Identify prospective mentees that your program will target and explore how these individuals will benefit from mentorship. Where the target employees are in their professional journeys. What developmental needs the program will address. What can motivate these individuals to participate in your program.
Set objectives for your mentoring program with a persona for your typical mentee in mind. Choose objectives that are clear, measurable and attainable. These objectives can help organizational leaders understand the value of your program and give your mentors clear targets to aim for. Mentoring programs in the workplace can take many forms. Whether the mentor-mentee relationship will be one on one, project-based or in a group setting.
Chart the process from program enrollment to objectives completion through an assessment that will help you determine how beneficial the mentorship was to those involved. A diagram can help you visualize the critical steps your mentors and mentees will take.
Create an evaluation of the mentorship program. Successful mentoring programs in the workplace rely on a diverse pool of mentors and mentees. You might choose to accept applications from anyone interested in the program or reach out to participants on an invitation-only basis.
Gather useful details about your participants, such as their professional backgrounds, key skill sets, strengths and weaknesses. Choose mentors who are successful and well-respected within the company. Select mentees who are dedicated to the job and positioned for advancement with further skill building and education.
How does this help the employee and your company? Defining your desired outcomes for an employee mentoring program from the beginning helps you address your needs best. For example, at a software company, you might state that a mentoring program goal is for incoming and junior level software engineers to be able to acclimate to your environment, understand your processes and help achieve company goals. With those goals in mind, you can set milestones for your mentors to use as benchmarks.
You can also decide what tools and resources e. Strong employee mentoring programs have one or two people who oversee the program at-large. This could be someone from your HR team or an employee who is passionate about mentoring.
A match should be based on the skills of the mentor and the needs of the mentee. They also have the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully deliver the desired outcomes of your program. So doing helps the learning take hold while building confidence in the mentee and trust in the mentor and supervisor. Plus, in client-facing roles, this approach may help forge new relationships with customers and may help keep them at ease in the event of a handoff.
Studies show that people who participate in workplace mentorship programs both mentees and mentors are more likely to be promoted than their peers. Mentoring programs are not a replacement for performance management processes or day-to-day leadership.
That would undermine the authority of their actual manager. Rather, if performance issues arise with a mentor or mentee, your program should have a plan for modifying the mentor relationship when needed and communicating with the supervisor who should address the issue. In fact, establishing a program timeline at the outset can help motivate participants to make the most of the opportunity.
Plus, in larger companies, repeating mentoring cycles may help ensure that everyone who wants to participate can do so without overwhelming any of the mentors. Mentoring can take place over the course of a year, a season, or even a quarter. Mentor programs can go a long way to help foster growth. And, arguably, mentoring may be seen as an ongoing leadership competency in our rapidly changing world of work.
When the mentorship period is over, consider holding a special wrap-up meeting, luncheon or recognition ceremony to mark the occasion. You can also showcase mentors and mentees in a company newsletter so that you not only celebrate participants, but also build buzz for the future.
Want to learn more about creating effective employee development programs that set your business up for success? Download our free magazine: The Insperity guide to leadership and management. Most companies hold annual performance assessments, but feedback during these sessions is not always helpful if you leave employees without the resources and coaching they need to address areas of growth and improvement for the rest of the year.
Great point, Jessie. Connect with us for 30 minutes today to learn more about starting a world-class mentoring program. Book a 30 minute demo with our team and find out how we can help your organization thrive. Sign In. Articles Library. Ryan Carruthers November 22, Why new employees need mentorship Research has found that employees need friendships at work to flourish.
The benefits of an onboarding mentorship program An onboarding mentorship program has a lot of advantages for organizations, including: Introduction to company culture. New hires need to develop an understanding of your company culture. Having a mentor enables them to gain this understanding. New employees without a mentor will need to try and figure it out on their own.
This takes time and effort, which could be better spent focused on their job. Improved retention. Research has shown that employees with mentors are more likely to stay with their current employer for longer. Their findings show that mentorship is a powerful tool for keeping employees fulfilled at work. Inspired loyalty. New hires already feel special that they were selected to join your organization.
Using mentorship in the onboarding process can build on these feelings. It demonstrates to your new employee your willingness to invest in them and help them grow. Increased speed to productivity. New employee mentorship programs can also help new hires get up to speed in their jobs quicker. Having someone to show them the ropes will prevent them from floundering. There are several ways you can design your onboarding mentorship program, such as: Traditional 1-on Traditional mentorship pairs a senior employee with a junior one.
The focus is on employee development and growth. Group mentoring. In a group mentoring experience, there may be one or more mentors and several mentees. Group mentoring is particularly good for new hires as it allows them to develop their skills while connecting with peers.
Peer mentoring. Pairing your new employee with someone in a similar position who has more company experience is considered a form of peer mentoring. Peer mentoring for new hires is also another way to build friendships among your employees. Reverse mentoring. In a reverse mentoring experience , the roles are switched. A more senior employee will learn from the newer hire.
It is particularly helpful to boost tech skills among your managers and executives. As technology continues to evolve, younger workers are often more familiar with the ins and outs of new developments. Many organizations are developing remote or hybrid workplaces. This offers flexibility for mentorships. Any of the above styles can be used for a virtual mentoring program.
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