“When we go to market to recruit, the mentoring program comes up as a plus. It is seen as a leading light program both internally and in the marketplace. And because of programs like this, both our competitors and recruiters say it is hard to extract people from Hewlett Packard”


Steve Parker
Enterprise and Public Sector Sales Manager
Hewlett Packard

The Orijen Group > Orijen Mentoring > Programs > Clients and Case Studies > Hewlett Packard



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