Deloitte is an enthusiastic supporter of the Mentoring Partnership, and was one of the first corporate partners to get involved in the program. Employee mentors help new Canadians find jobs in their fields, by providing occupation-specific job search advice and coaching. Mentors also open their professional networks to their new Canadian mentees, introducing them to Canadian business culture.
Deloitte encourages employees to become mentors by promoting the Mentoring Partnership on the company intranet site, launching semi-annual email campaigns, and through word-of-mouth. More than 150 employee mentors are involved the program, making Deloitte one of the program's largest corporate partners.
Employee mentors typically occupy senior-level positions at the firm, although anyone is encouraged to join. Many of Deloitte's mentors were once immigrant jobseekers themselves, with first-hand experience of how challenging the job search process can be for internationally-trained professionals. Mentors at Deloitte contribute to the firm's overall diversity goals, while also learning to develop their leadership and coaching skills.
"Listening and encouraging someone during their job search is key -- it gives [new Canadian] mentees the confidence to continue their job search and overcome the obstacles they encounter along the way. From my personal experience as a mentor, simply being available to answer a quick question is something mentees find very valuable."
— Marta Rzeszowska Chavent, Mentor / Quality & Continuous Improvement
