L&NW Staff01.13.21
Spotlighting and developing future talent is important to the success of the printing industry, and HP and Dscoop recently partnered to play a role in helping to nurture, guide and educate that talent.
In late July 2020, HP and Dscoop launched the Talent Attraction Program (TAP). It involved regular virtual meetings between mentors and mentees, and ended in early November 2020 with a virtual graduation session. The TAP program's objectives:
Soon after Tim Stefl agreed to serve as a TAP mentor, a question came to him that would guide his mentorship: What advice do I wish I would have heard at the beginning of my career that would have made a difference?
Like the mentorship program’s other volunteers, Stefl was eager to lend his time and guidance to his assigned mentee. Stefl is commercial category manager for HP Indigo (USA) and believes in embracing the passion and perspective of tomorrow’s leaders.
He quickly discovered that his mentee, Erin Smith, was a talented artist and designer. She can convert sketches and hand-drawn art into digital pieces, and expressed interested in eventually working at a creative brand like Disney or Hasbro. “Through our mentoring, what I really tried to reinforce was to never apologize for the capabilities and skills you have that others don't,” Stefl says. “We’ve since learned there’s an entire market for the creative skills Erin is passionate about.”
Experts say successful mentorship programs are about listening and coaching rather than instructing. A great mentor takes time to understand the mentee’s goals before offering insight or inspiration that can help. Goodwill can be just as important as good ideas.
“It’s a hallmark of a successful mentoring partnership when both sides can walk away from the relationship feeling as if they’ve gained something,” states Mark Hullum, E2E Training Programs manager for HP Indigo Americas.
That mindset guided Joan Escover, founder and owner of JP Graphics Inc., as she served as a mentor to two TAP program participants. One of them, Zille Huma Humayun, is a trained doctor who reminded Escover of the life lesson to never stop learning. During their conversations, Zille learned how printing is integral to the healthcare industry. Together, they designed personalized stationery that could help Zille stand out from others as she applies for jobs.
“Both sides learning and growing together — that’s what truly makes this program special,” says Dscoop’s Keith Wilmot. During an online meeting at the end of the 90-day period to celebrate and recognize TAP program participants, Keith encouraged everyone to maintain and grow their relationships. “True mentoring never stops.”
In late July 2020, HP and Dscoop launched the Talent Attraction Program (TAP). It involved regular virtual meetings between mentors and mentees, and ended in early November 2020 with a virtual graduation session. The TAP program's objectives:
- Create career opportunities in the print industry for our under-served communities
- Create a talent pipeline for print industry businesses
- Create a nurturing function focused on growing talent
Soon after Tim Stefl agreed to serve as a TAP mentor, a question came to him that would guide his mentorship: What advice do I wish I would have heard at the beginning of my career that would have made a difference?
Like the mentorship program’s other volunteers, Stefl was eager to lend his time and guidance to his assigned mentee. Stefl is commercial category manager for HP Indigo (USA) and believes in embracing the passion and perspective of tomorrow’s leaders.
He quickly discovered that his mentee, Erin Smith, was a talented artist and designer. She can convert sketches and hand-drawn art into digital pieces, and expressed interested in eventually working at a creative brand like Disney or Hasbro. “Through our mentoring, what I really tried to reinforce was to never apologize for the capabilities and skills you have that others don't,” Stefl says. “We’ve since learned there’s an entire market for the creative skills Erin is passionate about.”
Experts say successful mentorship programs are about listening and coaching rather than instructing. A great mentor takes time to understand the mentee’s goals before offering insight or inspiration that can help. Goodwill can be just as important as good ideas.
“It’s a hallmark of a successful mentoring partnership when both sides can walk away from the relationship feeling as if they’ve gained something,” states Mark Hullum, E2E Training Programs manager for HP Indigo Americas.
That mindset guided Joan Escover, founder and owner of JP Graphics Inc., as she served as a mentor to two TAP program participants. One of them, Zille Huma Humayun, is a trained doctor who reminded Escover of the life lesson to never stop learning. During their conversations, Zille learned how printing is integral to the healthcare industry. Together, they designed personalized stationery that could help Zille stand out from others as she applies for jobs.
“Both sides learning and growing together — that’s what truly makes this program special,” says Dscoop’s Keith Wilmot. During an online meeting at the end of the 90-day period to celebrate and recognize TAP program participants, Keith encouraged everyone to maintain and grow their relationships. “True mentoring never stops.”
