Mentoring for Success

Building Leaders and Solving Hiring Gaps

Mentoring for success has become one of the most valuable tools in the professional development journey at Vital Heating Solutions. Responsible for strategy, partnerships, and development, the team has seen how the right guidance at the right time can reshape careers, strengthen teams, and solve real hiring challenges.

This article shares how mentoring has influenced leadership growth, helped tackle recruitment issues, and transformed how the business supports its people.

This isn’t theory—it’s practical, human, and impactful. For organisations facing similar struggles with recruitment or staff development, mentoring might be the missing link.

What Mentoring for Success Means

Mentoring for success is about intentional growth built on trust. It isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about listening, asking better questions, and making space for reflection and progress.

The mentoring journey began through a connection with Alex from BT Group. That guidance helped shift thinking from short-term tasks to long-term impact. It led to more strategic thinking, deeper self-awareness, and alignment with broader organisational goals.

Inspired by this support, mentoring became a core part of how leadership is now expressed. Internally, team members are now mentored to develop their own paths—with the mentor learning just as much along the way.

Why Mentoring Matters in the Industry

Vital Heating Solutions operates in a fast-evolving sector: heating, renewables, and energy efficiency. Like many others in the trades, there is a real skills gap. Finding the right people is hard—keeping them is often harder.

Mentoring has helped bridge this gap. It doesn’t just support individuals—it builds a culture where people are seen, supported, and given room to grow.

Here’s why mentoring has made a difference:

It builds confidence—particularly for apprentices, career changers, and underrepresented groups.
It creates clarity—employees better understand their future and how to reach it.
It helps grow talent internally—rather than always hiring externally, the focus shifts to developing from within.
It improves recruitment—strong candidates are drawn to organisations that prioritise growth.

By embedding mentoring in the culture, Vital Heating Solutions is investing in its people—and in its future.

How Mentoring Has Developed Leadership

Mentoring sessions with Alex have challenged leadership to shift focus—from managing tasks to shaping impact. These conversations helped improve how partnerships are led, how team development is approached, and how recruitment is refined with purpose.

Key areas of development have included:

Defining leadership values
Building influence across teams
Supporting emerging talent
Introducing a mentoring framework
Making recruitment more consistent and focused

These insights have led to greater confidence in decision-making—and a stronger ability to support others doing the same.

Supporting Internal Growth Through Mentoring

A highlight of recent months has been mentoring team members directly. One example is the work done with the marketing manager, who has taken the lead in addressing recruitment challenges while refining their own career direction.

Together, they’ve explored:

Recognising transferable skills
Improving internal visibility
Building meaningful external partnerships
Rethinking recruitment content and platforms
Owning personal development goals

The outcome? Stronger confidence, clearer direction, and more impactful recruitment messaging that reflects the true values of the business.

Rethinking Recruitment Through a Mentoring Lens

Recruitment has been a significant challenge in the local area. Honest mentoring conversations helped the team revisit the entire process and uncover fresh solutions.

Here’s what was changed:

Job descriptions – Simplified, stripped of jargon, and realigned to reflect values rather than just experience.
Advertising platforms – New channels were explored, especially those targeting underrepresented and skilled trade audiences.
Internal culture – A stronger focus was placed on offering support and development—not just a job.

These changes attracted candidates who genuinely connected with the company’s mission.

What Makes Mentoring Effective

Five principles have shaped the mentoring approach:

Be Present
It’s not about having answers. It’s about listening and being fully there in the moment.
Set Clear Intentions
Every session has a goal—whether it’s growth, support, or solving a challenge.
Create Accountability
The mentee drives the action. The mentor’s role is to guide, challenge, and support.
Encourage Reflection
Insight comes from stepping back. Reflection leads to clarity and growth.
Keep It Real
Mentoring works best when it’s honest, human, and open—even when things are tough.

Building a Mentoring Culture in the Workplace

To embed mentoring into the business, these key actions have been taken:

Start with leadership – Leaders must model mentoring behaviour.
Create structure – A simple framework, clear check-ins, and open feedback loops help maintain consistency.
Match carefully – Pairing is done based on trust, learning styles, and goals—not just job roles.
Train mentors – Even natural mentors need guidance. Basic coaching skills make a difference.
Celebrate progress – Small wins matter. Every milestone should be acknowledged.

When mentoring becomes part of the culture, improvements follow in engagement, recruitment, retention, and morale.

Real Impact: Mentoring Apprentices

A standout moment this year has been the nomination of a female apprentice for the Apprentice of the Year award at the North West Energy Efficiency Awards. Mentoring helped her build technical skills, confidence, and a strong presence on the team.

She’s brought fresh thinking and grown quickly—thanks to the support she received early on.

Dave, a previous winner in 2022, has also been re-nominated and now mentors others himself. His journey reflects the ripple effect of mentoring—today’s learners become tomorrow’s leaders.

This isn’t just development. It’s legacy.

The Role of We Are Power

The mentoring journey began through a partnership with We Are Power. Their platform connects women and allies across industries, focusing on trust, equity, and collaboration.

Through this connection, Alex from BT Group became a mentor—and changed the course of leadership at Vital Heating Solutions.

This partnership continues to offer insight, perspective, and inspiration. For any business committed to investing in people, it’s worth exploring: https://wearepower.net/home

Long-Term Benefits of Mentoring

Mentoring is already delivering real results at Vital Heating Solutions, but the long-term gains are even more valuable:

Clearer paths for progression
Better recruitment outcomes
Improved retention
Stronger decision-making
A lasting culture of support and growth

Mentoring isn’t a programme. It’s a mindset.

Conclusion

Mentoring for success has reshaped how people are developed at Vital Heating Solutions. It has strengthened leadership, supported team growth, and solved real business problems.

For organisations thinking about mentoring, the first step is simple: start a conversation. Be present. Be open. Watch it grow.