Learning and Development

At Mercer, we strive to develop our business while also developing our people. We’re committed to providing the tools and resources that our employees need to learn, develop, and succeed. Our employees learn through formal and informal methods. This ongoing development allows employees to grow professionally and technically, which prepares them to do the best work for Mercer’s clients.

What Does it Mean to Work for Mercer?

Working for Mercer means:

• Working with the world’s leading companies and organizations to help them meet their most critical business challenges – Mercer counts 9 out of 10 Fortune® 100 companies among its clients

• Working with the best and brightest people, colleagues who are committed to exceeding the high standards set by our clients – and by ourselves

• Working for a company that offers a vast array of learning and development opportunities

• Working for a company that conducts business with the very highest standards of integrity

On the Job

We continually strive to attract and retain top talent by offering outstanding learning experiences and career development. Learning and doing go hand in hand. Our work environment and projects often double as our classroom – where new skills are gained, applied, and shared with colleagues and clients.

As a global organization, Mercer provides you with unique professional opportunities to:

• Work with premier clients
  
• Learn and develop continuously
  
• Contribute ideas as a peer and participate in the creation of innovative solutions
  
• Build skills in an atmosphere of uncompromising integrity and professionalism

As a member of the Mercer team, you work directly on client projects and gain exposure to many industries, while addressing the most challenging HR issues. We encourage knowledge sharing and personal initiative. By being fully involved in the life cycle of a project, you gain insights from experienced consultants, learn best practices, see the value of our engagements realized within a short time, and gain client exposure early in your career.

By working on a variety of projects simultaneously, you will also discover that opportunities are limitless as you demonstrate your talent and commitment.

There are also many opportunities to learn through collaborative and individual learning channels. Mercer offers self-paced and informal learning opportunities, including:

• Computer-based training
  
• Face-to-face learning events
  
• Knowledge management tools
  
• Business- and function-specific “Town Hall” meetings

Formal Training

Mercer is committed to assisting colleagues in attaining both their personal and professional goals. We encourage employees to build their professional knowledge and skills through job-related educational courses and programs, and we offer a host of self-directed online courses.

The Company has established the Tuition Assistance Program to help eligible employees develop their skills and upgrade their performance by pursuing qualified undergraduate or graduate degrees. We also offer support programs for certain professional certifications and designations.

In support of professional certifications and designations, Mercer offers study time, resources, and even financial incentives for passing the required examinations and achieving a certification or designation for the following:

• Actuarial Study Program
  
• American Society of Pension Actuaries Study Program
  
• Certified Employee Benefit Specialist Study Program
  
• Certified Compensation Professional Study Program
  
• Certified Benefits Professional Study Program
  
• Chartered Financial Analyst Study Program

Employees in the Actuarial Study Program are eligible for:

• Paid study time (generally three days per hour of exam, up to 15 days)
  
• Paid time off on the day of the exam
  
• Reimbursement for exam fees and related study materials
  
• Salary increases to compensate employees for growth in competencies, skills, and knowledge
  
• One-time bonus for passing an exam on the first sitting or for becoming an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), Enrolled Actuary, or Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA)

Formal Feedback

Having a successful career takes careful thought, planning, and support. Mercer understands the importance of people development for our employees and our business. We want to help employees achieve their full potential and develop new areas of knowledge and skill. To ensure employees have valuable learning opportunities, we have developed our own performance management process – Partnering for Success (PfS).

Mercer’s Partnering for Success (PfS) program is designed to assist employees with their learning and development needs. PfS is built on the belief that success is a shared responsibility. As part of PfS, employees partner with their supervisors to:

• Establish and measure performance expectations
  
• Plan and track career progression
  
• Identify key learning and development opportunities

Twice each year, you will discuss learning and development plans with your supervisor as well as benefit from multi-source feedback from peers and other colleagues.

Multi-source feedback is gathered at mid-year. The mid-year review is all about you: your career, your aspirations and your development. As a Mercer employee, the Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) system helps you gather information on your performance from colleagues, peers, and leaders. MSF also helps the people you work with every day request the same feedback from you.

For new graduates who are just beginning their careers, PfS provides a great opportunity to plan your future and achieve your goals.