MentorFinder: The App Making Mentorship Accessible at Salesforce
Learn how Salesforce is leading the way in professional development and how our employees are using an app to kickstart their mentorship journeys.
In today’s rapidly changing business world, especially with the rise of AI and new work dynamics, the relationship between a mentor and a mentee is more important than ever.
Research conducted by Deloitte and Women Ahead found that 87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their mentoring relationships and as a result, have developed greater confidence. Salesforce understands how impactful mentorship can be for careers, and with over 76,000 employees spread across the globe, finding the right mentor can be a challenge.
That’s where MentorFinder comes in — an innovative app built on Salesforce technologies by Salesforce — that makes mentorship accessible to everyone, regardless of your role or location. And at Salesforce, we’re no stranger to innovation. As one of our core values, we continually seek new ways to innovate and drive progress in the digital labor revolution. Whether it’s through new ideas, solutions, or technologies that help our customers and employees succeed, the creation of MentorFinder is a perfect example of this commitment./
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To learn more about MentorFinder, we spoke with Cecilia M., an Employee Learning & Development Manager at Salesforce, who plays a key role in expanding the app’s functionality and overseeing the MentorFinder strategy. Let’s dive into how Salesforce is leading the way in professional development and how our employees are using this app to kickstart their mentorship journeys.
Discovering mentorship at Salesforce: The inspiration behind MentorFinder
When talking with Cecilia about the inspiration behind the app, she explained that the original idea originated from a hackathon in EMEA. A small team of solution engineers built the first version. Cecilia also pointed out how the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for an app that connected people globally and remotely:
“After COVID, with more than half of our employees working remotely, the need for connection became even more apparent. People only knew those they worked with directly, limiting opportunities for mentorship and career growth. We decided to scale MentorFinder globally to provide an open catalog where employees could easily find and connect with mentors willing to share their knowledge and experience.”
How MentorFinder facilitates career growth
As we enter the digital labor revolution, mentorship plays a crucial role in upskilling and staying adaptable. Launching in April of 2023, the app today is used by over 15,000 employees globally.
The MentorFinder app is designed to make finding and connecting with a mentor as seamless as possible, ensuring that every employee has the opportunity to benefit from mentorship in a structured way that supports employees through various stages of their professional journey. And how does MentorFinder do that?
- Detailed Profiles: This feature allows employees to highlight what they’re looking for in a mentorship experience and what they can offer. This transparency helps mentees identify the best matches, fostering meaningful and productive relationships from the start.
- Mentor Directory: MentorFinder also features a mentor directory which allows mentees to browse through a catalog of available mentors, which they can further filter by expertise, experience, location, and more.
- Bookmarking: Employees are able to bookmark potential mentors they’re interested in if they’re not ready to reach out immediately.
- Conversation Starters: If employees aren’t sure what to say when reaching out, the platform includes templates and conversation starters to help users initiate, navigate, and conclude their mentorship relationships effectively.
Cecilia emphasizes that, “by investing in mentorship at Salesforce, we are not only supporting individual career growth but also reinforcing Salesforce’s leadership in the future of work.” Additionally, Cecilia highlights the benefit of fostering a culture of growth through mentorship at Salesforce: “With Agentforce transforming the way we work, continuous learning and knowledge-sharing have never been more critical.
Mentorship helps employees stay ahead by fostering a culture of growth, equipping them with the skills and insights needed to thrive in an evolving landscape. Through mentorship, employees are not only equipped with the skills and insights needed to navigate the evolving landscape, but they’re also ensuring that they remain at the forefront of their fields.”
Real stories: Transforming careers through mentorship
Employees at Salesforce have provided positive feedback about the platform for its structured approach to connecting mentors and mentees.
Saksham Soni, a Software Engineering AMTS at Salesforce, used MentorFinder as a mentee and ended up finding his mentor, Martin. Saksham credits his mentorship experience as a significant impact not only in his professional life, but in his day-to-day:
“MentorFinder gave me a structured way to reach out to people across the organization. We connected, shared our backgrounds, and the mentorship grew very naturally from there.
I initially tried MentorFinder as a bit of an experiment after reading Marc Benioff’s Behind the Cloud, where he emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor. That really stuck with me. I wanted guidance not just for career growth but for navigating the ups and downs that come with it.
“I asked Martin a lot of questions around building confidence in my work and improving my networking skills. He not only shared practical advice but also offered a lot of emotional support. He helped me understand and manage my emotions better, which had a big impact — not just at work, but in my personal life too.”
MentorFinder also serves as way to give back to those who are looking to be in a Mentor position. Annie Christiansen, a Business Operations Senior Director, shared her motivation behind becoming a mentor at Salesforce:
“Before I was a people leader at work, I coached rowing. I believe that people leaders should be coaches and mentors to their teams, but I also know that sometimes people want to explore new paths. I wanted to be a mentor at Salesforce to help others develop in their careers or just in themselves and their self-awareness.”
Since joining the MentorFinder app, Annie has been able to support 2 mentees that found her through the platform: “2 of my current mentees found me through MentorFinder. While I’m technically the mentor, I believe that any strong relationship is mutually beneficial.
My mentees and I come from different backgrounds and our relationship is rooted in trust and confidentiality. That allows us to be open and honest when it comes to how we’re showing up for work and subsequently, our mentoring sessions.
We spoke with one of Annie’s mentees, Dana Stephenson, who works as an Equality Sponsorship Programs Manager. Dana mentioned that “Mentors have been an absolute game-changer throughout my career providing invaluable for both my personal and professional growth.” It was Dana’s positive experience in the past with mentorship that spurred her to looking for a mentor as a fairly new employee at Salesforce:
“MentorFinder empowered me to proactively search for individuals based on my specific professional development goals, clearly articulate my desired outcomes, and directly connect with potential mentors who aligned with my needs.”
Dana reflected on her relationship with Annie as her mentor and stated the following: “My mentor played a crucial role in helping me establish a more efficient and informative approach to stakeholder communication through well-structured resources.
“She guided to further consider the diverse information needs of my stakeholders and anticipate their common questions and pain points.” Dana also highlights a common byproduct of mentorship that a lot of people positively benefit from: friendship.
Dana described how, “my mentor began by helping me understand the nuances of program and project management at Salesforce, but has since become a friend.
“Our connection extends far beyond professional guidance to include sharing travel tips, resource sharing, internal network building, and much more. Mentorship is an invaluable gift that profoundly enriches both your career and your life.”
The future of career growth at Salesforce
Cecilia emphasizes that there’s never been a more important time to build mentoring relationships.
“With Agentforce driving the future of work, mentorship plays a crucial role in upskilling our workforce, ensuring employees can adapt, innovate, and thrive in this digital labor revolution.”
In addition to the launch of MentorFinder, we’re continuing to innovate with Career Connect, our internal AI-powered tool that delivers personalized recommendations for upskilling, learning on Trailhead, and exploring new job opportunities across the company.
Career Connect serves as our one-stop-shop for Salesforce employees to access learning and development programs, while also making it even easier for employees to get matched with job opportunities and learning resources all in one seamless experience.
“Mentorship is a strategic advance, not just a nice-to-have.” Cecilia shares. “It accelerates learning, strengthens our culture, and helps us all grow — personally, professionally, and as a company.” With MentorFinder, we’re providing the tools for our employees to take charge of their career, guiding them on a path of personal and professional growth, self-exploration, and maybe even friendship.
If you’re ready to accelerate your career using the power of mentorship and AI, apply for an open position today.
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