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The process of reviewing something exists within different mediums and through various portals of communication, but the purpose is always the same; so that what is being reviewed can be improved upon or maintained at a high performing standard. Without reviews, businesses, product sellers and manufacturers and even company employees wouldn’t be able to measure themselves or their product against expectations and would in the long run, cause losses in time, profitability and efficiency.

Employees may come to work with the skills and expertise to get the job done, but how many are living up to their full potential at your organization? Statistics show that companies committed to employee development reap rewards.

Workplace mentorships are one of the best professional development experiences. Many mentees will say that it was their mentor that made a difference in their careers.

One of the keys to success, in any industry, is employee development. Companies that are able to be strategic when it comes to employee growth will be able to improve productivity, employee engagement and reduce turnover. Without a process in place that encourages employee development, both the workers and the company can suffer. It can become a source of frustration and hinder the growth and productivity of the business.

Mentoring is about connecting and relationship building. It revolves around trust and connection. Yet, it is not always easy to build an authentic connection. In fact, creating such a bond in a workplace mentorship may seem like a challenge. But there are some steps that can help cultivate a positive connection between mentors and mentees.

Long before organizations took mentoring initiatives seriously and incorporated programs offering mentorship to employees, the world was full of people hungry for success and thirsty for more inside knowledge setting them on the path toward their goals. The way to obtain this experience was to find someone in an area of expertise that stood out and to seek guidance from them, developing a partnership that helped them to gain proficiency in those areas.

A lot of time and energy is invested in developing and maintaining a workplace mentoring program. Organizations want to know that those efforts are well spent.

Workplace mentoring programs offer a lot of benefits for the mentee, mentor, and even the organization. That is why over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.

Mentor matching is one of the biggest factors in the success of a workplace mentoring program. While many mentees may search out a mentor that is similar to them, there are some big advantages to finding a mentor who is different from you. These include moving out of your comfort zone and expanding your skillset. Having a mentor that is not like you can make you a more well-rounded and effective employee.

Workplace mentoring programs have several benefits for mentors, mentees, and the organization. These include: - Reduced turnover - Improve employee engagement - More positive atmosphere - Higher skill base

As 2019 drew to a close, many people were eager to see the new year in, start their new year resolutions and get one step closer to their career goals with the same optimism and enthusiasm for the future. But when Covid-19 hit on a global scale these goals and objectives came to a standstill. It took time past all the health worries and shock of such life-changing events for anyone to even fathom how the world’s economy would be affected, let alone how businesses would be able to address their temporary or permanent closures to countless teams of people while still encouraging them to stay positive. With everything at stake there was just no roadmap guiding company leaders and executives in how to ensure they kept their employees’ trust in them. These were unprecedented times and employees began to question how important their roles really were.

Workplace mentoring programs can take on different challenges when an organization is dealing with remote employees. However, it is no less important. Virtual mentoring can still have the same benefits for employees and the organization.

All teams need activities to create connections and that need is more apparent for remote teams. It can be a challenge to build a good rapport among team members when they are not in the same room or even geographical location. However, team building can be done virtually, which helps strengthen your team.

As we move into the post-pandemic world, many organizations will still be working with remote teams. Additionally, employees who have become accustomed to working from home over the past few months may want to continue working remotely. However, managing a remote team can be challenging. Aside from having a strategy, including remote working policies, the technology that you use to stay connected with your remote teams is essential to productivity, communication, and success. We’ve compiled a list of the most valuable tech tools that you can add to your remote working toolbox.

More and more organizations are allowing employees to work from home. While the majority have been forced into remote workplaces due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the benefits of a remote workforce are clear. Research has found that remote employees have higher productivity and companies face lower business costs like rent, utilities, etc. Yet, to get the most out of your remote teams, you’ll need to be transparent about your needs and expectations and their responsibilities.

Thanks to COVID-19 working from home or remote working may be here to stay. In effect, it may become the new normal. The quick transition that most organizations made during coronavirus lockdowns earlier in the year may have set up most businesses with the capability to manage a remote workforce.

One of the most frequent topics of interest in employment is motivation. Employees want to feel motivated. Employers want to know what motivates them. Organizations rely on employees’ motivations to carry their business forward.

