A mentorship program is an opportunity for the trainees and new employees. It helps them analyse their skills and adopt a particular process effortlessly with exposure to a mentor’s guidance and expertise. They are more eager to share their experiences which may help the employees overcome the struggles and improve their performance.
Having a successful mentoring program improves the communication between the employees. You can do so by building a better and more productive work culture. However, to host the best mentorship program requires preparation.
If confused about critical aspects that an ideal mentorship program must have, the blog may help.
6 Ways To Ensure The Best Mentoring Program For Employees
A company is as good as its employees. Just like you invest in new strategies for your company’s growth, employee growth matters. It requires you to conduct new mentorship programs often. Apart from helping the employees gain needed direction and hand over new skills and knowledge, it promotes innovation.
If you are confused about hosting the best mentorship program without any obstacles, read ahead.
1. Set Up A Mentoring Scheme
A mentoring scheme within the office promotes healthy interactions and motivates employees. Every company must have it as it is better than alternative training methods.
How do mentoring schemes help a business?
Well, unlike other programs, it keeps the expenses low. Here are other benefits of the same:
- Boosts employee retention rates
- Reduces off-site training costs
- Boosts productivity of the company and the employees alike
- Create opportunities for employees and mentors
Before launching the scheme be mindful of a few aspects:
- Do you want to achieve a career or task-focused approach?
- Which employee department or section will benefit?
- What qualifications do the mentors share?
- Who will be the coordinator behind?
- How will you make it official?
Walking by these measures will help you launch an ideal mentorship program.
2. Keep The Setup Simple & Encouraging
It is the most important aspect that you should be careful about. A mentorship program doesn’t have to be complicated. You may not know this, but a complicated structure raises the program costs. Moreover, it is useless if it does not align with the employee’s and mentor’s understanding. An ideal mentorship program engages one until the end of it.
Focus on the primary goal rather than engaging in confirming the best setup. Brainstorm the ways to make it easy for everyone to follow up. It’s the reason one must analyse the audience before hosting the program.
3. Mentors Must Encourage Conversation
The success of mentorship programs depends on both mentors and mentees. Mentors should be hyper-active about spreading the word about the program.
On the other hand, mentees should be proactive about the program. They should reveal their curiosity about attending the program. Precisely, the relationship must be a two-way street. Otherwise, it would not be a successful one.
Mentees should be willing to prepare some queries for the mentorship. Mentor will be more than eager to answer these.
Both mentors and mentees should be open and honest about the discussions. Moreover, be eager to give and receive feedback in a constructive way.
4. Participants Must Be Accountable For Actions
To affirm that your mentorship program achieves its goal, encourage accountability. Mentors and mentees should hold each other accountable for every initiative or action. Here are a few ways you can encourage it:
Set Expectations
The mentor must share the details associated with the mentorship. It should include the goals, objectives, activities involved, and timelines.
Ensure Check-Ins
Conduct regular check-ins to review the progress of the mentorship. Mentors and mentees must be even on the concepts. If they share any challenges, or struggles to get a concept, conduct doubt sessions.
Provide Training Materials & Booklets
It is the most important aspect ofmentorship. Unless a mentee knows his responsibility or role, he may struggle. Thus, share the training materials and associated booklets for ease.
Mentees Accountable For Success
Apart from the initiatives, mentees are responsible for the success of a mentorship program. They must follow each concept dedicatedly to make it a successful program.
5. Define Key Performance Indicators
Just like setting up your business strategy on KPIs or Key Performance Indicators, follow the same practice here. Analyse the parameters that define the success of the mentorship. Check the analytics you will use to measure the performance. KPIs should be quantifiable and should provide meaningful insight into program goals.
For example, if your mentorship programs focus on employee retention, the primary KPI here is Employee retention rate. One calculates it by taking the average number of employees and subtracting those who no longer exist in the company. You will get a number. Divide this number with the average number of employees. You will get your Employee Retention Rate.
It is just an example of setting up KPIs for the mentorship program. Apart from this, set up a baseline at the beginning of the program. It will help you track the progress and impact of the program. Furthermore, you can also analyse the improvement scope within the program.
6. Reward Your Mentors & Mentees
To capture employees’ attention, you must answer one of their questions.
“What is in for me?”
Your mentorship program activities should be exciting and supported by the best mentors. There should be an award ceremony wherein you pay gratitude towards mentors for hosting the best mentorship. It will also get the mentors interested.
It reveals that you value your mentors and employees equally. You can include their efforts as a performance-based review. Do so throughout the year to keep their momentum high.
Precisely, you can reward the mentors with word-of-mouth praise (feedback), and get personalised notes or feedback from the participants. Moreover, you can also provide monetary rewards for their dedication. Most companies worry about managing the budget for rewards. Well, you do not need to stress over it, check loans on the instant decision today. It would help you bridge the mentors’ expectations and encourage them to lead the team impactfully.
Bottom line
A mentoring programme can be valuable for employees and the business at every stage. Ensure active involvement in making it a successful one. After mentorship, encourage feedback from participants and check whether it is satisfactory. How you can improve it further. It will help the mentor and mentee get the most out of the initiative.
