If talent scarcity is a challenge your company is facing at present, then you aren’t the only one. According to a World Economic Forum report on workforce planning, numerous business leaders are struggling to recruit talent, and as such, 15% of these companies plan to increase their hiring of new graduates. Yet, despite this drive for new talent, the referenced report also enforces that having a talent strategy to upskill and re-skill your employees is just as essential.
Fortunately, you can attract fresh talent and bolster your current workers’ professional development through mentoring opportunities. Career development programs require mentoring as it helps new employees navigate career pathing, corporate culture, and work expectations. On the other hand, by acting as mentors, your company’s senior workers or managers can likewise develop their coaching techniques and sharpen their leadership skills.
With all that said, you may be wondering how to go about implementing a mentoring program for your own business. This article will help you understand the steps to create a successful program that can benefit your workforce as a whole.
Identify the goals of the program
First, your mentorship program should hinge on concrete goals. This not only defines the parameters of your program, it also enables you to gauge its success. For starters, ask yourself about what you want to achieve with this program. Should it improve employee retention rates? Should it connect diverse workers with important resources?
Whatever your goal may be, establishing your purpose for developing the program allows you to plan accordingly. For instance, General Electronics (GE) is a company well-known for its promotion of diversity and inclusion, and it’s this advocacy that informed their approach to mentorship. In a 2022 BetterUp feature on workplace mentorship, it was found that with employee resource programs like the GE Women’s Network, GE achieved better retention rates and optimized their workers’ personal and professional growth. With this in mind, focus on clarifying your goals during the planning process as this can help you accomplish your objectives.
Outline your mentoring program’s structure and the tools you need
Upon establishing the purpose of your mentorship program, the next step is to determine how your employees can access it. First, identify which senior employees can serve as mentors. Note what qualifications or level of experience they need to have as this can act as a blueprint for your succeeding mentoring programs. Next, what kind of format will the sessions adopt? For this, you can survey your employees if they prefer a one-to-one format or a group setting.
Finally, evaluate which resources can maximize your workers’ learning experience. Although traditional training modules are helpful, Business News Daily writer Tami Myer states that technology and online learning play a key role in fostering personal and professional development in the workplace. So on that note, utilize video conferencing tools such as Zoom to seamlessly share insights and information between mentees and mentors. To reinforce the importance of communication, you can also utilize apps like Slack so mentees are given the space to ask additional queries to their mentors.
Provide incentives for mentors
Our post on how to keep workers engaged explains that it’s essential to assure your staff that they’re valuable. When you show appreciation for their suggestions in meetings, for example, your employees will be happier and more engaged at work. This same affirmation should extend to the mentors of your program.
Of course, mentors have a lot to gain from guiding newer employees, primarily because they can develop their coaching, communication, and management skills. However, you should still provide incentives for their hard work. One way you can do this is by including their efforts as part of their yearly performance review. You can also create an incentive plan which offers them certificates, gift cards, or spot bonuses to celebrate their contributions.
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