Diversity in the workplace is a high ideal that is worth striving for. While many organizations focus on having diversity at the office, ensuring your remote workforce is diverse presents a different kind of challenge.

Workplace diversity is a popular topic for many organizations around the globe. It refers to the types of individuals that an organization hires and promotes internally. Diversity in the workplace means that people with different characteristics are being employed. That is those of different genders, races, cultures, political views, religions and so on.

Diversity and inclusion have become key issues in today’s modern workplace. Whether you already have a diversity program or are just considering one, there are many benefits for your organization if you embrace D&I initiatives. These include attracting top talent, enhanced innovation, financial success and more engaged employees.

There are many reasons organizations adopt mentoring programs, aside from the fact that they are now considered a good practice as a formatted and tracked route to progression within the workplace. Mentoring offers an opportunity to develop skills, build relationships and map out a career path that for some, may currently seem beyond reach.

Diversity has become a hot button topic for organizations around the world. Having a diverse workforce is about more than just a corporate trend. It can be one of the best moves for your business and productivity.

Onboarding new employees is one of the best ways to make them feel comfortable and improve their engagement with your organization. Unfortunately, a high number of organizations do not have successful onboarding practices. In a recent survey by HubSpot, 40 percent of respondents said their organization’s onboarding process was less than par.

The onboarding process for employees is one of the key tools that organizations have to improve engagement, reduce turnover and increase productivity. When you have remote employees as part of your team, your onboarding process may need to change.

It takes effort to build a successful team. Hiring the best candidate is just part of the process. To really build a successful team you’ll need to have a good onboarding experience to help your new hire learn more about your organization, the work environment and their position. With the right onboarding process, your new hire will gain the skills and knowledge to become a productive member of your team.

Hiring a new employee is like making an investment in your organization. You’ll want to make sure to do it right and safeguard your investment. One of the best ways to do this is to have a thorough onboarding process.

At any organization, the most valuable resources are your employees. Finding ways to develop the skills of your employees can be a challenge, but it is an important one. Leadership programs are some of the best ways that you can invest in developing talent at your company.

High potential people are valuable to have at your workplace. They are not only high performing and can boost your productivity levels, but they also have the capability to be successful in supervising and managerial positions.

Hanging on to high potential employees is challenging. Competition with other companies is strong as most employees are constantly searching for career growth opportunities. Research has found that many people already in full-time jobs are still passively seeking a better job somewhere else. The average job posting gets 250 applicants. So, even if you have all your positions filled, it may not stay that way for long.

Most organizations have high potential talent, which are those employees that are considered your future stars. These are skilled employees that are likely to be a big part of your future growth and succession plan.

The purpose of a mentoring program is to assist with the personal and professional development of employees hungry for career progression and who are keen to improve their knowledge and skill set.

Workplace mentoring programs are dependent upon successful mentor relationships. The stronger the connection between the mentor and mentee, the more each will get from the experience. There are a number of ways to help build a successful mentor relationship including setting SMART goals, sticking to an agenda, having constant communication and defining mutual benefits.

This webinar will outline how you can effectively build the best mentoring relationship, ensuring that your mentors and mentees get the most out of their meetings.

Mentoring during a pandemic is possible. Whether you already had a successful workplace mentoring program, were just getting started or if you were somewhere in-between, you don't need to stop cultivating mentorships. To find out more, contact us for a free demo today.

The busyness of returning to the office after pandemic isolation risks workplace mentoring programs being put on the backburner. There will be so much to do and to catch up on. Mentoring programs are very likely to be a low priority.

As more and more communities loosen the lockdown restrictions put in place to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 crisis, it is clear to see that not everything will return to what it once was. One of the things that will change is how we work. From an increase in remote work options to enhancing diversity in the workplace COVID's impact on our lives will be felt for a long, long time.

Just a few short months ago, you may not have believed anyone if they told you that by March you would be confined to your home, and well into April be asked to manage your own workload whilst juggling home life and looking after your mental wellbeing, all while not being able to really leave the house. Unfortunately, the growing global pandemic has forced us all into a world of crisis and uncertainty with many of us concerned with what happens now. There is not even time for thinking about what happens next.

