Canadian HR Reporter

HR issues in today's workplaces are increasingly complex, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining talent and ensuring that the corporate 'memory' doesn't disappear. As younger generations exhibit different mindsets than the older workforce— particularly around work-life balance—HR professionals need to know what steps can be taken to engage this cohort and promote a positive workplace culture where they will stay and thrive. The evidence is clear: A well-designed mentoring program is the answer. Mentoring, Coaching, and Sponsorship Mentoring and coaching are often confused, so let's start by examining the differences. Coaching focuses on skills and is performance- and results-oriented: "This is what you need to do, and this is how you do it." Mentoring, on the other hand, has a broader scope. The intent of work- place-based mentoring is to develop a supportive, mutually beneficial relation- ship between mentor and mentee that supports the mentee in the development of their career. Research tells us that the old-school protégé/mentor programs have limited effectiveness and are not attractive to younger generations when compared with initiatives that focus on development of the whole person. Mentoring experts agree: holistic developmental mentoring serves to help the mentee deepen their thinking and empowers them to become more effective and engaged employees. By not just focusing on performance goals, a healthy mentoring relationship addresses overall advancement and development. Professional and personal attributes are both on the table. Coaching is a tool that a mentor may employ from time to time—but as with advice, only in small measure. Confidence building, role modelling, and advo- cacy are all part of mentoring, says Ida Abbott Esq., who views sponsorship as a form of 'advanced mentoring' where the mentor serves as a strong advocate who purposefully champions their mentee. 1 The Role of the Mentor Above all, effective mentoring means that the mentor needs to refrain from dispensing advice. Instead, the mentor 'comes down from the mountain' to become a superior listener, using reflective conversation techniques, querying and challenging when necessary, and suggesting options that the mentee may not have considered. The mentor asks open-ended questions such as "What do you want to achieve?" "What do you think is the best way to get there?" "What options have you considered?" Ultimately, both mentors and mentees must take responsibility: the mentor for creating a safe place for the mentee to express their thoughts and learn from errors, and the mentee for being open to stepping into that safe place. The mentee needs to take charge of the mentoring relationship process and be accountable to follow through on commitments. Without trust, the relationship is doomed to failure. Key Benefits of Mentoring in the Workplace As mentoring programs become increasingly popular in the workplace, evi- dence has accumulated as to why mentoring matters, what benefits mentoring brings to an organization, and what needs to be in place. What have we learned? The evidence shows clearly that well-designed mentoring programs reduce staff turnover, promote employee development, and help employees adapt to new positions or responsibilities. We've also learned that both mentors and mentees can benefit. Julie Silard Kantor 2 , President and CEO of Twomentor LLC, recently noted that more than 80 percent of Millennials perceive mentoring to be crucial to their success. Why? They can learn on the job and from experienced people in their workplace. Of added value is that as older cohorts retire, mentoring relationships can be an effective means to transfer corporate knowledge from one generation of employee to another. The third key benefit to workplace mentoring programs is proven turnover reduction. We all know what impact employee churn has on the workplace, both practically and subjectively. When talent is retained, the costs associated with onboarding new employees are dramatically reduced. The reasons for this are simple. With the right mentor, new employees feel more engaged and are more easily oriented to the corporate culture. Further, having a mentor with whom to discuss frustrations and concerns helps employees pro- cess the dynamics of their workplace and develop strategies that will promote engagement and retention. The net result? Reduced stress and anxiety. Of course, this requires that a mentor is neither a line supervisor nor another employee in a position to make direct decisions about the mentee's career. When employees stay with a company for a longer time, it's usually because they can see a clear career path and are confident their efforts will be rewarded as they grow into their roles and develop leadership and management skills. This also means that high-performing individuals are more likely to stay with the company rather than look elsewhere for that next big step. Writing for the online magazine Assurance, Alexa Greer 3 notes that mentorship has the added benefit of creating a learning culture where employees help one another reach their full potential, leadership skills are enhanced, and top-talent employees are engaged. Studies indicate that productivity increases where mentoring programs are in place and newer employees have someone to turn to for advice. Certainly, mentored employees demonstrate higher levels of job satisfaction, which leads to a more positive workplace environment. Mentors also benefit. Mentoring helps them develop their leadership skills, their relational skills, and their capacity to listen carefully rather than direct. They become better leaders and can learn new perspectives from their mentees. Not Just Any Mentoring Program But not just any mentoring program will do. HR professionals who are consid- ering a mentoring program in their workplace must avoid the pitfalls of poorly designed mentoring programs. For example, if you perceive that it's merely a case of match.com, think again. Mentors and mentees must prepare to be a mentor or be mentored; an infrastructure needs to be in place; gender and other diversity issues need to be examined and an action plan developed. The good news is that abundant resources are 'out there' to support you. The International Mentoring Association (www.mentoringassociation.com) has evidence-based standards and guidelines to help you develop a mentoring pro- gram that delivers the best results for your workplace. Mentoring does matter. Contributed by Virginia McGowan, PhD Author of Harness the Power of Mentoring: How to Find and Work with the Right Mentor—A Guide for the Solopreneur, Virginia spent most of her career as a senior manager in provincial and federal government agencies and as an adult educator. She now writes, publishes and trains (workshops, online courses) on mentoring and mentoring programs. She also designs, manages, and evalu- ates mentoring programs. Virginia is a member of the International Mentoring Association (IMA) and an active mentor nationally and internationally. A sought- after speaker, Virginia's most recently addressed the IMA's biennial conference 2019 on how to conduct gender-based analyses in mentoring program design. (https://businessmentoringsolution.com) CPHRPEI.CA Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of PEI (CPHR PEI) • 101 Kent Street, PO Box 2151, Charlottetown, PE C1A 8B9 1 Ida Abbott, Esq., interview in IMA Connect, Vol. 1, Issue 2 (Fall 2019), pp. 8-9. 2 Julia Silard Kantor,. Four key benefits of workplace mentoring initiatives. Huffpost, 03/11/2016 02:24 pm ET | Updated Mar 11, 2017. (Co-written with A. Crosser). https://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-kantor/four-key-benefits-of-work_b_9432716.html 3 Alexa Greer, Top 10 benefits of mentorship in the workplace. Assurance, 10/11/2016. https://www.assuranceagency.com/blog-post/top-10-benefits-of-mentorship-in-the-workplace BENEFITS OF WORKPLACE-BASED MENTORING: What the HR Professional Needs to Know

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