Over 1,000 club: CIBC – leading the way in mentoring

When CIBC first came on board in 2010 as an employer partner in The Mentoring Partnership, they started out with 35 mentor matches. By December 2014, they had reached the 500 mentoring match milestone. Just two years after that, their participation doubled. Thanks to the mentoring efforts of close to 700 team members, many of whom are repeat mentors, in January 2017, CIBC was recognized by TRIEC for achieving the 1,000 mentoring match milestone and making a difference in the lives of over 1,000 newcomers and their families.

Shemina Khimji, Senior Consultant, Diversity & Inclusion, at CIBC, talks how mentoring benefits the organization’s employees and why mentoring and leadership go hand in hand.

“At CIBC we believe diversity and inclusion enables our bank to better understand the needs of our diverse clients and build a strong, innovative, relationship oriented bank. CIBC’s participation in The Mentoring Partnership furthers our commitment to newcomers to Canada which remain a highly skilled, educated, largely untapped talent pool, and a powerful consumer base for our bank. Mentoring is a great way to understand the newcomer experience which ultimately improves the climate of inclusion in the workplace.

The program is a win/win and both parties benefit –The program has provided our team members with an opportunity to expand their exposure through a wider scope of international talent and the experience to think with a global mindset while further developing their coaching skills.

Experiential learning presents one of the best ways to grow. Our mentors step into the shoes of their mentees to understand first-hand the many challenges they face daily, and take away a better appreciation of their mentees skills and abilities. This diversity of thought further enhances innovation at our bank, and helps build deeper connections with our diverse clients.

Organizations who want to lead in the future need to leverage the unique differences of every individual, and create an inclusive, collaborative and barrier-free environment that allows each individual the opportunity to reach their full potential. By committing to newcomer inclusion through mentoring, our mentors demonstrate leadership and make a difference in the lives of their mentees. They coach, guide and share access to their networks which hugely benefits these new Canadians.

Over 75% of CIBC mentees that undergo this program find jobs in their occupation within twelve months. Mentees also show leadership when they take ownership of their job search with proactive networking and by honing their work ethic in the Canadian workplace.

As mentees succeed, many pay it forward to other newcomer mentees, by volunteering to participate as a mentor. At CIBC, we have recognized many mentees who become mentors. Our team member Pradeep Mathur, Senior Director in Risk Management exemplifies this. He was recognized by TRIEC as a former mentee turned mentor, and went on to mentor many more skilled immigrants through the program. He was once again recognized for having mentored over 10 mentees in a few short years. Team members like Pradeep embody the commitment to inclusion and strong sense of giving back to our communities – which is truly a hallmark of CIBC’s culture.”