A+E Networks' Mentoring Program Pays DEI Dividends

In the first year alone 124 mentormentee pairs 248 total employees went through the program and many of them plan to sign up for year two which will launch in JulyTo get started participants signed up using the Chronus mentoring platform which allowed them to create profiles and note their skills interests preferences and career goals Then the platform helped pair them with a mentorEmployees were matched up across departments and job levels All mentoring events including the meetings between the mentors and mentees took place over Teams or Zoom This facilitated the opportunity to have mentoring pairs in different regions including pairings across the US and among our US UK and Asia offices And the pairs could be as disparate as a coordinator with an executive vice presidentquotOur mentoring programs are opportunities for employees to connect with and learn from people with different interests and backgroundsquot explained Andrea Mantilla Vice President People Development ampamp LearningMentoring groups were asked to meet at least every 30 days but they were free to meet more often if so inclinedJamie Acevedo and Genevieve Bochanty both Managers of Learning ampamp Development joined AE Networks in the past year to help with the mentorship program and a number of other initiatives The team facilitated the mentormentee pairings and created several events for program participants They offered workshops on how to build personal brands communications training through an organization called SpeakEasy and Insights Discovery training which helped participants understand their own personalities and how they best build connections with othersIn addition they hosted occasional virtual happy hours in which people gathered to play trivia games and get to know each other across departments and job levelsAE Networks Chairman and President Paul Buccieri and Chief Human Resources and Diversity Officer Karen Gray also lent their strong support to the mentoring program They mentioned the program in town hall meetings encouraged senior staff to take part and made resources available for itquotWe believe in the powerful impact that mentoring can have on an individual39s professional growthquot says Gray quotEveryone has something to give and everyone has something to learnquotAt the end of the program39s first year AE Networks hosted a graduation that also served as an open forum for people to talk about what they had learned from the program quotWe heard feedback like 39My mentor really challenged me to think outside of my comfort zone and I got uncomfortable in a good way39 and 39I learned to be more open to opportunities39quot Bochanty saidquotThe mentors also said they learned a lot from their mentees that helped make them better managers and think about how they needed to support their teams to achieve their goalsquot she addedThe program also had some tangible outcomes some participants with guidance from their mentors achieved their goal of promotion or moving to a new department quotIt is a wonderful opportunity to be able to move across a division or function and the fact that this mentoring program could aid people in that goal was especially gratifyingquot Mantilla explainedquotAfter the first year people are already eager to sign up againquot Acevedo said While they are encouraged to keep up their relationships with their mentors and mentees from this past year if they go through the program again they will be paired with a different person quotEveryone is going to get the opportunity to get thrown back in the mixquot he continued quotWe39ll find ways that if you are coming through it again you39ll get a refreshed experiencequotMantilla and her team are also looking to expand the program in the future with a buddy program for new hires that could then be a path into the mentorship programAs the mentorship program expands and evolves in the years to come one thing remains clear AE Networks is committed to championing all employees and giving them opportunities for career growth quotThere39s nothing like knowing that your voice mattersquot Bochanty concluded quotWe want our employees to know that we39re listening to themquotClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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A+E Networks' Mentoring Program Pays DEI Dividends

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Paige Albiniak

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A+E Networks' Mentoring Program Pays DEI Dividends

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Paige Albiniak

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