A well thought-out work
bag means a more
comfortable commute
and greater protection
for vital kit. The intelligently designed Harpsden (£89
from Knomo, previous page) combines a padded 14in
laptop sleeve, 20 litres of gym-kit swallowing capacity
and an ultrasonically welded, water-resistant nylon
skin. And now you’ve got a bag worth being seen with,
here’s our list of essentials to put inside it. Chris HaslamIN THE BAGFinding and retaining good employees
can be tricky and expensive. One
solution lies in mentorships, which
encourage workers to stick around for
longer: evidence from a 2013 study of
Sun Microsystems’ mentor scheme
suggests retention rates are higher
for both mentees and mentors (72
and 69 per cent, respectively) than for
employees who do not participate (49
per cent). Today, more than two-thirds
of Fortune 500 companies run some
sort of mentorship programme. But
setting them up isn’t easy, as there is
no one-size-fits-all template to follow.
Mentorloop is a Melbourne-based
startup that takes the administrative
burden from businesses, and matches
mentors with employees from different
companies and diverse backgrounds
according to their experience, interests
and desired outcomes. In a way, its
software acts like a dating site for
mentoring relationships.
“We believe the right connection
can change your life, and we want to
make that right connection accessible
to everyone,” says Lucy Lloyd, Mentor-
loop’s co-founder. She decided to create
the startup in 2016 over a glass of wine
with a friend, Heidi Holmes. Today, the
company has raised over $1 million
(£780,000) in funding and is gaining a
foothold in the UK, having already signed
up the BBC, Sky, Quilter and Just Eat.
Mentoring is not the same as training,
coaching or supervision where, typically,
new starters are paired up with senior
staff – such as their manager – to share
knowledge of their role and workplace.
But as companies and work teams
become increasingly supple, with
flexible and remote working a new norm,
online platforms such as Mentorloop
can create a company culture that
encourages learning and knowl-
edge-sharing among employees, and_Powerbeats Pro,
£ 219.95 All the seamless
functionality of Apple’s
AirPods, with the added
security of ear hooks –
plus it’s sweat and water
resistant. apple.com_S’well Scarlet, $35
(£27) A stainless steel,
triple-walled flask that
keeps water cold for 24
hours and coffee warm
for 12. swellbottle.com_Fine Stationery
Notebook #146 Croco
Print Poppy Red, £75
Ninety-six sheets of gilt-
edged paper, wrapped in
leather. montblanc.com_Prepd Colors, from
$39 This beautifully
designed, leak-proof,
modular lunchbox also
comes with recipe ideas.
kickstarter.com_Ballpoint Pen 849
Nespresso 2, £39.95
This limited edition of the
Caran d’Ache pen is made
from recycled coffee
pods. carandache.com_Duet Display, free
Dual-screening boosts
productivity, and this
app lets you link your
MacBook to an i-device
via Lightning or 30-pin
cable. duet.display.com_iPad Pro (12.9in),
from £969 Phenomenal
power and productivity,
whether dual-screening
or ditching the laptop
entirely. apple.com_Galaxy S10, from £799
Strikes a helpful balance
between the finesse and
usability of the iPhone
and the extra tech of the
Huawei.samsung.com_PowerPort Atom PD 1,
£35 A minuscule 30W
USB Type-C charger
for topping up all your
tech – including the new
MacBook. anker.comRight: Mentorloop co-founders
Heidi Holmes and Lucy LloydcontinuedPHOTOGRAPHY:VIKK^ SHAYEN.ILLUSTRATION:^ NEASDENCONTROL^ CENTRE>09-19-WSopener.indd 46 19/07/2019 15:21