Mentoring at Work: Should You Implement It in Your Organization?

by Mike O'Neill

Studies have shown that mentoring programs within an organization improve productivity and employee morale. There are a lot of professional benefits that employees experience by having a strong mentor. Employees experience more rapid advancement, the potential for higher salaries, increased commitment to the organization, and higher satisfaction with both their job and career. Another added benefit is that employees also experience personal benefits like better physical health, self-esteem, better work-life balance, and better relational skills with their family and friends.

With benefits like these, it is easy to see that you should implement a mentoring program within your organization.

With all of these benefits, it’s not a surprise that prospective employees look for the availability of mentoring when choosing an employer. However, a study by Olivet Nazarene University conducted with 3,000 professionals across various industries showed that only about half of the respondents had any mentoring in their careers. Among those who have, only 25% had formally assigned mentors. The data on formal programs is even less promising. Some employees who were assigned mentors reported positive tangible relationship outcomes, but many employees reported little benefit and meaningful engagement.

Don’t let these statistics sway you into thinking that a mentoring program is not for your organization!

You may have tried a mentoring program before and not seen the results you expected. That doesn’t mean you should give up. You just have to change your approach. Not everyone is cut out to be a mentor. To have an effective mentoring program, those you choose to be mentors need to be trained in the role and understand how to implement the proper skills. They need to have excellent listening skills, the ability to provide affirmation, challenge the mentee, provide feedback and information about the organization, and provide resources for new employees to help them in their work.

Any mentoring program takes planning and strategy, and we’re here to help! Let’s take a look at the five types of mentoring you need to implement right now to increase employee satisfaction and engagement.

Five Types Of Mentoring Programs You Need To Implement Right Now

1. Developmental Mentoring

The most common form of mentoring, developmental mentoring, typically involves a senior executive and a junior employee. The goal is to support the mentee with professional development and further their career. Creating a developmental mentoring program is an excellent option for companies that want to start a mentoring program and offer more growth opportunities for their employees.

Done right, a developmental mentoring program increases job satisfaction. Having the support of a mentor helps employees feel more comfortable in their roles. It also provides employees with the feeling that the organization cares about their success and wants to help them achieve their career goals. Mentoring isn’t just for junior-level employees, and it can be used all the way up to the C-level executives. No matter who is the focus of the mentoring program, they often become better at their jobs and feel more accomplished over time.

2. Diversity Mentoring

Today’s workplace is even more diverse than ever before. Mentoring programs targeted towards women and people in underrepresented groups are especially effective. A diversity-focused mentoring program addresses the needs of minorities for career development and provides equitable opportunities for career development. 

It’s well-known that women and minorities don’t get equal access to career development opportunities. A diversity-focused mentoring program builds equity and addresses these issues. It improves the quality of work and prepares minorities to take on more responsibility. These programs can help employees overcome career obstacles and build self-esteem and confidence. These programs can also increase productivity and increase financial returns. 

3. New Manager Mentoring

Mentoring programs are especially effective for new managers. They can help first-time managers develop the skills needed to serve their teams and direct reports better. When given the proper training, managers can thrive in their new roles and be confident in their duties. When employees are promoted to a managerial position, they may experience self-doubt and lack confidence in the new role. A new manager mentoring program offers them feedback and helps guide them through the challenges of being a manager.

4. High-Potential Employee Mentoring

Most organizations recognize their high-potential employees and the value they bring to the table, but many don’t provide them with the same support and growth opportunities as others. Creating a specific program for your high-potential employees, you can help them become more proficient and find fulfillment in their roles. In addition to becoming more satisfied with their current position, high-performing employees move up the ladder faster, providing additional opportunities for less experienced employees.

5. Reverse Mentoring

A reverse mentoring program is where an experienced executive is paired with a less experienced employee. The purpose of this is for the mentor and mentee to share information to create more transparency, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. These types of programs can increase employee retention and can be a powerful tool for management to understand the perception of their management skills. 

Often, companies experience tension between the generation gaps that exist in their workforce. Generally, this stems from misconceptions that each demographic has about the other, think of the perception of millennials not being hard-working. Whether it’s true or not, the perception permeates teams and management alike. Reverse mentoring provides a way to break down these barriers and allow employees of all ages to work and learn from each other.

Ready To Start Your Own Mentoring Program?

At Bench Builders, we’ve dedicated the last twenty years to helping companies and employees increase their productivity and increase profits by assisting them in identifying problems and coming up with solutions. We understand that these problems are often overwhelming and can feel too big to solve. 

That’s why we’re here to help. We have a toolkit of solutions and a proven methodology to help you solve your problems, have happier employees, and create solutions to help increase productivity and job satisfaction. Contact us today and learn how we can help!

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