Creating a mentorship program in the workplace can be a great way to improve employee satisfaction, foster a sense of belonging, and ensure your top employees have guidance and a path to grow within the organization. In addition, retention rates for those being mentored are 50% higher than those who are not. A successful mentor can even be a bigger driver in retention than salary increases. Thus, developing a successful mentorship program in your organization can be a game changer. Here are some of the topics to keep in mind when starting a program.
Determine the Goals
First and foremost, it is important to set the goals for the mentorship program. Brainstorm the WHY: retention rates, career growth for mentees, fulfillment for mentors, etc. Having a clear purpose is the best place to start.
For Who?
Next, who will this mentorship program be for? Will it be open to anyone in the company or through invitation only? Will it be designed for those individuals ready for a promotion? Which mentors do you want to become a part of the program? For mentor selection, you must select people who are experts in their space, good listeners and coaches, and those who live your company values.
What are the Guidelines?
It is essential to put some structure around this program. A surefire way for a mentorship program to fail is to pair up mentors and mentees and leave them to their own devices. Not to say that this can’t work for SOME pairs out there, but odds are without any structure, other objectives will take precedence and mentor meetings will get pushed to the side.
Therefore, set some guidelines on topics including:
- How often should they meet? Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?
- Where will they meet? In the office, virtual, or off campus?
- How long will the program last? A quarter, a year, etc.?
- What are the KPIs, milestones, and goals?
Not only will a structure keep meetings more consistent and on track, but it will help when recruiting people to join the program as well. This way expectations are clear up front on the time commitment, especially for the mentor.
Matching Mentors and Mentees
Having a good match of mentors and mentees is important for the success of the program. Two incompatible people matched will most likely not succeed either party.
You can take into consideration things such as personalities and hobbies to help start the relationship. But at the end of the day, you do need to make sure the mentor is an expert in the area in which the mentee wants to develop.
To match employees you can use applications, interviews, self-selection, or even software that can match individuals.
Track Progress and Measure Success
The mentorship program leader should stay in communication with participants. Whether asking for feedback, having them fill out forms, or answering surveys, keeping track of the development of the participants is key. Whatever KPIs and milestones you set, make sure mentors and mentees are meeting those.
Asking for feedback on the program is important as well. Continuously adapt the program over time to best suit the needs of your company and its goals for employee development.
There are many software programs to facilitate mentorships as well. People Managing People came up with a great comprehensive list depending on your organization’s goals!
We hope this has inspired you to start a mentorship program at your company and given you a few things to think about when developing it. As your team grows, keep us in mind for your recruiting needs and find out how we can be a partner in the recruitment process.