Have you ever had an amazing mentor in your professional life? Someone who could see a spark in you, who gave you advice and helped your confidence to grow? It’s easy to underestimate the value of mentoring and within an organisation, it can transform working culture, improve skills and raise confidence across your business.
According to Mei Juen Wong, Employee Experience & Organisational Learning Partner at Aster Group UK, ‘To adapt and progress in the ever-changing business environment, organisations must continually learn, grow, and evolve. Key to this is understanding and supporting their people’s needs, aspirations, motivations, and growth. Mentoring programmes can help cover all the bases, creating a collaborative learning culture through utilising your organisation’s key resource at minimal cost!’
What are the benefits of mentoring?
Research highlighted by National Mentoring Day, shows a number of interesting facts about business mentoring: ‘Research has shown that 70% of small businesses that receive mentoring survive for five years or more, which is double the rate compared with non-mentored entrepreneurs.’ (Source: FSB), ‘93% of small and medium sized businesses acknowledge that mentoring can help them to succeed.’ (Source: Sage.com) and ‘67% of businesses reported an increase in productivity due to mentoring.’ (Source: mentorsme)
There are so many benefits for everyone involved in mentoring programmes, in particular mentees, mentors and organisations. There are numerous benefits for personal development, career development, mental health fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.
1. Benefits for Mentees
A mentee can be anyone in your organisation, at any age or any level. An employee mentoring scheme is an incredibly effective way to offer development opportunities to employees, allowing them to learn new skills and knowledge. It can also expose mentees to new ideas and ways of thinking as well as building confidence and improving problem-solving abilities. Many mentees report that the advice, guidance and personalised support can help to develop strengths and overcome weaknesses. It is also a superb way to improve visibility/recognition at work and support continuous professional development. Mentoring programmes can also support employees from diverse communities/backgrounds and create a sense of inclusion.
2. Benefits for Mentors
For mentors, the benefits are also numerous including excellent personal and professional development allowing mentors to hone their leadership and coaching skills. The main role of a mentor is to support, develop, stimulate and challenge which can be incredibly rewarding. It allows you to hear new ideas and perspectives which may result in improved business practices. Mentors and mentees feel more satisfied and fulfilled at work, therefore mentoring increases employee engagement and retention. Employees who act as mentors often report greater career success including promotions, pay rises and increased opportunities.
3. Benefits for your organisation
Setting up a mentoring programme in your organisation is a superb way to develop a positive company culture and increase staff motivation, for both mentors and mentees. The wellbeing of your staff is paramount, and mentoring is a cost-effective way to develop engage and retain staff. Creating a collaborative learning culture helps to keep employees happy and productive and is an effective way to share knowledge. It can help you to develop a stronger and more sustainable business, increasing turnover and productivity.
How to set up a mentoring programme in your business?
With more emphasis on workplace wellbeing, companies need to support staff and invest in development opportunities and mentoring is a ‘win-win’ method to do this. There are a number of steps involved in setting up your own mentoring programme which we will be covering in our upcoming workshop which include:
• Step 1: Defining the purpose and goals
• Step 2: Designing the mentoring programme
• Step 3: Signing up mentors and mentees
• Step 4: Matching mentors and mentees
• Step 5: Ensuring mentoring momentum
• Step 6: Measuring success and ROI
For a more in-depth look at the ABC of setting up a mentoring programme in your business, join us at our hands-on workshop to inspire and guide companies:
Event: Wed 31 March | 10.00-11.30 Setting up a Mentoring Programme in your Business
This dynamic workshop will be led by Mei Kuen Wong, Employee Experience & Organisational Learning Partner at Aster Group UK. She will help you explore the benefits to your business including why having a mentoring programme is important, why mentoring is a key skill, how it can benefit staff and top tips on how to do it.
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