HCLTech Scales Upskilling & Innovation through Mentoring

Overview

The rapid technological advancements of the 21st century have disrupted industries worldwide, forcing organizations to adapt or risk obsolescence. For HCLTech, a global technology company with more than 220,000 employees across 60 countries, adaptation alone is not enough. The company works to stay ahead of the curve by anticipating and leading technological innovation.

“We are always at the forefront when it comes to new skills,” says Shaily Rampal, Associate Vice President of HR at HCLTech. As an industry leader, Rampal emphasizes the importance of fostering an environment where employees can continuously learn, grow and upskill to sustain a competitive edge.

The Challenge

HCLTech is constantly evolving and innovating to best support the growth, learning, engagement and retention of its employee base. In 2023, HCLTech launched a global mentorship program—branded MentorMe—to harness the collective expertise of its workforce and drive individual and organizational excellence on a global scale. While mentoring had long been part of its culture, HCLTech leadership recognized mentorship could be evolved further via standardization, scalability, easier access and democratization wherein employees are put in the driver’s seat to steer their mentorship journey.

“Our business imperative is that we need large volumes of employees to be skilled in emerging technologies,” says Rampal. “We see mentoring as a key driver for that, and we needed a scalable, structured approach to make it happen.”

“Our business imperative is that we need large volumes of employees to be skilled in emerging technologies. We see mentoring as a key driver for that, and we needed a scalable, structured approach to make it happen.”
– Shaily Rampal
Associate Vice President of HR, HCLTech

The Solution

HCLTech partnered with Chronus to implement a robust, enterprise-wide mentoring initiative. Chronus proved to be the optimal choice for large and global businesses like HCLTech, offering unmatched scalability, advanced customization and comprehensive insights to support employees at every level.

Enterprise-Grade Scalability Powers Seamless Mentorship Across Organization

With its large, diverse, global workforce, HCLTech required a platform that could handle large-scale participation effortlessly while delivering consistent performance. Chronus’ enterprise-grade technology enables HCLTech to onboard and manage thousands of mentors and mentees efficiently, with no downtime or lag.

“Given the scale of our organization, with thousands of employees and mentors, it was impossible to manage mentoring manually,” said Rampal. “Leveraging technology not only made the process more efficient but also enabled us to support the volumes and diverse needs of our global workforce effectively.”

Chronus’ powerful platform ensures organizations of any size can run mentoring programs seamlessly, providing employees with an intuitive, user-friendly experience. Whether it’s managing mentor-mentee connections, sending reminders or scaling programs globally, Chronus makes enterprise mentoring easy to execute.

“One of the key factors in choosing Chronus was their proven experience working with organizations of our size,” said Sarah Fayard, Global Mentorship Lead at HCLTech. “We needed a platform that could scale seamlessly across our more than 220,000 employees, and Chronus had a track record of successfully supporting large enterprises like ours.”

Customizable Solutions Align Mentoring with Diverse Workforce Needs

One of HCLTech’s primary requirements was the flexibility to tailor mentoring programs for different employee segments. Chronus’ customizable platform allows HCLTech to design programs—matching criteria, tasks and surveys—for specific audiences.

“Chronus enabled us to consolidate best practices and offer tailored solutions that align with the diverse goals of our employees,” said Rampal.

For example, mentoring circles led by subject matter experts fosters collaboration and resource sharing, while group mentoring programs for early-career employees help employees build critical skills in high-demand technologies. Chronus’ flexibility allows HCLTech to create meaningful mentoring experiences across different geographies, talent levels and business needs.

Data-Driven Insights Optimize Mentoring Impact and Engagement

Chronus empowers organizations to continuously improve their mentoring programs with robust reporting tools and actionable insights. HCLTech leverages these capabilities to monitor program performance, identify trends and ensure alignment with organizational goals.

“The global reports are incredibly valuable for us because they provide a high-level view of overall mentorship engagement, while also allowing us to dive into specific program details,” said Fayard. “These insights help us track participation, identify trends and ensure the program is meeting its goals across our diverse workforce.”

