Aerial view of the Madison isthmus with Lake Mendota on the left
Human Resources
Erin Hillson, Human Resources Director

Mentorship Program

The City of Madison Mentorship Program was piloted in 2023 and continues to grow. In the past two years, 34 mentees and 20 mentors have participated in our program, for a total of 54 City Staff. Participants represent 60% of agencies across the organization and hold various roles in our organization like

  1. Equal Opportunity Investigator
  2. Community Engagement Specialist
  3. Youth Services Librarian
  4. Administrative Clerk
  5. Director
  6. Bilingual Municipal Clerk
  7. Data Analyst
  8. Planner
  9. Chief of Staff
  10. Section 8 Supervisor 

Why Mentorship?

Mentoring is associated with a variety of individual and organizational benefits, yet there exists organizational and structural barriers to facilitating mentoring relationships at the City of Madison. In the 2019 MAC/WIC Survey, less than half of respondents reported receiving mentoring for professional growth. This is an ongoing trend, as identified by the 2018 Employee Voice Survey, where only 42% responded favorably about the City’s quality in coaching and mentoring employees.

BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color) employees and women are underrepresented in supervisor and management position within the City of Madison. This underrepresentation is intensified when viewed through an intersectionality lens. As of 2022 there were over 300 supervisor positions and fewer than 6% of these positions were held by women of color. 

Benefits to Mentorship

Mentor BenefitsMentee Benefits
  • Practice your coaching skills
  • Grow your influence as a leader and advisor
  • Gain new perspective and insights from mentees
  • Networking opportunities
  • Give back by developing others
  • Develop your leadership skills
  • Position yourself for advancement opportunities
  • Receive feedback and coaching
  • Networking opportunities
  • Transfer skills and experience to other mentor relationships
Sources: An in-depth case study at Sun Microsystems & Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Mentorship Program Goals

The City of Madison’s Mentorship Program is designed with the following goals in mind:

  1. Leadership Development: Focusing on the growth and development of mentors and mentees.
  2. Diversity and Inclusion: Promoting belonging, retention, and advancement of diverse employees.
  3. Organizational Learning: Increasing cross-agency socialization, collaboration, and learning.
  4. Capacity Building: Building capacity for citywide mentoring for the future. 

Mentorship Program Outcomes

Outcomes of the Mentorship Program include but aren’t limited to:

  • A standout achievement is that 100% of participants agreed the program was effective in fostering mutual trust and respect, underscoring its success in building positive interpersonal relationships.
  • Every participant (100%) agreed that their views on work-related issues were respectfully heard, showing that the program has created a culture of respect and open dialogue.
  • An overwhelming 93.75% of participants felt a sense of belonging and that their unique attributes and backgrounds were valued, indicating that the program has successfully taken steps to foster an inclusive environment.

Join the 2025 Mentorship Cohort

If you’re interested in joining the 2025 Cohort of the City of Madison’s Mentorship Program, please complete the Mentorship Nomination Form.  All completed nomination forms must be sent to jwinston@cityofmadison.com by January 17, 2025. 

Recruitment Process

Mentorship Program Recruitment Process Overview

Growing Leaders from Within: How to Start a Mentorship Program

Are you interested in implementing a mentorship program for your team or agency?

Please contact jwinston@cityofmadison.com for more information and find mentorship program materials below. 

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Organizational Development