Mentorships are often successful due to the connection the mentor and mentee develop over time. However, with advancing technologies, virtual mentoring offers individuals an opportunity to connect with others outside of their geographic space. But, just how does virtual mentoring compare to e-mentoring and can it take the place of face-to-face mentoring?

This webinar will outline how you can effectively understand the return on investment that you will receive from implementing a mentorship program. We'll show case studies on the topic and how we've delivered value to some of our key customers.

Workplace mentoring programs bring a lot of unique benefits to the office but what happens when the office closes? As many organizations continue to practice social distancing to stave off COVID-19 infections, employees are encouraged to work remotely as much as possible. However, this can present some difficulties for individuals who are having to grapple with the challenges of remote working, distractions at home and concerns over their health and safety. The ability to stay in touch and connected with a mentor can be a boon for those adjusting to life as a remote employee.

Even before the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 4.7 million employees were working from home across the U.S. It is reasonable to assume that number will rise as many companies that have adapted to remote work due to social distancing measures, will continue to allow employees to work remotely after the quarantine orders are lifted. That means employee support programs, like mentoring, will also need to be adapted to fit the new workplace reality.

Administrators from some of our recent programs share their thoughts, insights, tips and tricks for running a mentoring program.

The latest on running remote mentorship programs.

There is no feeling quite like starting a new job. When a new employee starts, they are usually faced with a mixture of uncertainty and excitement. The fear of the unknown can bring on anxieties that may cause them to wonder if they made the right decision taking a new position, especially if they have just left somewhere they were comfortable.

A white paper on how to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the impact of mentorship at your organization.

Succession planning can be an awkward topic to discuss for any leadership team. However, it's of vital importance to have a plan for succession to ensure the company keeps moving forward.

Good managers are not born, they are cultivated. Even your most talented employee will need some training before they will be able to take on the role of manager and be successful at it. Training managers to be better in their leadership positions is one of the most important things that organizations can do to enhance their employee loyalty and engagement.

Workplace mentoring programs can be a great way for an organization to invest in their employees. Unfortunately, there are bound to be some challenges along the way. But, if you are prepared for them, these issues will not become stumbling blocks to developing a robust and successful workplace mentoring program. Here are some of the most common mentoring challenges and ways that you can overcome them.

A case study on how Ranstad uses Together to maximize their ROI with regards to mentorship.

This white paper details the steps you can take in order to make sure that your high potential talent is used to the best of their ability.

When a key employee hands in their resignation, it may be met with shock at the organization. However, there are several important things that you will need to do to smooth the transition. If your company has a succession plan to deal with this scenario then the next steps will be clear. Yet, if there is no succession plan to replace the employee who will be leaving you may feel a sense of panic, but it doesn't have to be chaos.

One of the hot topics when it comes to employee retention is the value of High Potential Employees and what companies are doing to utilize this resource, while continuing to support their goals. Studies show that 79 percent of people in the U.S. alone cite lack of appreciation as one of the main reasons for leaving a job. It is the employees with high potential (or HiPos) that make up most of this bracket. They have worked hard and made their goals clear but feel like they are not getting anywhere.

Succession planning is a key part of keeping a company moving forward. There are many good reasons to have a succession plan in place including retention of knowledge, talent scarcity, skill gaps and employee engagement.

When it comes to learning new skills in the workplace, over half of employees learn from their co-workers, according to one study on workplace learning. Yet, many organizations do not have a formal peer-to-peer learning program where co-workers can network and learn from each other.

The beginning of a mentor program is critical to its success. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into setting up a program but the first company-wide exposure to a mentoring program is often the mentor matching process.

Hiring top talent is just part of the challenge of overcoming high turnover and low productivity. Once you find the right candidate for the job, onboarding them is key to creating a connection. With a top-notch onboarding program, you can improve your employee loyalty, teamwork atmosphere and the reputation of your organization.

Whether you have worked your way up the ladder, transferred to a new company or just sort of fell into the position, becoming a manager for the first time can be exciting and stressful. No matter what industry you work in, management is key to your organization. While there are no one-size-fits-all strategies for successful management, there are some things you can do to improve your chances.

