How to Build Relationships in a Training & Mentoring Program

Teach employees to rely on each other with a training and mentoring program.

A training and mentoring program matches a seasoned employee with a new employee and helps develop both a relationship between the individuals and the skills the new employee needs to succeed at work. By fostering a close relationship between the mentor and mentee, you encourage the new employee to direct any basic questions or problems to her mentor, reducing the flow of questions directed to higher-ups at the company. Developing a training and mentoring program can also provide for a more collaborative environment in the office. James A Wilson and Nancy S. Elman, both of the University of Pittsburg, explain in "The Executive" that "Mentoring can contribute to employee motivation, job performance, and retention rates."

Instructions

1. Ask both the mentor and the new employee to write down what they hope to get and give from a mentoring relationship before they're matched. Read over the thoughts and desires of both people. Try to match up teams based on similar desires and projected output.

2. Bring the mentor into the picture as soon as you can. If possible, introduce the new employee to his mentor at orientation. Let the mentor show him around the office and explain the training program. Hold a small gathering if you're hiring multiple employees and matching them with mentors. Let the mentors introduce the new employees around to old and new staff.

3. Counsel the mentor on how to approach confidential concerns with the new employee. She should keep most concerns and discussions private, except where it would be illegal, until the new employee is ready to make these public. Explaining to the new employee that conversation with her mentor is protected will help develop trust and intimacy in the relationship.

4. Develop a schedule showing when the mentor should be at the training sessions. If he won't be there constantly, a schedule can help an employee understand when he will be able to communicate with his mentor. Make sure that the mentor keeps to the schedule.

5. Create a timetable for subsequent private meetings between the mentor and the new employee. The relationship should extend beyond the training session. Being assured of this from the beginning will help allay any concerns the employee might have about what she will do with her problems once training is over. Plan a meeting once per week in a specific location and be sure both parties stick to it.

6. Communicate to mentors that an informal meeting should be arranged at the end of training. Whether the mentor takes her protege out for a business lunch or a coffee after work doesn't matter. The important thing is to get away from the office and for the mentor to ask the new employee to communicate his feelings and concerns about the training process. He should be encouraged to ask questions. The mentor should ask questions about specific things that the new employee says, showing an active interest in his input.

References

• Southern Connecticut State: NEW FACULTY MENTORING AT SOUTHERN
• Multicultural Advantage: Ten Rules for Mentoring Relationships
• Robbins, Caplin, Miller & Cerisi: Building a Good Mentoring Relationship
• ASHA: The Benefits of Mentoring
• JSTOR: Organizational Benefits of Mentoring