of the time. For the great majority of us, social connection and belonging are central to our well-being. In its absence, burnout can quickly take root.

Three Steps Forward

All of this comes at a time of disconnect between many employers and their employees. Too many of the former know they need to adapt to survive but take little account of the psychological readiness of their employees for further change. And some employees already feel burnt out, with a lack of recognition for discretionary effort put in through the pandemic. So, what can be done to tackle the lasting impact of burnout.

1. Formalise and enshrine processes. Our observation is that many businesses are either lacking the necessary formality in their mental health processes, or simply letting them wither as the post-pandemic world emerges. This is a big mistake – the pandemic could be over, but the pain for many is not. The answer has to lie in long-term formalised mental health programmes. Only then will employees have the confidence that they are being looked after properly, whatever their working arrangements. For example, UK Top Employer, Ageas UK, has employee wellbeing programmes with a strong formalised structure, including initiatives such as an online wellbeing community, an employee assistance programme, and access to Mental Health First Aiders and training sessions for managers, delivered by the mental health charity Mind.
2. Create a sense of psychological safety. Organisations also need to create a “psychologically safe” working environment, in which employees feel able to talk about mental health, without fear of judgement or a negative impact on their career. For example, Top Employer Equiniti (EQ), the UK’s leading share registrar has a strong Mental Health network in place with 200 members. This raises awareness of mental health and feeds back to the business on colleague experiences. To have spaces in this way brings multiple benefits; including helping to avoid burnout in the first place, to recognise the issue and give support wherever possible.
3. Give practical burnout support immediately. When the worst does happen, data from Certified Top Employer organisations here in the UK provides us with some hope around what is possible. Nearly two thirds of UK Top Employers (63%) provide burnout recovery support, up from less than half (49%) a year earlier. And almost three in five (58%) guarantee time to “unplug” and/or take stress-relief breaks (up from 44%). Knowing practical support is available is essential. The best businesses understand that burnout support is an ongoing commitment to employees, not a one-off reaction to exceptional circumstances.

Without action, the impact of burnout could get much worse before it gets better. So now that the pandemic is (hopefully) behind us, it is vital for businesses to understand that tackling mental health, and burnout in particular, must remain a formalised commitment that can be shared and discussed safely, and where support and practical help is always on hand when it is most needed.

Why Developing an Effective (Remote) Offboarding Process is Important



Remotely onboarding and offboarding employees are becoming the norm across organisations globally. These practices are revealing new challenges and opportunities in these new and established practices. While we explored some of these opportunities in our past article about onboarding, this article is focused on current practices around remote offboarding. The article will explore how people practices around offboarding are being adapted to meet the virtual digital landscape many employees are currently navigating.

What is Offboarding and Why is it Important?

Offboarding, which is the process when an employee parts ways with the organisation they have worked for, is often overlooked as much of the focus usually falls on onboarding processes. But offboarding should not be forgotten.

Offboarding is likely neglected because many often see offboarding as a necessary process for returning company equipment and deactivating company access to various systems. They forget the way the process of offboarding affects the transferring of responsibilities and knowledge, feedback from employees and the last impression they have of the company.

Let’s take a moment to look at some of the reasons why having a good offboarding process is important and should be on the HR agenda

• Past employees can become future employees – The reason that employees leave companies is not always because they do not enjoy working at the company. There is a multitude of reasons why employees leave. They might leave for personal family reasons, because they are relocating, or because they feel that they may be challenged more at another organisation. In the future, it could become advantageous for both parties to work together. When employees leave on a sour note this possibility is diminished.

• Past employees impact a company’s employer brand – The impressions of an organisation that an employee leaves with are built over the length of their employee journey. And the final days of their employment can cement their feelings about the organisation. While they may not work for the organisation anymore, if asked, they will likely report positive feelings. And as employer branding moves higher on the agenda, this good feeling can funnel into social posts and other word of mouth stories that help the business attract new employees.

• Past employees can aid in assisting new employees – One of the more pertinent reasons for properly offboarding staff is the need for a smooth handover process between them and the new employee. When there is a well organised and empathetic offboarding process former employees are more likely to be willing to smooth the transition of knowledge and expertise to the next person.

How Offboarding has Gone Remote

While the larger shift to remote offboarding, like remote onboarding, was increased due to the global pandemic and with many jobs continuing to operate remotely it is sure to be a practice that not only stays but innovates to better suit the needs of the organisation and its workforce.

To create seamless and effective remote offboarding processes HR departments need to work closely with their Digital and IT departments to find the right digital process that helps to create an empathetic work environment that leaves employees feeling empowered and included in making their steps out of the organisation. The support of digital systems can lead to the creation of a well-thought-out dashboard or portal that can make the transitionary process seamless.

