Creating a workplace mentoring program can be one of the smartest decisions you ever make that can have a long-lasting impact on your company's success. A strong mentoring program can help the mentor, mentee, and company.
Mentor and Mentee Work Relationships
A mentor at work is an individual who advises, guides and is committed to the career progress and success of their mentee. A mentee is someone who seeks the advice of a mentor and soaks up all their knowledge to succeed in a chosen career or job.
A successful employee mentor program benefits the mentor and the mentee professionally and in life, too. It is a relationship that can continue throughout the lives of the mentor and mentee. Companies should encourage team members to be lifelong learners. Your company will benefit from their newly acquired knowledge.
Reverse Mentoring in The Workplace
The role of employee mentoring is changing in the work environment of today. Traditionally, mentoring has been older workers advising the younger staff members. But, things are changing.
By 2020, millennials will make up half of the global workforce. They are on their way to becoming a majority in many companies and industries. With the abundance of millennials in the workplace, companies are starting to tap into their unique insight and knowledge to help older workers. This concept is known as reverse mentoring. Reverse mentoring allows younger workers to learn from senior staffers and at the same time allow senior staffers to learn from younger junior staffers. Everyone has expertise to share in the workforce of the 21st Century.
Younger members can mentor and guide older workers on better understanding the complexities of digital technology. Remember, they are the generation that grew up with computers in their hands. Millennials can educate their older colleagues on the marketing trends their generation gravitates toward in business.
Older workers can continue to mentor their younger teammates in the areas of understanding the art of business, maintaining a strong work ethic, and succeeding in their careers.
Reverse mentoring produces a mutual exchange that each can benefit from the other. Both generations can enhance each other's performances and complement each other like a baseball and glove to help your company win its game and beat the competition.
Impact of Mentoring on Employees
A mentorship relationship can help employees, especially new ones, feel less isolated and more a part of the team. Employees have greater job satisfaction. Studies reveal that people who are mentored tend to earn raises faster. One can say mentors become the mentee's personal board of directors. Providing tips that can make the mentee more efficient in managing their career. In fact, a study called Does Mentoring Matter? A Multidisciplinary Meta-Analysis Comparing Mentored and Non-Mentored Individuals by a team academic researchers in this subject suggests that employee mentoring encourages and enhances career success for mentees.
Impact of Mentoring on Employers
An effective workplace mentorship program helps companies become more productive, which can impact profits in the long-term. An employee will seek advice from their mentors and make fewer mistakes at work. Companies will have less turnover from employees and more commitment to the company. Moreover, mentoring can be a valuable tool to attract new employees to your company.
Create A Mentoring Program for Your Employees
If you want your company to move to the next level, incorporating a mentoring program is an excellent idea. Make sure your employee mentoring program has a purpose that aligns with your company's objectives and goals. You can produce videos to educate your company mentors on how to fulfill their mentoring duties while satisfying company goals.
Employee mentoring has a long history in the workplace, and it will continue to evolve to meet the challenges and changes in the work environment of the future. One thing that will never change about employee mentoring is it will always reward the mentor and mentee as well as create long-term success for your company at the same time. A win-win situation for everyone involved.
