Damaris: With pleasure, I am proud to say that 2024 marks the fifth consecutive cohort of our Global Automotive Mentoring Program. This year, we have had more than 100 mentors volunteer to share their expertise, insights and guidance to nurture our talent.
Damaris: The program has a profound impact. It fosters a learning and feedback culture and creates trustful long-term relationships. More than 50 million cars on the road today are equipped with HARMAN Automotive audio and connected car systems. These innovations are powered by the collective intelligence of our diverse global workforce. Mentoring inspires our people to expand their talents and capabilities while creating cross-functional and cross-cultural networks.
Damaris: Our goals include developing employee skills globally through knowledge transfer, broadening and diversifying perspectives, boosting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) and expanding the talent pipeline.
Damaris: What I really love about mentoring is that it is built on two-way learning: giving and taking. Mentees gain significantly from the guidance of experienced mentors – receiving tailored insights, valuable feedback and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Mentors also grow by strengthening their people development skills, enhancing empathy and improving in offering constructive feedback. Moreover, in 2023, the program was even shortlisted in the DE&I category at D.R.I.V.E., Reuters Events annual recognition for automotive excellence.
What are the results of the program so far?
Damaris: We have been constantly improving the program over the past five years through participant feedback surveys. The success of the program is evident in its exponential year-over-year growth, with 966 colleagues across 17 countries participating to date. Many of our mentees have transitioned into the role of mentors to be able to reciprocate that great learning opportunity. Additionally, 96% of participants in the past two years have stayed with HARMAN, with several receiving even internal promotions. We even expanded the initiative with a “reverse-mentoring” program in which senior-level employees (mentees) receive mentoring from more junior-level colleagues (mentors) to strengthen a learning culture in which learning from each other is not limited to age or seniority level.
Damaris: The closing of the fifth (last) cohort of the Global Automotive Mentoring Program will be celebrated in October. In early 2025, the new HARMAN Global Mentoring Program will be launched combining the best of different mentoring programs within HARMAN to greater scale the benefits of cross-cultural, cross-functional and now even cross-divisional mentoring relationships.
Damaris: Thank you for this great interview. I would like to take the opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all the enthusiastic mentors who have made this Mentoring Program a success – there are even three veterans of the program mentoring since 2019, alongside many others returning for their second, third or fourth year!
Furthermore, my heartfelt thanks to the mentoring program leads and the Automotive Talent Management team globally who supported the program passionately. Finally, my appreciation to all mentees, HRBPs, speakers and sponsors for all of their contributions.
Want to learn more about chances for personal growth at HARMAN? Visit https://jobs.harman.com
About Damaris Herrmann
Damaris serves as Director of Global Talent Management for HARMAN Automotive and sits on the Automotive Human Resources Leadership Team. She is responsible for the deployment of integrated Talent Management initiatives and is the architect of the Global Automotive Mentoring Program. Damaris is passionate about driving people, organizational and cultural development initiatives that enable organizations to thrive. Her background includes HR roles as Senior Consultant & Organizational Development as well as Senior Consultant L&D and as Business Development Manager for Americas and Europe at Siemens.
Damaris Herrmann
Director of Global Talent Management at HARMAN International
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