rewards of mentoring – an overview of cacc’s mentoring program

Rewards of Mentoring – An Overview of CACC’s Mentoring ProgramRobin BernsteinCharlotte Area Compensation Council

2009 Total Rewards Conference & Exhibition

CACC – Who are we? The Charlotte Area Compensation Council was

formed in 1992 We have approximately 160 members We have 10 elected officers and a part-time, paid

administrator


About CACC Our Mission

The purpose of the CACC is to:(1) provide continuing professional education for its members;(2) facilitate networking and the exchange of information; and(3) enhance the professional level of its members within the compensation & benefits field.

Our EffectivenessThe effectiveness of the CACC depends on the support and participation of its membership, the quality of programs offered, the willingness of its members to share information and help others solve problems, and its sponsorship of WorldatWork certification courses and other programs of interest.

Our CommitmentCACC is committed to excellence in the advancement of the field of Total Rewards -- Compensation & Benefits, and to promoting the professional interests of those who are engaged in its practice throughout the Greater Charlotte area.


Why Mentoring? In keeping with CACC’s mission, the Board

discussed the opportunity to facilitate additional networking and knowledge sharing through inter-company mentoring

The Board saw an opportunity to strengthen ties to CACC, particularly of those with less Compensation and Rewards experience

Benefit of membership – attracting new members


How we got Started Selected a program leader Survey membership Agree to program goals based on feedback Establish budget Facilitate pairing Monitor progress Celebrate Measure and enhance


Can I get a Volunteer? Board identified need to have a dedicated resource Desired someone who had experience with

mentoring programs Desired a leader with the ability to create and

implement the program

Daryl BennettCACC Director – At largeSenior VP – Human ResourcesTransamerica


Survey Says – Part I Conducted a survey of CACC member to gauge

desired:o Interest in being a mentor or menteeo Outcomes from a programo Duration of a programo Time commitment (hours per month)o Formality of a program (structured or not)o Mentoring methods (phone, in-person, online)


The Results We received 12 responses of interest in the program; 3

Mentors and 9 Mentees o recruited additional Mentors

Potential mentors wanted to give back to the profession and to build a relationship

Mentees desired increased compensation and general HR knowledge, a sounding board for ideas, career development suggestions, identify own gaps

9 month program with 1-2 hours per month expected Informal approach, guided by program participants


Speed Dating – Mentoring Style Kicked off with a wine and cheese reception Mentees spent about 10 minutes interviewing each

potential mentor and had mentor bio

Mentors – seasoned Consultants and practitioners Mentees – spanned array of industries (consulting,

healthcare, retail, financial services, technology, etc.)


Speed Dating – Mentoring Style Mentees gave the program administrator (Daryl

Bennett) their top three potential mentors Most participants got their top choice


I Now Pronounce you Mentor and Mentee 9 pairs of mentors-mentees were established Mentees were given the task of “owning” the

relationship, making first contact, expressing their expectation from the relationship, etc.


Resources Mentees were provided a self-assessment designed to help them

reflect on how well they demonstrate the behaviors related to the six mentee competencies that support a successful mentoring relationship

The assessment was to be used for the mentee’s information in order to accelerate growth and manage development.

The assessment shared with mentors only at the mentee’s discretion.

Participants were provide The Mentor’s Companion


Keep with the Program Program administrator – facilitated dialogue with the

participants Communicated with participants throughout the

program period to check on progress / issueso I know I need to contact my mentor…o Prompted people with emails


Survey Says – Part Two End of program survey

o All found the program the program a benefit of their CACC membership

o All but one mentee indicated that they used their mentor effectively

o All mentees would recommend the programo All mentors indicated that they would be interested in

being a mentor againo Participants indicated the positive of getting to know

each other and connect at member meetings


Survey Says – Part Two (cont.) Mentee testimonials/feedback

o “I wanted to get some reassurance on how I’ve used certain compensation practices and learn from the experiences of a mentor”

o “It’s not going to change you 180 degrees, but it’s going to build on what you have and make you more aware of things you don’t have.”

o “Sometimes it's a challenge as a mentee because you are not sure how to tap into the knowledge of our mentor. It's important to be proactive as a mentee to get the most out of the program.”

o “This has been an ‘outside of my box’ experience. My mentor's ideas, sharing of experiences, suggestions, reassurance, motivation have been priceless.”

CACC


Survey Says – Part Two (cont.) Mentor testimonials/feedback

o “It’s been really rewarding. We’ve developed a relationship that is about sharing — of ideas, thoughts and experiences,” she said. “It’s not just limited to compensation, either. It goes well beyond that. We’ve talked about career development, career opportunities and HR issues in general.”

o “This is a great opportunity for all of the participants and really personalizes the CACC experience.”

o “The benefits are shared on both sides of the relationship.”

o “Opportunity to further develop coaching/mentoring skills that are also applied at my workplace. “


Strengths Really liked the reference book and articles sent at

other times as well “Speed dating” Building of relationships Ability to connect with someone to help discuss

issues and generate new ideas Both mentors and mentees got something out of the

program


OFIs It doesn’t always work… Mentee may be as experienced as the mentor Meet as a group to discuss experiences Some struggled to meet due to work demands


Key Learnings Regular communication from Program Administrator

keeps program from losing focus Program administrator is like a trainer Even experienced mentees get something from the

program (specific gaps) It is a benefit that may help attract and retain

members


Need more information

Daryl Bennett [email protected]

704-330-5513

Robin [email protected]

704-733-5099

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

rewards of mentoring – an overview of cacc’s mentoring program

Documents

program goals

mentoring programsdesired

commitment cacc

gaps9 month program

compensation benefits

sounding board

survey of cacc member

caccs mission