Training a new manager can be a challenge. This can be especially true if time is of the essence. Ensuring that employees are ready to take on leadership roles within the organization is vital for productivity and growth. Companies that don't offer some type of manager training could end up with some very serious problems.

Within any company, the bottom line is always the top priority. There can be so much focus on turning profits that the analysis on how to get there can be blindsided by initiatives that seem to work in the short-term. Just because something works financially, it doesn't necessarily mean that it works developmentally. There are always other avenues to explore.

Businesses depend on effective leadership. That is one of the main reasons that organizations need to have a solid succession plan in the event their CEO leaves. Yet, while many understand succession planning is important, research has found that companies could do more to guarantee a smooth transition.

Succession planning is the process of identifying upcoming leaders to replace employees who are retiring. It also involves preparing employees for the transition. As more and more employees retire from the workforce, planning for succession has become a major concern for organizations.

January marks the 19th National Mentoring Month. Throughout the month there are various mentoring-focused activities and celebrations planned. While the focus has largely been on increasing the number of youth that are being mentored, statistics show there is also a growing need for more mentors in the workplace too.

Workplace mentoring programs can become better and stronger by employing the right apps.

Email communication is still one of the most popular ways to connect with co-workers, including mentors. One study found that 77 percent of people prefer to use email at work. For workplace mentoring program participants who are engaged in cross-country or long-distance mentorships, email can be the best way to stay in touch.

Workplace mentoring programs offer a lot of benefits to organizations. While there are many good reasons for companies to have a mentoring program, there are three main ways that mentorships can help solve many of the issues businesses face today. Successful mentoring programs at work can be a cost-effective way to boost employee engagement, talent and lower your turnover rate.

Workplace mentoring programs are on the rise and the results are the reason why.

Developing a workplace mentoring program can be a challenge, which is why some organizations opt for mentoring templates. However, utilizing someone else's formula for successful mentoring is not going to work for every organization.

Workplace mentoring programs have been proven to be one of the best ways to reengage employees and reduce turnover rates. To establish a successful mentoring program, there are some tools that can help participants and the organization along the way.

Workplace mentoring programs have become one of the biggest ways that employers are connecting and training employees. Over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs in place. A major component of the success of these programs is proper training for mentorship.

Around the US, there are several companies that are running successful workplace mentoring programs. Statistics show that 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs. These programs are not only achieving what they were designed to do, but they are also inspiring others in the corporate world.

Workplace mentoring programs have become commonplace at many top organizations. Research has found that over 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies have such programs already in place.

As technology has changed, so has the way workplace mentoring programs operate. While mentorship has traditionally been built on a personal, face-to-face connection, tech has changed the way we communicate, connect and mentor. However, it raises the question, is the digital way better?

The origins of the word mentor come from a piece of historical literature namely Homer's Odyssey. In the story, Odysseus leaves his infant son in the care of his good friend, Mentor. Under Mentor's watch and care, the son grows and matures.

Mentoring can be a powerful tool for change and growth. Under the right mentor, a mentee is able to expand their capabilities and realize their potential. Mentors are those who have the experience, wisdom and skills to help you achieve your goals.

Life in corporate America can be a challenge. From increasing turnover rates, low employee engagement and diversity problems, many organizations have been turning to workplace mentoring programs. These formal mentorships offer corporations the opportunity to enhance their employee talent, increase engagement and reduce the turnover rate.

The purpose of workplace mentoring programs is to develop employees and help them grow, which will improve the position and talent of the company.

Although some people may use the words goal or objective to mean the same thing, they don't. In fact, how you define goals and objectives for a workplace mentoring program can impact the success you have with your program.

Workplace mentorship programs are one of the best ways to build yourself up professionally and personally. There are more and more organizations that are using mentoring programs as an added bonus to attract and keep employees. It is a tactic that works, which explains why over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have workplace mentorships. One of the keys to a successful workplace mentorship program is setting goals and objectives.

