FAQs

What are our goals?

1. To create a more transparent and psychologically safe culture to have open conversations about race

2. For there to be greater access to development opportunities for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic individuals, and fair consideration for career progression, as well as for leadership to better understand the barriers that already exist

3. To unite the workforce so that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic participants collaborate with senior leaders to create inclusive policies, and are able to influence the wider ED&I strategy

4. For participants to have a deeper understanding of their mentoring partner's lived experiences, creating a greater sense of belonging in the workplace

What’s my commitment?

This 6-month pilot will be for mentoring partners to mutually learn from each other and to work on developing inclusive practices, career goals, and sharing lived experiences.

You will be expected to meet with your mentoring partner at least once a month, and will be guided through your mentoring journey by WERKIN, our ED&I Mentoring specialists. You will also be expected to attend a workshop once a month with your mentoring cohort (recordings will be available), and complete a joint Programme Workbook with your mentoring partner.

We expect this will take approximately 2.5 hours per month.

There will be additional programme events such as Q&As which you can attend if you are able.

This is an incredibly exciting new journey for Merton, and we hope you will help us shape this initiative as it grows within the organisation.

What’s in it for me?

Whether it’s exposure to senior leadership, having a seat at the table, your voice and experiences listened to, or broadening your perspective by listening to the experiences of others, you’ll be a part of driving real culture change at Merton.

What’s really going to change?

This one of many steps we’re taking as part of our wider ED&I strategy, and whilst we know not everything will be fixed overnight, this is an important initiative that sets us on the right path.

We hope you’ll join us on this journey and approach the programme with an open mind. Our mentoring partners are committed to ensuring the psychological safety of all participants throughout the programme.

Who are WERKIN?

Mutual Mentoring will be delivered by WERKIN, a company that specialises in mentoring and career development for underrepresented groups. WERKIN are pioneers of modern leadership and inclusive organisational design and are sought out to share expertise on mentoring, leadership development, learning & organisational development initiatives, and how to best support diverse and underrepresented employees to make workplace better for everyone.

You will have a WERKIN Programme Lead who is external to Merton, and will be there for you to speak with frankly and confidentially throughout the programme. Your Programme Lead will identify as Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic.

What’s the deadline?

Please submit your application by Close of Business (5.30pm) on 29 March, 2022.

Any questions please contact alex.dsa@getwerkin.com