The Effects of Mentoring in the Workplace

Getting qualified, talented employees is half the battle---keeping them interested and engaged is the other half. It can be incredibly easy for employees to get into a routine of doing the job they were hired to do and for their managers to be perfectly happy that they're doing so. More and more, though, companies are starting to recognize the importance of employee engagement and organizational development. Some companies choose to invest their resources to hire an Organizational Development Consultant or Industrial/Organizational Consultant. If you are not in the financial place to do so, you may find that you can use mentoring to build a fully engaged and committed staff.

Significance

As much as mentoring will yield desired benefits for an employer, it also sends a message to employees that they are valued and the organization wants them to be happy. Implementation and consistent management of a mentoring initiative is well received and will make an organization a very attractive place to work.

Types

Consider two levels of mentoring to allow for adjustment. A low-level approach may be to ensure that a senior team member is identified as a resource on particular projects or is available if an employee needs to seek counsel on an issue. A high-level approach may be to assign a mentor to each employee and have him monitor the employee's progress over a given period of time as well as provide counsel.

Time Frame

Based on the levels mentioned above, a low-level approach could require very little time (that is, on an as-needed basis) up to one hour per month. A high-level approach can range from thirty minutes to one hour per month up to thirty minutes to one hour per week.

Effects

Mentoring is an effective way to foster relationships in the workplace, and it tends to blur the lines of hierarchy between junior and senior staff. Working relationships should be equitable so that both parties learn from one another. While a senior employee may be able to provide guidance or direction based on longevity or experience, a junior employee can also bring a fresh perspective to existing aspects of the business. Once the practice is incorporated, employers will find that mentoring pays for itself going forward. An employee who has been mentored can be a valuable resource to a junior employee because she understands what it is like to need direction as well as what it is like to benefit from a mentoring relationship.

Considerations

Before making arbitrary choices in pairing up junior and senior employees, consider developing a survey and distributing it to those who want to participate in order to get a better understanding of what they hope to gain from their experience.

Resources

• Coaching and Mentoring: Key Differences