Although it is usually thought of as a way to enhance an employee's career path, mentoring can have benefits for the company too. Workplace mentorship is one of the most popular initiatives that an organization can take with regards to improving employee engagement and reducing turnover. Mentoring is also an important element to skill development and succession strategy. In fact, over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have workplace mentoring programs.

Companies spend time, money and energy developing a workplace mentoring program. Yet, when it comes to workplace mentoring programs some organizations can be sabotaging the success of their programs.

Workplace mentoring programs are being used by many Fortune 500 companies to build up a talented, loyal workforce. However, not all of these programs are the traditional type of mentorship. Some have used technology to create mentorships, while others have opted for group settings. There are a variety of different mentoring program styles, all of which fall under the umbrella of modern mentoring.

Workplace mentoring programs have become an important element for many corporations around the nation. Statistics show that 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs that they rely on to engage and motivate their employees.

It does not take long for a business or even its employees to be left behind, with the ever-changing business landscape due largely to ongoing technological advances. What may have been a necessity for an up and coming company 2, 10 or even 20 years ago may not hold much relevance in today's climate. This applies much more to some industries than others.

There are many benefits to a workplace mentoring program including improving employee engagement and retention and skill development. Research has shown that there are also some positive health effects for both the mentor and mentee including reduced stress levels at work.

Workplace mentoring programs work best when there are goals that define the parameters of the program as well as objectives that a mentee wants to achieve.

Workplace mentoring programs have become more and more popular as companies look for ways to attract top talent. Many job seekers have indicated they are looking for organizations that offer growth opportunities such as mentorships. Research has shown that employees that have a mentor also have a 23 percent higher retention rate.

Have you ever found yourself in your career wishing for more but unsure of what direction to go in? It is completely normal for people in every day working environments to have moments of uncertainty and wonder if there is more to life than what they are doing already. For most of us the obvious path is career progression in the sense of climbing the ladder, from employee to supervisory roles, to managerial roles and then moving on to more senior managerial roles and so on.

Workplace mentoring programs come with many benefits for participants and also for the organizations behind them. Offering a way to help employees develop their full potential within your company helps enhance the skill set of your organization. It has also been proven to be an effective way to reduce turnover and low employee engagement.

Finding ways to attract top talent to your workplace is a challenge for nearly every organization. Most industries are suffering from a skill shortage and, according to Business News Daily, about half of employers say it is taking a long time to find someone to fit their vacancies.

Regardless of their size, organisations can be very slow to change. While this resistance to change can be good because it prevents the company from being caught up in short-lived trends, it can also mean the organisation does not adapt as well as it could. It may also mean that the organisation is not well-equipped to tackle employee issues like engagement.

Over half of those interviewed expressed concern over their transition to the real world. Moving from a college environment to a workplace can be a daunting experience. In a school atmosphere, most students have a clear outline in the syllabus about the expectations put on them. They also regularly get graded on their performance. However, in a work environment, the expectations are not so clear and there is no professor there to guide and grade them.

A lot can be said about the power of mentorship. Through good organisation to proactive use of technology. Finding the right people can lead to success stories for years to come. The idea behind mentorship programs is passing on of wisdom, tips, and providing a support system for someone who wants to further themselves in their education, career or even personal life. The good thing is it is not confined to one area.

It's been proven repeatedly that quality mentorship programs work. The goal is to pair mentors and mentees that develop relationships based on mutual trust. When trust is established, the mentee's professional development advances quickly and in a direction benefiting everyone involved. However, not all programs provide those results. That's where mentoring software enters the picture.

Mentoring in the workplace has been shown to reduce employee turnover, improve engagement and boost productivity. This is likely why 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies have workplace mentorship programs in their organizations.

Mentors are often those who can speak wisdom into a person's life. Through experience, they offer insights into situations that we may not have.

To be successful in today's business world requires you to have a high-performing team of employees who are engaged with their work.

Almost every workplace has them. Difficult employees. These are those individuals who have a negative impact on the workplace.

Mentoring programs in the workplace are valuable HR assets. They have been noted for reducing turnover, attracting top candidates, and improving morale.

Get the most out of your intern program by providing a best-practice mentoring program to ensure your new employees get the most out of their experience.

