International Mentoring Day 2026: Growing Careers Through Connection

On International Mentoring Day, 17th January, we celebrated the power of investing in our team’s growth. This is precisely what our Global Mentoring Program is designed to do: connect colleagues across continents, teams and seniority levels so they can shape their careers with the support of someone who has walked the path before.

In our most recent cycle, 37 mentoring pairs took part across our offices, from Australia and The Netherlands to the UK and the US. Over six months, mentors and mentees created space to step back from the day to day, talk openly about ambitions and challenges, and focus on what comes next in their careers.

The feedback from this year’s cohort highlights how mentoring has supported people’s development in their roles and helped them to navigate tough decisions, with everyone looking forward to taking part in a future cycle. This reinforces mentoring as a valuable part of how we support career development at Clarity. 

Mentoring at the Heart of the Clarity Compass

The Clarity Compass guides how we shape life at Clarity through three pillars – Culture, Career and Clarity Cares. Our Global Mentoring Program is a core initiative within the Career pillar, giving Clariteers focused time with an experienced colleague to talk about their development, gain exposure to different markets and leadership styles, and builds confidence to take ownership of their next step.

From Conversations to Career Clarity

For our mentees, having a regular, focused conversation about their development helped them to decide what they really wanted from their career and how to move towards it.

One mentee reflected:

“The mentoring program has been fantastic in helping me decide on and achieve my personal and professional goals. It gave me fresh perspectives and practical guidance, which have allowed me to approach challenges with more confidence and focus. I now have a clearer sense of direction and feel better equipped to continue developing and growing in my career.”

This kind of clarity is exactly what the Career pillar is designed to enable. It is not about prescribing a single path, but about helping people understand their options, set realistic goals and build a plan that makes sense for them.

For others, the biggest shift was growth in confidence. Having a mentor who understands our business, yet sits outside their immediate team, can be a powerful combination. It creates a safe space to test ideas, ask questions and receive honest feedback for improved assertiveness and confidence in one’s own judgment. 

Another mentee shared:

“The mentoring program has taught me about different career paths, and given me more confidence in my abilities and experience.”

Opening Global Doors

While the heart of the program is career development, the global element is one of its biggest strengths. Our cross market pairings give people the chance to understand different client landscapes and hear how colleagues in other locations navigate similar challenges.

For someone early in their journey, talking to a mentor on another continent can unlock entirely new possibilities. It helps people imagine roles, specialisms or markets they might not otherwise have considered.

How Mentors Grow Too

The benefits of mentoring are not limited to mentees. For more experienced colleagues, becoming a mentor is also a way to invest in their own growth.

Mentoring supports the Career pillar by offering a chance to practice inclusive leadership across markets, strengthen coaching skills and step back to think about how they share knowledge and feedback. It plays an important role in supporting Employee Wellbeing, and contributes to our focus on DEI by listening to and learning from different lived experiences across our global teams.

Looking Ahead

International Mentoring Day is a reminder that careers do not happen in isolation. They grow through conversations, encouragement and shared experience.

At Clarity, our Global Mentoring Program is one of the clearest expressions of the Clarity Compass in action. It connects Culture, Career and Clarity Cares, and reflects our commitment to being Global, Fearless and Positive in how we support each other.

We are excited to see where our mentors and mentees go next, and how future cycles of the program will continue to help Clariteers connect, grow and thrive together.