Cancer Research UK’s mentoring programme is successfully supporting employee career development. Denyse Waugh, Monica Mundo and Jenny Whitfield report

 

Mentoring programmes are a proven strategy for enhancing employee development, boosting performance, and improving retention. And this has certainly been the experience of Cancer Research UK, which partnered with professional coaching company The OCM to support a mentoring programme aimed at enhancing career development opportunities for its employees.

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity, dedicated to saving and improving lives with its research, influence and information. In the last 50 years, its pioneering work has helped double cancer survival in the UK, and it continues today to save lives in the UK and elsewhere.

 

Mentoring programme drivers 

Denyse Waugh, learning and development specialist at Cancer Research UK, shared the vision and impact of the mentoring programme during a webinar hosted by The OCM. She shared how Cancer Research UK’s The Synergy Mentoring Programme, launched in 2021, was created to support employee career development by matching employees with knowledgeable, passionate, and well-trained mentors across the organisation.

The mentoring scheme was seen as a key HR strategy to attract, develop and retain employees by providing the support they needed to realise their full potential. 

The programme had an original vision to streamline HR operations by consolidating ad hoc mentoring requests into a structured, self-service model using their internal learning management system.

 

The recruitment process for mentors

Following approval from senior management, Cancer Research UK’s mentoring recruitment programme was set up to run annually, requiring a 12 month commitment from mentors. Each mentor takes on two cohorts of mentees, each lasting six months. Cancer Research UK uses a simple Microsoft Forms process to collect information about mentors’ skills, experience and caregiving status. Cancer Research UK’s mentees are often looking to work with someone who understands the challenges of balancing a career along with the pressures of parenthood or caring for a loved one. This information is then used to match mentors with mentees who understand their unique challenges.

 

The OCM Partnership
Once the recruitment process was complete, Cancer Research UK partnered with The OCM, which specialises in coaching and mentoring programmes, to deliver a bespoke, structured training programme for mentors. 

The training, led by The OCM consultant coaches Monica Mundo and Jenny Whitfield, focused on helping mentors develop key mentoring skills and setting a framework for successful and consistent mentoring relationships across the organisation.

Whitfield says, “We are particularly proud to partner with Cancer Research UK to provide the training aspect of the programme. We designed a specific structure with three workshops aimed at equipping mentors with the right skills before they start their mentoring conversations and then a further session once they had started mentoring to address any challenges and support them with conversations they were having and hone their skills.”

The OCM’s first, Skills Development workshop focuses on building core mentoring skills, such as active listening, asking open-ended questions, and giving constructive feedback. This workshop prepares mentors to hold meaningful conversations from the outset. The second, Understanding Good Mentoring workshop, helps mentors define their purpose, explore the roles they may need to play, and understand the mindset required to guide mentees effectively. They also learn how to manage boundaries and tackle potential challenges in a mentoring relationship. 

The final workshop provides mentors with a safe space to reflect on their experiences, share learnings, and practise mentoring skills. This workshop also covers how to bring the mentoring relationship to a positive and natural conclusion. 

Whitfield explains, “We offer a structured framework for these conversations, guiding mentors on how to start discussions, set goals, and navigate the relationship effectively. We also equip mentors to manage complex aspects, such as gracefully bringing the relationship to an end.”

Following the training, mentors were carefully matched with mentees, often pairing individuals who might not typically interact to ensure diverse perspectives and learning opportunities.

Waugh says, “While many companies offer mentoring opportunities, not all invest in the necessary training. By investing in formal training with The OCM, we highlight the importance of this programme and how it will contribute to our employees’ professional development and our organisational success.”

 

Mentoring support

Cancer Research UK’s mentoring programme operates as a two-way street, with both mentors and mentees actively engaged. This promotes growth and professional development for everyone involved. The programme is also supported by internal resources, such as a dedicated Teams chat channel for networking, as well as online tools to assist in structuring mentoring conversations.

 

Programme Impact

The Synergy programme has received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Initially attracting just 15 mentors and around 30 mentees, participation has almost doubled. There is now a dedicated resource for the programme.

Waugh says, “The benefits of seeing mutually rewarding mentor-mentee relationships blossom are hugely rewarding! We regularly hear stories about how mentoring has empowered employees to move forward with their careers and develop new skills, contributing to staff retention.”

The success of Cancer Research UK’s programme is exemplified by mentors like Giovanna Morsiani, a biomarker development specialist ,who developed her leadership skills through mentoring. She found The OCM training invaluable, stating, “The training significantly enhanced my listening skills and made me more empathetic. I now connect better with my mentees and apply these skills in my day job.”

 

Challenges and opportunities

While the Synergy programme encountered challenges, like setting up a self service model on the organisation’s internal learning management system and automating the time-consuming matching process, it has successfully cultivated a nurturing environment. This environment empowers employees to proactively advance their careers and fosters a culture of support within the organisation.

 

The road ahead

The Synergy programme is now central to Cancer Research UK’s HR engagement strategy. As it grows, Cancer Research UK plans to continue to explore ways to automate and streamline the matching process, potentially expanding its reach and impact.

 

Conclusion

By investing in the Synergy mentoring programme and partnering with The OCM for mentor training, Cancer Research UK has created a culture of continuous learning and support. The programme has significantly contributed to employee development, engagement, and retention, demonstrating the powerful impact of mentoring on organisational success.  

 

About the authors

• Denyse Waugh is an L&D specialist at Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information.
• Monica Mundo and Jenny Whitfield are Consultant Coach-Mentors at The OCM, delivering exceptional coaching, mentoring, and consultancy services to support the growth and success of client organisations worldwide.

 

VOLUME 20 ISSUE 1