Mentoring and Sponsorship Programs

Women's under-representation in the telecommunications industry is of major concern. It is a complex issue for the industry that requires time and resources to turn around.

We know that great women become even greater when they are supported, nurtured and developed.

At Telstra, we take women’s development seriously, so that our women can be leaders in our business. We also expect all our leaders to be accountable for fostering inclusion, so that everyone can achieve their potential.

It is our role to inspire women in the industry to achieve their personal aspirations and potential. In response to this, we have developed targeted programs to develop women at Telstra; we have a world-first approach to engaging men as gender champions and we are piloting new approaches to sponsoring women, to make sure their talent is brought out of the shadows.

Women's Development (My Mentor)

We have successfully rolled out the “My Mentor – Challenging Women to Make it Happen” program since October 2007. “My Mentor” is a multimedia mentoring kit developed by Maureen Frank, a previous winner of the Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

Participants have achieved promotions during the program, others had secondment opportunities and were offered additional project management responsibilities, and many reported an increased level of self confidence, esteem and motivation, leading them to apply for more senior roles and become more effective in negotiations.

The program delivers a range of mentoring tools using CD and DVD over 12 modules. The modules cover personal branding; taking calculated risks; career planning; increasing visibility and profile; influencing and negotiation; and integrating work and life. The content is based on practical advice and tips – like a mentor. The advice comes from global research and personal experience. The DVDs include the perspectives of some of Australia’s leading business women. These learnings are supplemented by an engaging workbook and the establishment of peer-based support and mentoring circles throughout the program.

Our intensive and supportive approach to this program includes engagement of managers in the nomination process and continued engagement throughout the program; direct communication with all participants each week via email; teleconference calls available to all participants; facilitation of local peer mentoring groups with guidelines to assist the participants in broadening their networks and engaging with peers on the program; blog sites for nationwide discussion between participants; and continued support after completing the program via the Telstra Gender Equality Network.

We are continuing regular rollouts of this program, with more than 2,000 women participating across the company to date.

Engaging Men in Gender Equality (My Mentor for Men)

Currently comprising around 70% of the Telstra workforce, men play a key role in leading their businesses, leading others and leading themselves - so they are crucial to gender equality at Telstra. Knowing this, we have built on the success of our focus on women’s development by doing something that was original, compelling and courageous.

Telstra has built and pioneered a world-first program just for men. This program coaches our male leaders to create inclusive workplaces, support gender equality and encourage women to achieve their best. It helps our men understand gender differences in communication, negotiation and networking, and encourages them to equip their male reports and colleagues to drive change and embed the business benefits of diversity. We chose to focus not just on our most senior male leaders, but to take this opportunity to embed real change throughout the business – we engaged men at middle management and further through our structure.

"My Mentor for Men" is a self-paced master class in gender leadership - eight modules over eight weeks with CD, DVD and workbook materials. The modules cover the business case for gender diversity; the importance of diverse workplaces for Telstra; networking, visibility and mentoring; work life integration, flexibility and men's health; career planning; and dynamic tips and tools to master leadership of a diverse team to maximise performance.

This program launched at Telstra in November 2008 and to date more than 1000 men have been involved across the company.

Sponsorship Programs

The latest research tells us that not only mentoring, but rather active sponsorship of talented women is what will really help their careers take flight. Based on this research, we are beginning some pilot programs where senior leaders are sponsoring high potential and high performing women in Telstra by actively promoting their talents and skills among other key leaders and contacts.

Using their own influence and connections inside and outside the company, these sponsors are taking active and personal responsibility to showcase their protégés. We think this will be a fantastic way for women at Telstra to shine even brighter, and for their leaders to help break down some of those barriers that can stand in the way of someone really being the best they can be.

You can learn more about our achievements in Diversity & Inclusion by taking a look at the main Telstra internet pages and our most recent Annual Report http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/company-overview/governance/diversity-and-inclusion/index.htm