Mentoring in the Workplace

Employee mentoring programs are becoming increasingly common in both larger and smaller businesses. Just as large corporations will find that there are a number of advantages to having a corporate mentoring program, smaller businesses will find that mentoring in the workplace offers a number of distinct advantages – advantages for the company itself, for those who are being mentored who will benefit from learning their position in a more effective way and for the mentors who are able to connect with new staff members and to foster community within the office.

Employee mentoring programs, after all, are designed with a look to the future. Rather than focusing on hiring employees who will fill a specific position, employee mentoring programs enable business owners to look at the skills that a prospective employee has as well as the skills that he or she is able to develop over time. Rather than recognizing that, over time, there will be a need to hire executives, companies that have implemented employee mentoring programs will recognize the talent of their staff and will know that the necessary leadership skills will be developed; they will find that they are able to promote effectively from within.

The reason why employee mentoring programs create these benefits is a simple one. With employee mentoring programs, there is the opportunity for each staff member to learn the job that they will be doing from someone who is more experienced; in addition to providing quality on the job training for those who are being mentored, new staff are able to make a connection with established employees, to focus on the skills that they have and on developing the skills that they need. Most importantly, however, with employee mentoring programs in effect in the workplace, new hires will find that they are able to get questions answered to get support when they need it.

Those who have been with the company for a while will also discover that there are many benefits to employee mentoring programs. Rather than waiting for a new staff member to come up to speed, mentors will know that those who they are working with will be learning the job quickly – and that they will be making fewer mistakes in the process. With employee mentoring programs in place, those who are providing the mentoring will have the opportunity to identify those individuals who are ready to grow and to take on more responsibility.

That is the reason why those companies who have employee mentoring programs in place ultimately benefit: at all times, new hires will be learning the job from someone who knows it and staff members will be being groomed for advancement. Employee mentoring programs will allow there to be a consistent development of additional skills, satisfied staffers who are committed to the workplace and the consistency that comes with knowing that they are have a loyal staff who are dedicated, successful and ready to rise to the occasion when asked.

In other words, mentoring in the work place creates the type of environment that every company should hope to have – an environment that is focused on everyone's success.

Copyright 2008, Cecile Peterkin. All rights reserved.