AFTER 16 YEARS OF WORKING
at HP in Canada , Carina Pereira thought about reevaluating her future . She was enjoying her role as a sales compensation business consultant , but felt it was time for a change .
“ I was struggling ,” Pereira recalled . “ Should I go back to school ? Take on a new role ?”
Pereira signed up for HP ’ s Sales Operations Mentoring program , which connects mentors and mentees for a year to expand their networks and share skills and best practices . She was matched with Melanie Heron , from HP ’ s Industrial Print Organization , who was based in Maryland .
Pereira and Heron , both of whom worked remotely even before the pandemic , met virtually several times a month , discussing potential career opportunities and exploring Pereira ’ s options . By early 2022 , Pereira had applied for and landed a new position as regional plan design and engagement lead with HP .
“ Melanie really helped me by asking me questions that made me think ,” Pereira says . “ One of the key takeaways was to get out of my comfort zone and not be afraid to challenge myself . She helped me get to the answer quicker than if I were doing it alone .”
taking on a new role , returning to the workplace after a hiatus , or are at another point in their career . And , these relationships can help both mentees and mentors build personal connections to their work in a remote and hybrid world .
“ We ’ ve definitely seen an increase in demand for these programs during the pandemic ,” says Chantal Pierrat , CEO of platforms
Emerging Women and
Emerging Human , and partner in HP ’ s Catalyst initiative , designed to help guide women and employees from underrepresented communities into leadership roles . “ With people working at home and being isolated from their coworkers , they ’ ve been a lifeline .”
Creating connections for women and younger employees For Gen Z employees — and especially those who began their careers remotely — mentoring programs can help provide an understanding of the company culture and exposure to others in the organization they may not meet in their day-to-day work .
In one study , 41 % of Gen Z respondents expressed concern that they were losing the opportunity to be mentored because they were not working in the office .
“ They missed the times when you walk into a conference room and talk with the person beside you who ’ s been here for 30 years ,” says Laurie Stack , Chief of Staff for Print Cloud Platform & Services at HP , and a sponsor participating in HP ’ s Catalyst program . “ They ’ re missing that richness that gives you color and [ makes you think ], Oh , that person is in that role , and how do I get there ?”
Benét Wilson agrees . The senior editor at the travel website
The Points Guy has formally and informally mentored more than 300 journalists and journalism students in the last 25 years . Her Gen Z mentees especially benefit from guidance when they ’ re working in a hybrid or remote environment , she says .
“ When Gen Zers are just graduating and in their first job , but not in an office , they ’ re not interacting with people except through Zoom or Slack . There ’ s no way for them to learn or get guidance because they ’ re sitting at home and reluctant to say anything .” Wilson advises her Gen Z mentees to schedule virtual coffees with coworkers and have regular informal online chats with their managers to make sure they ’ re not missing any nuances of the job or work environment .
For Ezra Chavez , a billing specialist at
SurveyMonkey who works remotely from Portland , Oregon , a virtual mentorship program gave her access to a mentor in a different role ( he works in learning and development ) and a different country — someone she says she never would have met working in-person at an office . Chavez , who is in her 20s , had been in her role for about a month when she signed up for the company ’ s mentorship program and began meeting weekly with a mentor based in Amsterdam . She says the experience helped her build presentation and public speaking skills while also giving her a window into another part of the company .
“ When I first started , I was nervous and didn ’ t really know what was okay or who I could reach out to ,” she says . “ Talking with someone in another part of the company helped me feel included and come out of my shell .”
Young people who haven ’ t yet entered the workforce or who don ’ t have access to company-sponsored mentoring programs can find mentors through a number of online platforms , including
Muse Mentorship ,
Mentor Collective , and
Mentor Spaces , which are designed for students and people underrepresented in technology and business .
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