Mentoring helps to guide people through the unknown whilst embarking on a new working relationship with somebody and trying to figure out a career path.

While having a mentor can be beneficial, having multiple can provide a diversity of perspectives to help you make good decisions in all circumstances.

Workplace mentoring programs are a good way to improve morale, reduce turnover, attract talented candidates and help employees advance their skills.

Workplace mentoring programs are one of the best ways to grow your skills and abilities. But how do you know when it's not working out?

Mentoring is an important character-building experience for everyone, including professional athletes. We explore the prevelance of mentoring in sport.

So, you're new to the concept of mentoring and perhaps need to know why it's important and what can be gained from it for millennials.

Diversity is an important part of creating a productive workplace culture. However, achieving a diverse workplace can be challenging.

If you hold a management position, mentoring may seem like it doesn't hold many opportunities. However, even leaders can gain from a mentoring relationship.

Mentoring in the workplace is crucial for good employee development, but being a good mentor isn't always straightforward.

All mentoring programs mus have a way to measure their success, if you cannot prove the program is successful, then it is at risk of either being shut down.

A lack of diversity in the workplace can hurt a company's bottom line, turnover rate and employee morale and productivity.

Traditionally, males have been promoted more frequently than females, especially early in their careers. This often means that women get off to a slower start as they work to climb the corporate ladder and this initial setback can lead to a lifetime of playing catch-up.

Learn ways you can leverage the features of large organizations to make your mentorship program the best it can be.

Ever wonder who makes a good mentor? We address who makes a good mentor and more in this in depth review of finding the right mentors for your program.

In an effort to retain talent, reduce turnover and improve productivity, organizations have been trying to adapt to the changing demands of workers.

Mentorship programs can boost the careers and lives of both the mentor and mentee if the match is done right. In fact, over 71 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs in their workplaces in an effort to retain talent and to enhance the lives of employees.

Mentorship programs are a unique opportunity to connect with and make a difference in the life of a co-worker.A good mentor is also a good teacher. It is expected that they will impart their knowledge and wisdom to the mentee. This transfer of knowledge helps prepare the employee to take over in the case of workplace succession. It also helps the mentee understand the workplace culture or policies better.

Workplace mentoring programs are an ideal way for new employees to become successful both in their careers and their lives.

Employee turnover is extremely costly for businesses. It very much depends on the size of your business, but even for a company with a couple thousand employees the annual cost to your business could be in the millions.

In today's competitive business industry, keeping employees is not an easy task. From Baby Boomers who are heading into retirement to Millennials who are moving in and out of employment searching for the right fit, employee retention remains a challenge.While the tension between finding and retaining top talent is nothing new to most industries, it can be extra difficult for businesses or corporations trying to stick to a tight budget and are not able to offer high salaries, bonuses or insurance coverage.

While speaking with many senior HR executives about how they can improve their company culture, mentorship has consistently been top-of-mind for our clients. These executives have told us that their company struggles to foster an effective mentorship culture and that even if they do administer a formal program that it is a lot of work for their HR staff and isn't as effective as it could be. To help ensure that your company doesn't face the same struggles with mentorship we've decided to shed some light on how to design a best practice mentorship program.

In this three part-series we are reviewing the best practices for designing a best-in-class mentorship program.

Ideas that you can build on to form a successful mentorship program for your organization.

As we've developed our mentorship products we've had the opportunity to engage with many employees on their experience with mentorship at their employer.

You may be hearing more about onboarding programs and the onboarding process recently, and it's more than just a buzzword. The term onboarding has only recently become a part of modern business language, but the actual process of onboarding new talent has gone on for as long as businesses have existed. It's now being recognized as an important stage in the overall employee experience, and as a result, a key business process.

There are some key qualities of a good mentee that will contribute to the success of the mentoring relationship. However, it's not always easy to know what's expected of you as a mentee, especially if you're new to the organization.

Many people use the terms mentor and coach interchangeably, but they really are two different concepts. While they share some concepts in common, they also have many elements that differentiate them from one another.

