Celebrate Mentorship

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. 

A recent study found that just one out of every three employees have a mentor. However, nearly half of those surveyed indicated that a mentor was important. 

Other research has shown that the impact a mentor can have on an individual can last a long time. A mentor can help guide the career path of their mentee, open doors to new networking opportunities and help enhance the culture of an organization. 

Workplace mentoring programs have also been credited with reducing employee turnover, improving the diversity of the organization and increasing employee engagement. 

Importance of workplace mentorship

Studies have shown that employees who are connected to a mentor do much better within the company and in their careers overall. This can be attributed to the extra guidance that a mentor offers. Mentors can be key in helping mentees define and achieve various career goals. In addition, mentorship provides mentees with the opportunity to network and connect with others that they may not otherwise have had. 

The benefits of mentorship also extend to organizations. Employees involved with mentorships indicated in a study by CNBC that they were more satisfied in their jobs than those without a mentor. Moreover, happier employees are less likely to leave. The CNBC study found that four out of 10 respondents who did not have a mentor at work indicated they were looking at leaving their jobs. 

The CNBC study noted that those who want to advance in their careers are more likely to get the opportunity if they have a mentor compared with employees who do not have the guidance of a mentor. 

Furthermore, those who are not happy with their positions can often spread discontent to their co-workers. This can have a negative impact on the atmosphere of the organization as well as employee turnover rates. In addition, employees who are not satisfied with their jobs often underperform, meaning that your employees may not be as productive as they could be. 

Not only could your organization be operating on a higher level if employees are engaged and satisfied at work, but workplace diversity can also have a positive impact on production. In fact, research has found that companies with a diverse workforce bring in more revenue. 

Building a successful workplace mentoring program

Whether you are just getting started or looking to enhance a mentoring program already at place in your organization, there are some key things you can do to improve the program’s success. These include:

1. Have a plan. Begin the process by defining the mentoring program. What are your expectations? Do you want to reduce employee turnover? It is important to define your key performance indicators (KPIs) that you will use to measure your program. For example, if you are looking to improve diversity at your workplace, set a goal of promoting 3-4 employees who are minorities in the next few months. This gives you a way to gauge whether the mentoring program is successful. 
2. Make good matches. Mentoring is about relationships. Creating and cultivating a connection between the mentor and mentee is important. While there is not a lot you can do to guarantee an instant connection, your mentoring program manager can work to make the best match possible. This is one of the advantages of using mentoring software. Using registration information, flexible algorithms, as well as other employee data you select to enter, Together can help make good matches in minutes. Not only can you help mentors and mentees find the right match but you can also save your mentoring program manager time. 
3. Measure your results. To ensure the success of your workplace mentoring program, you will need to measure the KPIs regularly. The data that is collected through mentoring software like Together is one of the best ways to determine whether the mentorship program is meeting the goals set out for it. It is important to note that if you find your workplace mentoring program is not achieving what you expected, you don’t need to scrap the entire program. Rather, dig deeper into participant feedback to see if a few program tweaks can help improve the results. 

Conclusion

Workplace mentoring programs provide organizations and individuals to overcome a variety of problems. This can include a lack of employee engagement, high turnover rates and even diversity issues. Mentorships can also help employees reach their full potential. Under the guidance of a mentor, the mentee is given an opportunity to set and reach career goals. They also benefit from the chance to expand their network by connecting with professionals that their mentor knows. 

If you are planning to celebrate National Mentoring month this year, keep in mind that Jan 17 is International Mentoring Day and Jan. 30 is Thank Your Mentor Day. Everyone is invited to go online and use the #ThankYourMentor hashtag to share their stories of mentorship.

Whatever way you decide to celebrate National Mentoring Month this year, it is important to keep in mind the benefits of mentoring all year round. For more information on how mentoring software can enhance your workplace mentoring program, contact Together for a free demo.