EY mentors are making an impact
In 2020, over 12,290 EY volunteers across the Americas positively impacted more than 8.2 million lives! And we’ve found that skills-based volunteering programs have great organizational benefits as well — like a more engaged workforce, improved career development, longer tenure and higher performance ratings.
Launching a community mentoring program within your organization
Corporate mentoring programs help strengthen communities and also create shared value for all businesses by developing the future workforce. If your organization is thinking of starting or expanding a community mentoring program, here are some things to consider:
1. Understand the tone at the top:
Dig deep with leadership to understand the focus of your commitment. In our organization, one of our important Corporate Responsibility (CR) focus areas is supporting access to higher education for underserved youth and developing future generations of talent.
2. Know your organization’s sweet spot:
Create a strategy that aligns with the program’s vision and intersects with your organization’s business competencies and societal needs. Our organization focuses on skills-based volunteering to provide the maximum impact, with a focus on mentorship. We also make sure many opportunities can be done from anywhere at any time, so our people can fit their commitment into their busy lives.
3. Be ready for constant change:
A good CR program is agile and can shift based on the results and evolving business and societal needs. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we pivoted to an entirely virtual mentoring model. We’ve also made other changes, like upskilling volunteer mentors with future-focused leadership training.
4. Communicate:
Make sure your people and external stakeholders know what you’re trying to achieve and how you’ll get there. Keep the dialogue transparent and be open to feedback along the way.
5. Measure, measure, measure:
Metrics around both short- and long-term goals will help you make better decisions and get others on board with your efforts.
Your organization can help solve some of our society’s toughest challenges by leveraging what you already do best, and by engaging your people to do more. And you’ll be surprised how quickly your people become inspired. By getting involved in private sector mentoring, you’re not just changing the lives of underserved students, you’re creating long-term value for us all.