Orijen developed two exceptionally successful mentoring programs for Hewlett Packard - a program for high potential women using external mentors, and an internal program for talent.
Launched in Australia in 2001, Women@HP provided mentoring for women in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China, New Zealand.
Here Bruce Hodgins, Director Human Resources (2000 to 2009) tells HP's story:
I have known Orijen and Jenny Morris for a period of approximately 10 years. I first met Jenny whilst she was working with the Compaq Computer
Senior Leadership Team on human capital strategies associated with
mergers and acquisitions, involving integration of the most complex
corporations including Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq Computer
and Tandem Computers. Jenny demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity
to the people concerned, refreshing creativity and a strong sense of
business purpose.
Subsequently Jenny began a series of thought leadership discussions
with senior leaders in Compaq focussed on the under-representation of
women in the IT Industry. These conversations prompted senior leaders
to identify future issues concerning skills shortages and the
opportunity for Compaq and later through its acquisition by Hewlett
Pacakard (HP), to create a competitive advantage, well before these
issue caught the attention of most senior leaders in Australia.
Orijen worked with Compaq and HP to develop and build a Women’s
Mentoring Program aimed at identifying high potential women, creating
development opportunities through being matched with external female
mentors over a twelve month period. Orijen implemented a process to
ensure discipline in mentoring that can be lost through informal or
internal programs. Through the Women’s Mentoring Program over one
hundred high potential women in Compaq and HP have benefited over
almost seven years, enhancing personal confidence, career
opportunities, business success and the HP employer brand.
As an ultimate measure, at the time of introducing the Women’s
Mentoring Program, there were no women represented on the Country
Senior Leadership Team. At the end of 2009 two women who had been part
of the program, have been appointed to the Country Leadership Team.
Read about their mentoring experiences here.
Following the success of the Women’s Mentoring Program I personally
worked with Jenny to further develop the concept of mentoring in HP,
leading to the
Mentoring for Growth Program, allowing those having
graduated from the Women's Mentoring Program to be trained as internal
mentors for high potential employees identified through talent planing
processes.
Orijen built a highly successfully program delivered in
conjunction with myself to ensure both mentors and mentees were
effectively trained, matched and monitored as an outsourced talent
management solution. Over a period of three years approximately sixty
mentors and mentees have benefitted from this program, across both
Australia and New Zealand.
The Mentoring for Growth Program facilitated a low cost solution that
met several goals including the further development of women as
mentors, an opportunity for developing managers both male and female,
to mentor high potential employees and an effective medium for
identified talented employees to be mentored with those who knew their
way in HP and could help accelerate career progression.
As a mentor in the Mentoring for Growth Program I personally gained
from the rigour and associated structuring of the mentoring
relationship and the opportunity to directly contribute to the
development of a high potential employee in the business, beyond my
immediate HR team. The training methodology was comprehensive, easy to
understand and supported by significant experience in low cost
outsourced mentoring solutions.
I highly recommend Jenny Morris as a most capable and experienced
leader in developing effective, contemporary and strategic human
capital solutions including mentoring programs and methodologies to
support accelerated employee development."
Testimonials
"Undertaking this program has made a significant change to the way I
now go about my work, I am now focused more on the bigger picture &
can now look at problems & issues from many different perspectives.
If I look back at the problems & issues that were troubling me at
the start of the mentor program I laugh as they were so small, narrow
& insignificant. I feel as if I have broken free and am now
realising my full potential. I feel as if I have "stepped up" a level
in my responsibilities & relationships with my managers, peers
& work colleagues."
Eleanor Duscombe, Hewlett Packard mentee
"I think this program is fabulous and I could not have asked for a better mentor!"
Annemarie Riga, Hewlett Packard mentee
"This has been a great experience for me. I have grown and become more confident in the way I approach work and my personal life."
Adriana Metsousis, Hewlett Packard mentee
"My mentoring sessions have been extremely helpful. It has been great to discuss with someone completely neutral to my life who has an objective opinion on things. I believe I have learned how to deal with people in a more constructive manner."
Amelia Peel, Hewlett Packard mentee
For more mentee and mentor testimonials please go to our
Testimonials Page