Over the last several years, many organizations have experienced downsizing, reduced benefits and deep budget cuts. This has left many organizations wondering how they can reward and retain key employees, without breaking the bank. In the current economy, many employers feel as if their hands are tied. While they want to retain talent to remain competitive, they are simply unable to offer employees raises, bonuses or better benefits.
However, these employers may be missing an opportunity to reward employees at little or no cost to the company. What many don’t realize is that one of the top reasons people leave a job is because they feel as if their employer is not committed to their own personal growth and advancement. While this evokes thoughts of formalized training programs, there is another option: mentoring. Mentoring programs are practically free to the employer and can be immensely rewarding to both the mentor and the mentee, and most significantly offer an opportunity for professional growth to both parties.
I believe mentoring programs can be successful in all industries and professions. Traditionally, many consider the mentor to be a seasoned professional willing to provide guidance and counsel to younger, less experienced staff members. While this is true in many cases, the opposite is also true. With the rapid changes in technology and communication, many seasoned professionals are looking to the younger staff members to guide them through the changes.
HR Advisors Group recently worked with one of our clients to implement a mentoring program at a small, creative design firm. The staff was worried that the program would be limiting, too structured and cumbersome. With just a few simple guidelines in place and some general oversight, the program has been a success. The feedback has been positive and both staff and management feel as if they are reaping benefits from the program. The program has given the staff an additional sense of purpose and an opportunity to learn new skills. Just a few tips in creating mentoring programs: 1) Keep It Simple; 2) Gain Leadership Support; 3)Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities as a Mentor/Mentee, and 4) Check-in to see if the Mentor/Mentee partnership is working. I believe organizations can get creative with just a little time and effort and they can build successful and sustainable programs that will keep their talent engaged.
