Frequently Asked Questions

When is the right time to find a mentor?

When a person believes it will be of value and when they are prepared to make the time commitment. Mentoring is an effective intervention in times of transition. Such transitions could include moving from technical skills into a managerial or senior executive role, joining a Board, returning to the workforce after maternity or parental leave, moving into a new sector or working cross culturally. However, for others mentoring is a valuable experience at any time where they can honestly speak to another more experienced person about their careers, lives and challenges.

"I value the mentoring relationship more than any other form of professional development I receive. Receiving feedback from someone who has lived and breathed it, is much more powerful than any other form of learning or development I have received."

What do mentors do?

The ideal mentor assists you to grown and learn. Mentors listen, encourage, inspire, take an interest, share time, give attention, clarify, give suggestions for action, question, suggest alternatives, are trustworthy, provide constructive criticism, open doors, guide and build self confidence.

"It has been beneficial because it has given me the opportunity to get an objective opinion from a person I respect, on matters that can range from work to family.

What are the benefits to an individual and organisation that embraces mentoring?

There are many benefits of mentoring for both the organisation and the individual. The business case is powerful. People feel valued and their confidence grows. This has a positive effect on staff recruitment and retention and can be a useful tool in succession planning. Mentees report the benefits as increased confidence, knowledge and motivation, which helps them plan their careers more strategically.

Effective mentoring relationships help develop a culture of mentoring which improves communication in the workplace. An ideal outcome is for mentees to become mentors in their own organisations.

"I've been very pleased with the mentoring relationship. I hoped that I would find someone with a great deal of corporate experience that I could tap into who could give me a wider view of business generally and at the same time someone who I could relate to on a personal level. This is exactly what happened."

"It has helped to build my confidence and helped to articulate what it is that motivates and inspires me personally and professionally."

Who are your mentors?

McCarthy Mentoring draws on broad networks locally and globally to find the right mentor for each mentee. We look for people with integrity and a passion for developing other people. Getting the match right is critical and what we do best.

At any given time we will be engaged with more than 100 mentors globally.

"That we can make a significant difference in the lives of mentees and that our advice and listening is a tremendous comfort and fall back when they have doubts. It has saved employees from being too hasty to accept another offer from a competitor". mentor

"Wish I had done something like this years ago! ... The broad and long experience of my mentor has been really good for me - both in terms of my personal confidence in handling this area and in the outcomes that will flow for the organisation. A very good outcome all round." mentee

How does it actually work?

A formal agreement is signed by both mentee and mentor to ensure that their expectations are realistic and achievable and guidelines are provided. Trust is a vital part of the mentoring relationship, so both parties must guarantee confidentiality. The initial contract is for two hours per month for one year. On average people meet for 20 hours over a year. Mentees and mentors usually decide upon an appropriate venue for their monthly meeting. McCarthy Mentoring coordinates the relationship and liaises with both parties throughout the year.

What happens at the end of the 12 months?

Evaluation is important and at 12 months our mentoring relationships are reviewed and a report is provided to organisations based on people's feedback. To ensure confidentiality no identifying information is included. Management then makes a decision about who should continue their mentoring. Mentees often have to build a case to support this decision. Many continue to meet informally. Ideally, mentees become mentors and develop the next generation of people in their organisations.

Do I need to pay for a mentor?

With 15 years of experience our promise is to find you the perfect mentor. To offer a professional service we charge a fee to place a mentor and the mentors are also paid at a rate we set.

There are however many professional and industry bodies that offer mentoring programs you can access where people volunteer their time. The key difference between these programs and ours is that we mostly bring people together from different sectors, as the mentees are already familiar with many people in their industry. It avoids conflicts of interest and offers people a different perspective. Of course you can always approach people to be your mentor.