Making meaningful connections through mentoring

As a company ‘powered by people,’ mentoring is just one way we help our people grow, learn, and feel supported. Our global mentoring program fosters relationships between employees helping them not only grow as professionals but build meaningful connections with our culture and mentoring platform that facilitates different mentoring relationships, including peer-to-peer.

By encouraging these connections, we’re creating a community where everyone can succeed together.

Hosted through the Together Mentoring platform, the programme is available to all staff and designed to help colleagues develop self-awareness, reflect on their strengths, and promote their career development. Within individual mentoring sessions, topics are wide- ranging – from big career changes and technical upskilling to life-changing decisions like starting a family.

“Whilst a line manager can help you with your career progression, I have undoubtedly found that a mentor can add more to this. A mentor can give a different perspective and give you useful ideas and advice on how you may advance and develop your career,” shares participant and Associate Director, Valuations Consultancy Rachel Whitaker, “I have had a mentor from outside the office that I work in and I have found this hugely beneficial. It gives you a different viewpoint engaging with other people across the business, beyond those you work with on a day-to-day basis.”

For 2023, we had more than 570 users register to participate on the Together Mentoring platform. This resulted in more than 840 different mentor- mentee matches, and more than 500 mentoring sessions completed. Feedback from those enrolled in the system demonstrates the quality of conversations, with both mentees and mentors rating the program very highly.

Executive Support Team Manager Sarah Arnott decided to take a chance on the opportunities provided through Together Mentoring:

“I was skeptical at first about having a mentor, thinking do I have the time, how will I benefit, what will I talk about, etc. It wasn’t until I changed my role that I took the leap to engage with the Together Mentoring platform to match and pair with a mentor to assist with my goals. I thought what could it hurt? It is, after all, a fantastic free resource. The outcomes have exceeded every expectation. I’m feeling less isolated, and with increased confidence, exposure to new ways of thinking and increased job satisfaction. Who couldn’t benefit from all of that?”

Avison Young recognises that supportive relationships also develop outside of its organised programs. Neither party may label themselves as a mentor or mentee, but if you asked them, they’d probably describe their relationship as something close to mentorship. Like Town Planning Associate Director Hannah Walker whose experience helped her take her role to new heights.

“I have been fortunate to benefit from informal mentoring through working relationships I have with colleagues in my team, and I have benefitted significantly from advice offered by more senior colleagues.”

“This has extended to opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects, exposure to clients at a junior level and opportunities to take a lead role in project work, all of which have enabled me to build technical knowledge, professional skills, and capabilities. Alongside this, I have been supported through general advice and encouragement to pursue promotion opportunities in my career so far.”

Avison Young encourages everyone to be involved in mentoring, either as a mentee or a mentor. In addition to participating in the program, people can attend bespoke training sessions to learn more about mentoring as a wider topic, and further develop their interpersonal skills to better help themselves and support others.