Additionally, automated program alerts help admins stay on top of issues or program challenges and Chronus improves participation by integrating with existing HCLTech employee tools. It also enables participants to connect their Outlook and Google calendars, making scheduling meetings between participants easy and effective. Similarly, Chronus’ integration with Microsoft Teams allows mentors and mentees to send messages and interact with surveys within the platform they’re already using on a daily basis.

“These features ensure that we have the data and connectivity we need to effectively manage mentoring at scale,” Fayard added.

Mentoring Moments: Leaving an Impact on Employees

The MentorMe program has had a profound impact on both mentors and mentees, fostering growth, learning and meaningful connections. Here’s what participants had to say:

Mentee Feedback

“I personally loved this program. It is a great opportunity for me to speak with leaders. My mentor always pushed me towards my goals and motivated me.” – Mentee

“MentorMe has helped me professionally in technical skills, communicating skills and improving job effectiveness.” – Mentee

“The program helped me to set a clear vision of what I am going to achieve with a timeline. Mentor-Mentee discussions were fruitful which helped me to think of solutions in different directions. Overall, the program was useful to me.” – Mentee

Mentor Feedback

“I get tremendous value from helping my colleagues get the most out of their career. Mentoring is as rewarding to mentors as it is to mentees, perhaps even more.” – Mentor

“It is a great platform to share our knowledge and experience and to learn from the mentee for the expertise and knowledge they have.” – Mentor

“I believe in rising by lifting others. Serving as a Circle Lead (mentor) has been a great experience, supporting others. Our core mission is to help others step into their ultimate potential.” – Mentor

The Impact

After launching MentorMe, HCLTech has achieved significant results:

• Enrollment: The program grew 240% in its second year, reaching 44,800 users and 15,400 active connections after launching organization-wide in October 2023
• Retention: Connected participants had a 15% higher retention rate than their peers
• Career Mobility: Connected participants were 17% more likely to experience role changes compared to non-participants
• Satisfaction: Participants reported a 90% positive experience rating

As the program matures, HCLTech is prioritizing its focus on long-term impacts like retention and career progression

“The first year, we were really focused on enrollment,” said Fayard. “Who are we enrolling? What are those numbers? How many of them are actively connecting? How many of them are meeting? Now, as the program matures, we’re starting to shift our focus to the impact of mentoring, looking at retention and promotion metrics.”

Rampal highlighted the critical role mentoring plays in preparing employees to navigate the rapidly evolving IT landscape.

“How do we gear up for that, and how can we be at the forefront of that change?” said Rampal. “Mentoring is definitely going to play an important part in getting us ready for the next wave.”

By expanding its mentor network and focusing on long-term objectives, HCLTech is well-positioned to further drive employee development and organizational success.

Conclusion

HCLTech partnered with Chronus to deliver mentoring opportunities tailored to employee goals, and addressing challenges like retention, engagement and productivity—key drivers of success. Chronus’ scalable platform:

• automates matching, scheduling and feedback
• streamlines program management
• allows organizations to focus on strategic priorities while maximizing impact

HCLTech’s partnership with Chronus has transformed and scaled its mentoring initiative into a global, connected and impactful program empowering its employees worldwide.

One of the key factors in choosing Chronus was their proven experience working with organizations of our size. We needed a platform that could scale seamlessly across our more than 220,000 employees, and Chronus had a track record of successfully supporting large enterprises like ours.
– Sarah Fayard
Global Mentorship Lead, HCLTech

Why Global Organizations Choose Chronus

Leading enterprises turn to Chronus for its powerful, scalable platform to address key workplace challenges like disengagement, turnover and disconnected teams, especially in remote and hybrid environments. Chronus mentoring software enables organizations to leverage mentoring and employee communities to create meaningful connections, enhance engagement and promote continuous learning.

With its simplicity, strong security protocols and proven scalability, Chronus helps companies efficiently manage and grow programs that drive retention, productivity and collaboration. Trusted by brands like Amazon, LVMH, ExxonMobil, T-Mobile, Harvard University and Paychex, Chronus breaks down silos and builds a culture of development and connection, ensuring employees are engaged and supported. For organizations looking to nurture talent and stay competitive, Chronus is the solution.