A number of top companies have been investing in developing mentorship programs to improve employee retention rates, morale and more.In fact, about 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have a type of mentorship, according to an article by The Atlantic.Research shows that mentorship programs do change the workplace in many positive ways.A survey by Deloitte found that younger workers were more likely to stay with an employer if they had a mentor."Among those who have somebody acting as their mentor, more than nine in ten describe the quality of advice (94 percent) and the level of interest shown in their development (91 percent) as "good." Among those with mentors, 83 percent are satisfied with this aspect of their working lives," the report stated.

When it comes to creating a successful workplace mentorship program, identifying the purpose of the program is an essential first step. An organization's leadership should ask themselves what they're hoping to accomplish with a mentoring program or what problems they'd like to resolve. By defining the goals of mentorship, it will be easier to determine how to measure results and keep the program on track for success.

Businesses that opt to establish a mentoring program for employees are doing so to see a change in the workplace. This change could be a more positive and engaged workforce, or simply some extra guidance to help new hires learn the ropes. The good news is that companies who have made the effort to pull together a mentorship program do have some control over the success of the mentor-mentee relationship. How the program has been designed, how it's managed, and the guidance given to employees who participate are all factors to consider in ensuring that everyone gets the most out of the mentoring relationship.

Workplace mentorship programs are an excellent way to improve employee retention, engage and train new hires, and help senior employees feel valued. When done right they can be a successful training opportunity for new employees as well as a tool to develop connections among co-workers. Mentorship programs also offer more experienced employees a way to give back. However, many workplace mentorship programs never get off the ground. This is largely due to the assumption that it is easy to start an employee mentorship plan. Many companies attempt to launch a mentorship program in their workplaces with little planning or support, which often leads to failure. Here are some key tips for creating, developing and planning for a workplace mentorship program.

Over 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies have a workplace mentorship program in place, according to The Atlantic. How many of these are really effective has not yet been studied, but the impact of a bad mentorship relationship has the potential to cause physical and psychological issues. A mentoring program is more than just an opportunity for two co-workers to meet; it is an opportunity for growth, change, learning and connection. It serves as a company learning opportunity by teaching new and upcoming employees the ins and outs of the workplace culture. It is a prime learning opportunity where the mentee can be trained about company policies, practices, and other workplace expectations. Yet, this only applies if the mentorship program is an effective one. So, here are some tips on developing a mentoring program that makes a difference.

Studies have shown that when employees are engaged at their workplaces, they are more productive, loyal and feel more fulfilled. Engaged employees are the key to achieving organizational goals and progress. So, what does an engaged employee look like? These are the employees who show a keen interest in the way the company operates and are invested in the success of the company. They offer suggestions to help improve processes and can even convince others on the team to work harder and be more productive. In short, an engaged employee is an ideal employee from the perspective of management.

The purpose of mentoring is to tap into the existing knowledge, skills, and experience of high performing employees and transfer these skills to newer or less experienced employees in order to advance their careers. The goals and outcomes of mentoring programs within organizations will differ depending on the parameters of the relationship. However, the essential purpose of mentoring stays the same. The business definition of mentoring is an "Employee training system under which a senior or more experienced individual (the mentor) is assigned to act as an advisor, counselor, or guide to a junior or trainee. The mentor is responsible for providing support to, and feedback on, the individual in his or her charge.

While there is no easy fix, mentoring programs are one way to help start closing the gap in gender inequality between men and women.

FinancesOnline, a reputed review platform that businesses rely on for picking a best-in-class talent management system, awarded Together Mentorship Software with the Great User Experience and Rising Star awards for 2018.

Although you may have a great plan in place for your workplace mentoring program, you'll still need to sell the idea to the rest of your organization, especially leadership. To do this well, you'll need to explain the benefits of the mentoring program and create a strategy to market and promote the mentorship program to the rest of the organization.

A company's success can be measured by more than the revenue it draws in each year. Business productivity is directly related to how engaged employees are. Engagement refers to how interested your staff is to see your company succeed. These are the committed workers who give 110 percent every day. They believe in your mission and are a positive influence on their co-workers. Engaged employees are team players who can motivate others to get on the company promotion train.

A case study on the use of Together at First Horizon.

Use our employee turnover cost calculator and view insights from over 50+ leading North American companies.