Launching a Mentoring Program that Engages and Develops Employees

Wednesday, September 16, 9:00 AM, Room: Spartanburg/Florence Room

This session provides a practical, real-world roadmap for designing and launching a mentoring program that drives employee engagement, professional growth, and organizational impact.

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Transportation & Parking Department, a structured mentoring program was developed in response to direct employee feedback expressing a desire for career development, cross-functional exposure, and stronger connections with leadership. This session walks attendees through the full lifecycle of the program, from concept to execution to evaluation. Participants will learn how to assess organizational readiness, build leadership buy-in, recruit and match mentors and mentees, and implement a structured yet flexible program model.

The session will also highlight lessons learned from launching an inaugural cohort, including strategies for engaging frontline staff, maintaining participation, and measuring success. The inaugural program resulted in strong participant engagement, meaningful mentor-mentee relationships, and increased confidence and career clarity among employees. Real participant feedback, outcomes, and practical tools will be shared to help attendees replicate this model in their own organizations.

This session is ideal for leaders, supervisors, and frontline managers seeking to strengthen employee development, improve retention, and build a culture of continuous learning.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify key steps to design and implement a mentoring program aligned with organizational goals

  • Apply strategies to engage frontline employees and leadership in mentorship initiatives

  • Evaluate mentoring program effectiveness using participant feedback and measurable outcomes

Chris Dobek (UNC Chapel Hill)

Chris Dobek is the Executive Director for Transportation and Parking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his role, Dobek is responsible for leading all operations, setting strategic direction, and ensuring efficient, customer-focused parking and on demand transit services.