600+ Mentoring Loops Later, nib's people are driving their own development
Amy Panton,
Onboarding & Development Advisor, nib Group
Amy Panton,
Onboarding & Development Advisor, nib Group
Drew (mentor)“Matilda has been incredible in her application and commitment to self-growth over the last 12 months - her attention to detail and willingness to grow and learn within nib has been amazing to watch unfold.”
Matilda (mentee)“Drew has been an absolute legend. He is an amazing mentor who holds me accountable and truly has helped me grow. I have smashed out so many goals so far and it has only been a couple of months. Really thankful for him.”
Sally (mentor)“Has been an easy relationship from the start - Josie is open to ideas and reflection and is making the most of the opportunity.”
Josie (mentee) “I am really enjoying my catch ups with Sally. They help me set myself up and focus for the week as a leader. Her input and suggestions have been helpful towards some difficult tasks I've had to manage.”
Before 2022, nib had no formal mentoring program. Mentoring happened by chance, if it happened at all.
Some employees had informal mentors, but access depended on the networks they’d already built. Many people simply didn’t know where to find a mentor, and some were looking outside the organization for support they couldn’t find inside it. With hybrid work stretching connections further, employees were asking for stronger relationships, more chances to learn from experienced colleagues, and more support to grow their careers.
The engagement survey said it plainly: only 60% of employees felt they had access to the development opportunities they wanted.
The problem was never a shortage of knowledge. nib had leaders, technical experts, and seasoned professionals with plenty to share. What it didn’t have was a structured way to connect them. The goal: a stronger learning culture where people own their development, and expertise flows freely across the organization.
Since launching with Mentorloop in 2022, nib has facilitated 604 mentoring loops for employees across the business, with 42 new participants in the current cohort alone. But the number Amy is proudest of is how many people come back.
"Mentoring at nib has transformed development from something employees expect to receive into something they actively drive through meaningful relationships, stronger networks, and shared learning.”
For Amy, the proof wasn’t solely in participation numbers. It was when employees started sharing stories about how mentoring had changed their confidence, their career aspirations, and their sense of what’s possible at nib. Essentially, the trajectory of their careers with nib.
In addition to the amazing flood of positive stories that come through, nib also maintains a 5 out of 5 satisfaction rate (mentoring quality score) across the cohort, sitting well above the benchmark average for their industry.
The participant info tab shows who’s new and who’s been involved before, making it easy to pair newcomers with experienced mentors and to build connections beyond immediate teams, now spanning Australia and New Zealand.
Resources, webinars, and automated communications give every participant the same support, freeing Amy to focus on connections instead of logistics.
Clear participation and engagement data keeps senior leaders informed and supportive. Every cohort has included executive participation, giving mentees access to senior leaders.
For Amy, the proof wasn’t solely in participation numbers. It was when employees started sharing stories about how mentoring had changed their confidence, their career aspirations, and their sense of what’s possible at nib. Essentially, the trajectory of their careers with nib.
In addition to the amazing flood of positive stories that come through, nib also maintains a 5 out of 5 satisfaction rate (mentoring quality score) across the cohort, sitting well above the benchmark average for their industry.
Onboarding & Development Advisor, nib Group
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"Our mentoring program is not only growing, but becoming embedded in the way our people learn, develop, connect and support one another."
– Amy Panton, Onboarding & Development Advisor, nib Group
What Role Does Equity and Equality Play in Your Mentoring Program?
The right mentoring program should level the playing field to empower entire cohorts of people: workplaces, member associations, social groups and educational institutions. Equality should be a cherished value so that every individual can thrive—whoever they are, whatever their background, however they worship or whomever they love. But we can’t arrive at equality without it’s often forgotten partner, equity.
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Being a Mentoring Program Coordinator is an incredibly rewarding experience that positively impacts the lives of many. And while mentoring programs don’t fully run themselves (even though Mentorloop can do a great deal of the heavy lifting!), they do require a point of contact that can steer the program in the right direction for the organisation that is running one.
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This is Part 8 of our 10-part series on the 10 Key Qualities and Habits of a Highly Effective Mentor.
In this post, we’ll look at how mentors can successfully build quality feedback into their mentoring. Quality feedback is priceless because it clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes, and builds confidence. It also allows mentees to more effectively take what their mentors say and turn it into action.
