Mia, who has worked as Assistant Controller for the Coffee Division since autumn 2010, says that the period helped her particularly to map out her personal career path. “The mentoring shook me into thinking in a new way and to see my career over a longer time span. At the same time, my understanding deepened of the company and of the opportunities afforded by the corporate group. Doing a SWOT analysis of myself was also a very useful experience.”

Mia’s mentor Riitta has worked for Paulig for around twenty years, for a long time as Group Treasurer and latterly as the Group Director of Risk Management. Mentoring was familiar to Riitta, for example from her time at the Aalto University, where she has supported students in plotting their own careers.

“It’s interesting to meet new people and their work; it opens up your own view of things, and as a plus you get a pleasant sense of helping others. Also, I think it’s important to pass on the knowledge and expertise you’ve accumulated,” Riitta notes.

Good for all

“With mentoring you can transfer tacit information, for example, between co-workers, and you can help younger people in career planning,” says Paulig Group HRD Manager Marika Holstein. “Here, the mentoring period involves a whole raft of gatherings and thematic discussions with your partner. The kick-off covers things like what mentoring is and what it isn’t.”

“This is really important so that everyone comes to the program with the right expectations. Mentoring is confidential and equal. A mentor is not a psychologist or a representative of the employer. He or she should not direct a partner but help them to grasp their personal strengths by listening, asking questions and bringing out their own experiences and observations. Although the focus is on work issues, the best combination comes when you really get to know each other and can chat to a moderate extent about private things as well – these also affect your work,” Riitta points out.

Both Mia and Riitta warmly recommend mentoring to all, irrespective of job description or length of service. The main this is to be committed to working together. “Mentoring helps you to see your own situation here and now as well as in several years from today. I was always full of enthusiasm after the meetings, the discussion really gave me a lot of new energy,” Mia says.

“Often a mentor is found for a young person within the same company. For people who have been on the job for a longer time, talking with someone from outside the company can provide refreshing new perspectives. Mentoring partners don’t necessarily need to have known each other before; the situation is best when they begin to get to know each other,” Riitta adds, commenting that collaboration sometimes continues after the actual mentoring period. “Particular in times of choosing in one’s working life, it’s useful to be able to talk confidentially with someone who knows the history of your career path.”