One drug company learns that investing in small changes can reap large rewards.

The following story was shared by Michael Kauer, director of organizational development at Covance.

Client>>

A large drug development services company with more than 10,000 employees in 60 countries

Problem>>

The companys five-year-old mentoring program was growing exponentially, making it increasingly difficult for senior HR leaders to manually administer and operate the program.

Diagnosis>>

The current programs operating procedures were inefficient, costing the company valuable staff time and resources. During frequent and lengthy meetings that took place over the course of three months, senior HR leaders reviewed web applications and manually matched mentors and mentees according to their stated development needs, preferences, business units, and locations. Behind the scenes, administrative employees logged the applications and communicated program logistics to each participant via email.

After participants were matched, they were required to attend an on-site, eight-hour program orientation. The company also created 80-page, glossy program guides and shipped one to each participant, along with journals and T-shirts.

The company surveyed program participants, and 72 percent of respondents reported that they hadnt looked at the guides beyond the orientation session. While overall program satisfaction was high, program implementation and back-end administration were in need of an overhaul.

Methods>>

Kauer and the company searched for a technology solution that would increase operational efficiency. They discovered that such solutions were relatively

inexpensive, and they chose one that could streamline the application and matching process.

Now, through the new system hosted by a third-party vendor, each mentee completes a profile and is instantly provided a list of his top three mentor matches. Mentees can pick one of these potential matches or peruse additional mentor profiles. Mentors can choose to accept or decline a mentorship and can determine how many total mentees they will accept.

The company also overhauled the program orientation, which is now conducted via a 90-minute virtual WebEx session. In place of the costly 80-page participant guide, only the most pertinent program information is conveyed through a series of handouts posted online. This material includes checklists of key mentoring activities; participants first meeting tool; a dialogue prompt tool; and tips for distance mentoring success.

Results>>

Senior HR leaders previously spent approximately 300 hours collectively to review and match applicants; with the new online program, they spend zero hours on this process. The prior program cost $491 per participant; the new program, including the cost of technology, adds up to $114 per participant. In its second year, all feedback about the online program has been positive: Participants report that the system is easy to use, and their overall satisfaction level is the same or better than with the previous program.