The portal could include a guide to how employees can return their equipment to the employer, best practices for virtually handing off responsibilities and other tasks that aid the offboarding process. The HR department leads in the knowledge and experience around what is needed in the process and the IT department aid in making this process a digital reality. Working together to tackle the challenges of offboarding remotely is eased when these two departments work together.

One of the best ways to make the offboarding process an easier procedure is to have it operate in an environment that is already adaptable and empathetic to its workforce. While how a business can do this work cannot be covered, even briefly in this article, we have many other articles on our insights page that can lead you in understanding how that environment.

Companies and leaders that are more kneen to listen to employee insights and are open to it empathetically will be able to make sure that as their former employees leave on happier notes.

Concluding Thoughts on Offboarding

The need to have a successful offboarding process is supported by HR and IT departments. As remote work becomes the standard, or at least an option, in many organisations creating processes that support these workers is integral.

Are you curious of Offboarding best practise? By joining Top Employers Insitute programme you will have access to an immense library of best practise that will help your company grow. 

Get in touch today for free to become an employer of choice!

Measuring the impact of mentoring during workplace disruption

Each year, more than 1 600 Top Employers across 119 countries/regions complete the extensive Top Employers Institute HR Best Practices Survey, which provides a wealth of information for our data analysts to collate for benchmarking trends in HR year on year. One of the trends we are seeing is that Top Employers are increasingly taking a more formalised approach to mentoring. 

Formal mentoring programmes allow organisations to create and nurture relationships by matching experienced managers with promising talents to meet specific individual development objectives.

Pairing employees with a mentor who is skilled in and capable of guiding employees creates a safe place for employees to learn, which in the current times of COVID-19 is ever more necessary.

But how do you create a safe environment for mentoring if the success of mentoring is based on the “human” connection between the mentor and the mentee? Mentoring must feel personal, relatable and connected. Pairing an employee with the right mentor is the most challenging aspect of mentoring, and the one.

So, if you are offering a mentoring programme, is it still appropriate or even possible during this pandemic? Although the virus has made it impossible for many organisations to continue face-to-face mentoring in the foreseeable future, it does not mean you cannot begin or maintain an online mentoring relationship. A mentoring programme can remain relevant and assist in keeping your employees connected, as well as be a means to show that the organisation cares for its people. 

Mentoring and talent development

Mentoring should be included as part of the broader talent development strategy. It needs to be tailored to the specific needs and objectives of your organisation. But it should not forget to consider the individual employee and where there are in their personal and professional journey.

It could be that the current situation changes the focus of mentoring for your organisation. Without the Covid-19 situation, mentoring would likely focus in most on career development, but now other functions might come into place which might relate more to emotional and well-being support.  

Therefore, it is a relevant for HR when evaluating and measuring their mentoring programme, to consider if the programme still fits in the context of the business needs. Relevant questions to ask yourself are “why does this initiative exist?” and “does this initiative still support our needs?”.

The importance of the right metrics 

Many organisations think they are measuring and tracking what is needed to determine the success of their mentoring programmes. However, this often is not the case. Most organisations focus their measurements on  traditional metrics, which are related to tracking of the programme and can include:

• The number of employees participating in your programme, either as mentor or mentee.
• The participation rate in the different initiatives: how many mentoring takes place in person, in groups or virtual for example.
• When and how often do mentor’s and mentee’s meet?
• What is the satisfaction rate of both mentor and mentee?

Although those metrics are important, they do not fully assess the effectiveness of a mentor programme, because they lack metrics related to determining the quality of the outcomes, such as:

• What percentage of employees in the programme is from diverse groups?
• What is the effect of mentoring on promotion rates?
• Do employees in the mentoring programme have access to more opportunities within the organisation?
• Does mentoring have an impact on employee engagement results (e.g. job satisfaction or employee wellbeing)?

Having a strong measurement strategy can be used to increase the success of mentoring initiatives, especially, if you can benchmark them before, during and after disruptive situations like the pandemic. utcomes.

Metrics can – and should – be gathered from a variety of sources (including employee pulse surveys, mood-barometers, interviews, and focus groups) and this will help provide a more accurate indication as to whether a programme has met success, or may require adjustments.

Mentoring via online meetings can still have an equivalent outcome to in-person mentoring, but your mentor and mentee may need some support in using technology to facilicate a meaningful conversation, which could include  guidelines to create a new rhythm and find the best medium for meeting online.

We see examples with our Top Employers that continue mentoring by using online video tools, such as Skype or Microsoft Teams. Other Top Employers extended their mentoring to all employees by offering near-peer mentoring through social media platforms.

If you adjust your mentoring programmes or add additional initiatives to support your employees within the current pandemic situation, it remains relevant to measure the effects of those additional activities. As we are still adapting in the world of work to the virtual environment, it is important to understand what works and what does not work within our organisation when it comes to mentoring.