Our LGBT+ mentoring programme is back and even better

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) and here at the Civil Service LGBT+ Network we’re excited to mark the day by opening registrations for our 2022 Mentoring Programme. You can read more about the 2022 Mentoring Programme on our website.

Registrations open today and close on 17 June 2022.

Changes we’ve made for 2022

We have built on the success of our award winning 2021 programme to develop a more streamlined programme with more options for matching criteria and more robust processes. We have listened to feedback provided on last year’s programme to implement three major changes:

1. Option to match based on your profession of interest
2. Option to match based on your LGBT+ characteristic
3. Biography details to be shared with mentors and mentees

Option to match based on your profession of interest

Last year we matched people based on the profession they worked in and specified on their registration forms. We received feedback that some of you had an interest in moving professions and would have preferred a mentor from the profession that you wanted to move in to. This year we’ve changed the matching process so that you can be matched based on the profession of your choice; whether that’s your existing profession or one you want to move to in the future.

Option to match based on your LGBT+ characteristic

Some of you told us last year that would have preferred to be matched with someone who shared a specific aspect of your identity. There are many benefits to seeking a mentor with similar protected characteristics to you. There is the possibility of similar lived experiences which both mentee and mentors can learn from. Similarities may also help the initial phase of the mentoring relationship and establish a more intersectional approach.

This year you can choose whether your LGBT+ characteristics are taken into consideration when we choose your matches. This process is safe and private: we don’t share your preference or details of your identity with your matches. As there are always different numbers of mentors and mentees, we cannot guarantee that you will be matched with someone sharing your characteristics; but if you opt in and there is someone available, we’ll match you with them.

Biography details to be shared with mentors and mentees

Last year we shared limited information about you with your mentor or mentee as part of the matching process. Many of you indicated that you would have liked a little more information on your matches.

Our updated registration process includesa biography section as part of the registration form for both mentors and mentees. We will share this information with your matches along with your name, department, profession and grade. These biography questions are optional and you don’t have to answer them, however we would encourage you to do so ; sharing a biography can play an important role in familiarising mentees and mentors with each other and managing expectations.

Other changes

We have also refreshed our guidance and resources . You can find guidance for mentors and mentees on our mentoring topic page. We have listened to feedback requesting more supporting resources and we will continue to update these links over the next 4 weeks whilst registration is open. We will also run a refreshed induction for mentors and mentees.

Last year we introduced a clearing process for people who we were unable to successfully match. Feedback on this process demonstrated that it was ineffective and we will not be running a clearing process this year. We are working on a separate offering for those who we are unable to match. More details on this will be published later in the programme.

Our updated matching process

Last year we manually matched people based on profession, grade and department. This year we have developed a digital tool which will allow us to automate the matching process using a set of preassigned criteria. This is a new tool, developed by our volunteer Jonathan Kerr, has been built from scratch with some very complicated maths behind it! It will allow for a faster and more effective matching process which we hope will result in more meaningful matches.

This year, we will match mentors and mentees based on:

• grade: mentors will be one or two grades more senior than their mentees
• department: mentors will not work in the same department as their mentees
• profession: mentees will be matched with someone in their existing profession, or where they have specified a desire to change professions, a profession of their choice.
• LGBT+ characteristics: where they have expressed a desire to be matched based on an aspect of their LGBT+ identity, mentees will be matched with someone who shares their characteristics if one is available.

Register as a mentee, mentor, or both

You can read more about how the mentoring programme works on our website. If you’d like to get involved the first thing you need to do is register!

You can register to become a mentee, mentor or both, using the registration forms below. The deadline for registrations is 17 June 2022.

Please make sure you read our code of conduct before registering. We are excited to receive your application and hope you join the other 850 people who have taken part in this programme so far.

Happy mentoring!

Register to become a mentee Register to become a mentor

2022 Civil Service LGBT+ Network mentoring programme timeline

• 17 May
  Registration opens
• 17 June
  Registration closes
• 9 June to 23 June
  Induction events
• 1 July
  Matching takes place – you will receive an email with your matches the same day
• 4 July to 19 August
  Speed matching takes place
• 1 September
  Long term mentoring begins
• 30 April 2023
  End of programme