Moffatt & Nichol
Case Study
78% QuickcliQ Completion Rates Help Mentoring Flourish at Moffatt & Nichol
At Moffatt & Nichol, a leading civil engineering firm, their tagline reads: Creative People, Practical Solutions. That perfectly describes the employees who worked together to create the company’s first-ever mentoring program.
Debra Kennedy, Senior HR Business Partner at Moffatt & Nichol, joined forces with the Young Professionals group at the company to build a high potential mentoring program focused on career development. The aim was to prepare exceptional performers to take on expanded roles or future leadership positions within the organization.
“High potentials were our first and our continuing target because we had a grassroots initiative at Moffatt & Nichol called the Young Professionals. These are individuals who’ve joined the firm with an average of zero to 10 years of experience. They formed to speak as one voice with our executive leadership, and they set strategic objectives for themselves. One of the objectives that got the most airtime, if you will, was mentoring. They really wanted to find a way to connect with senior leaders across the company to help accelerate their careers,” said Deb.
One of the objectives that got the most airtime, if you will, was mentoring. They really wanted to find a way to connect with senior leaders across the company to help accelerate their careers.
Senior HR Business Partner
at Moffatt & Nichol
High Potential Mentoring
Mentoring provided a natural way for employees to expand their networks and connect with others throughout the company. Moffatt & Nichol is structured with smaller offices around the country, typically with 20-30 employees at each location. By leveraging virtual mentoring through MentorcliQ, the high potential mentees were able to connect with leaders at different locations.
“Our individual offices are kind of like a franchise. We follow all the important rules and policies and things like that, but the culture of each office is shaped by the leadership there. So our mentees found it really valuable to hear what it’s like in other offices,” said Deb.
As part of the program, mentors leverage their internal networks to engage mentees with projects being led from outside their region, introduce mentees to key leaders, and establish short-term and mid-term goals for their partnership. “Because our offices are so small, it made sense for me to promote it as a virtual platform. I honestly believe that that’s how we got such great participation because they had an opportunity to speak confidentially with a leader,” said Deb.
Program Details
1:1 mentoring
11-month relationships
Cross-organizational matches
Focused on high potential development and career development
Competencies include:
Results
2018
Started In
3,900
Mentoring Hours
4.9 stars
After running this high potential mentoring program for several years, Deb shared these tips for success.
- Use the Resources and Milestones in MentorcliQ as touchpoints with participants.
- Host focused learning discussions tied to a Milestone each quarter.
- Explain to the participants why QuickcliQs are important.
78%
With a 78% QuickcliQ completion rate, that last tip is one that no one should ignore.
“The board of directors and the executive team look at these numbers when they meet. And I tell the [mentees and mentors that] the reason that we’re able to continue this program without question is because I show [the leadership team] how much time you’re investing, where you’re getting the benefit, how it’s helping with your career management, your relationship management, your communication, and even your technical skills,” said Deb. That added context has been crucial for achieving such a high QuickcliQ completion rate.
Added context has been crucial for achieving such a high QuickcliQ completion rate.
One last piece of advice from Deb: Be a mentor in your own program.
Deb, who works in HR, mentored a coastal engineer located in Alabama. “I had met her when we hired her because I’m the HR business partner that serves that side of the country. And I was a little bit skeptical because I think, like a lot of mentors, I was like: What can I offer this person, this professional?”
Turns out, Deb could offer her a lot as her mentor. “We connected seamlessly. I mean, we started our first conversation and within 15 minutes, we were talking to each other like we’d known each other for years. I’ve found that a lot of my experiences have helped her to work on some relationships that she wanted to improve,” said Deb. “To be able to get to do this on top of running the program has given me added confidence that we’re doing the right thing for our teams.”
Advice from Deb: Be a mentor in your own program.
