Careers I Good advice Mentoring, memorably described as a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction, is a surefire way to fast-track your career to success. Colette Doyle hears how those participating in such schemes can reap the benefits not just professionally, but also personally n business, mentoring has long been known as a way for the more experienced to pass on words of wisdom to those starting out. Now, it has evolved to become an important tool in the struggle to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Colour of Research (CORe) is an advocacy group for the inclusion of ethnic minority professionals in the market research industry, and launched the second wave of its mentorship programme last summer. One of its mentors, Rajdeep Chana, senior manager of business development at Lucid, says the scheme came about because people of colour in the industry felt there was a lack of mentors who shared their lived experiences. By connecting research professionals who were struggling with issues around bias in their organisation, faced microaggressions and, in some cases, serious issues around discrimination, we felt that we could finally provide the support that had been lacking in the industry for too long, she says. Nicole Duckworth, head of Europe at PRS In Vivo, recently joined the Market Research Societys (MRSs) mentoring scheme, and notes that, while it is generally accepted that inclusive teams are more productive and engaged and that diverse teams outperform non-diverse ones the challenge of unconscious bias has been known to undermine this. As she observes: Mentoring provides the opportunity for individuals to explore, in a safe space, what may be hindering the creation of an inclusive workplace. It also harnesses the people in an organisation to learn and grow together, to share experiences and knowledge and create the desired culture. Eva De Arriba Calero is the director for UK mid-market account sales development at American Express, and a mentor on the lead advisory panel 50 Impact ISSUE 37 2022_pp50-51_Careers.indd 50 28/03/2022 15:36