Mentoring
What is mentoring in human resources?
Mentoring is a career development program wherein a senior professional acts as a role model, guiding a less experienced professional. They often offer personalized support and knowledge sharing that helps the rookies develop their expertise, build the necessary skills, excel in their careers, and navigate their challenges confidently.
What is the purpose of mentoring?
The ultimate purpose of mentoring is to help young employees grow professionally and personally. At a workplace, a good mentoring program often aims to:
- Bridge skill and knowledge gaps
- Bring out the best self of each employee at work
- Enhance collaboration and teamwork
- Build a culture of continuous learning
- Help young employees grow into inspiring leaders
- Make employees feel valued and engaged
What are the five stages of mentoring?
Here are the five key stages in mentoring that pave the way for its success:
Stage 1: Getting to know each other
During this stage, the mentor and mentee are introduced to each other, learn about each other's background and level of expertise, and develop a relationship that helps the mentees become comfortable in sharing and learning.
Stage 2: Defining expectations
During this stage, the mentor and mentee work together to set clear goals after discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the mentees, areas that require improvement, and the outcomes they wish to see in their work and career.
Stage 3: Learning and application
Based on the goals and expectations set in the previous stage, the mentor and mentee start working to achieve them. The mentor shares their expertise and guidance, and often provides real-time examples to clarify each topic better. Later, the mentees start applying them to their work, and the mentor will help them navigate seamlessly through setbacks and mistakes.
Stage 4: Becoming independent
During this phase, the mentees start becoming more independent and start to take on new projects, responsibilities, leadership roles, and more. They usually have regular check-ins with their mentor, who helps them refine their approach and become more confident.
Stage 5: Transition
During this stage, the mentee and mentor relationship ends, and they may often grow to become friends or, in some cases, even colleagues.
What are some examples of mentoring?
Here's a quick scenario to help you understand the nuances of mentoring at a workplace:
Let's just assume that Employee X has joined your HR team and is very new to their work. You want to help them understand your company's policies and regulations so you assign Employee Y as their mentor.
Stage 1: Employee X is paired with their mentor, Employee Y. During the initial meetings, Employee Y learns about Employee X's background, strengths, and career aspirations, while Employee X gets to know Employee Y's expertise and experience.
Stage 2: Employee X and Employee Y outline clear goals for X's growth. They set the following goals:
- Understanding the nook and corner of organizational policies
- Mastering HR tools
- Handling employee queries confidently, and
- Improving communication skills.
Stage 3: Employee Y provides hands-on training, shares real-life HR scenarios, and encourages Employee X to handle small tasks. Employee X applies their learning in real time, and Employee Y guides them through challenges and mistakes, helping Employee X refine their approach.
Stage 4: As weeks pass, Employee X gains confidence and takes on more responsibilities, handling employee queries independently and leading small HR projects. Employee Y shifts to periodic check-ins, offering strategic advice.
Stage 5: By the end of three months, Employee X has grown into a capable HR professional. While the formal mentorship ends, Employee X and Employee Y continue their professional relationship, occasionally exchanging insights and supporting each other as colleagues.
Who can participate in mentoring?
Anyone at a workplace who is willing to gain or share knowledge can participate in mentoring programs. Usually, individuals with high technical skills, interpersonal skills, and experience usually become mentors. They usually do it out of their own desire. Junior employees who want to learn new skills and gain a direction in their careers become mentees.
What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
While coaching usually focuses on short-term goals to help employees gain specific skills within a given time frame, mentoring is usually long-term, and is all about making employees self-sufficient in a way that helps them gain more potential and navigate career challenges seamlessly. Coaching is usually skills and performance-oriented, whereas mentoring is career-oriented.
What are some of the key responsibilities of a mentor?
Here are some of the key responsibilities of a mentor:
- Act as a role model and lead by example
- Set realistic career goals
- Provide the necessary guidance based on their skills, experience, and knowledge
- Provide constructive feedback
- Help mentees overcome career challenges
- Offer real-time work experience
- Provide a safe space for mentees to share their concerns and mistakes
- Help mentees grow more confident
How often should mentors and mentees meet?
The frequency of meetings between mentors and mentees usually depends on the goals they wish to achieve and the availability of the mentors. Meeting once a week or once in two weeks will set them off to a great start.
