Mentorship

What is mentorship?

Mentorship is a well‑established means of supporting all federal public service employees who want to progress in their careers, including to the role of executive. It provides an opportunity for anyone to learn from an experienced person who can help them determine their career aspirations and strategies for advancement.

Eligibility

Any experienced federal public servant could volunteer to become a mentor. A mentor’s job is to guide and encourage employees in the department (including those in the employment equity and equity‑seeking groups) who are interested in moving ahead in their career. Mentors act as informal coaches, advisors and connectors helping people develop and prepare for promotional opportunities.

Process

Mentees self‑identify and are then matched with mentors, in accordance with the approach identified by each department. A key success factor will be the relationship that is cultivated between the mentor and the mentee.

If either the mentor or mentee is unsatisfied, they can make changes to the arrangement. These changes would have to be communicated with the departmental lead within each department.

There will also be scheduled opportunities built into the process to allow feedback on the program.

Each department or agency will communicate how to go about joining its mentorship program. If you are unsure who to contact, contact your human resources advisor.

Mentor responsibilities

Mentors could be more senior than their mentee; however, it is not a requirement. A mentoring relationship is one of development, skill‑building and guiding the mentee with learning in mind. Here are some examples of what we would expect of mentors:

• A mentor is someone who can offer advice and support to shape the mentee’s career vision
• Mentors support mentees through formal or informal discussions on building skill sets and developing qualities and confidence for career advancement
• Mentors can demystify the public service, helping the mentee navigate the sometimes confusing or complex rules and conventions of government.
• Mentors provide advice on how to expand networks and provide feedback to help a mentee’s professional development
• Mentors must have the skill set and experience desired by the mentee, as well as self‑assessed intercultural competency

Mentee responsibilities

A mentee is a public servant who is looking to advance their public service career with the guidance and support of a mentor.

• A mentee should be open to building and expanding their skill sets
• A mentee should be ready and willing to examine their own areas for improvement
• A mentee should actively take on a variety of available training, and self‑paced education and awareness based on recommendations by their mentor

Manager support

Before taking part in the program, the managers of both mentors and mentees should support participation in the program, as this is about learning, development and in some cases, advancement. In order for all parties to be successful, managers

• will need to allow time for employees to participate in the program
• should feel comfortable putting forward names of potential candidates
• should do everything to encourage and help the employee develop the relationship with their mentor
• should work with their employee to ensure that they can find the appropriate time to maintain such a relationship. This is typically included in the employee’s Performance Management Agreement (PMA)

If you have questions, contact your departmental lead responsible for the Mentorship Program, or your human resources advisor.