Several businesses today struggle with the challenge of retaining top talent. The job market is hot and employees have a lot of opportunities coming their way but as an employer, it is your job to find the right ways to retain your best employees. One of the most common ways to improve employee retention is mentoring. When an employee is paired with a mentor, they are more engaged in the organisation and it can help reduce the cost and turnover. The cost of a demotivated and unproductive employee is much more than the cost of hiring a mentor. On top of that, you need to hire and train a new employee which will only add to the costs. The best way to keep the numbers down and your employees motivated is to leverage mentoring. With a mentor, employees are more than likely to stay with the same organisation for over five years. Let’s take a look at the benefits of mentoring for employee retention.
Supports growth and development
Mentoring is one of the many ways you can open new pathways for employees to achieve their goals and career objectives. It will not only help build a strong sense of loyalty but will also improve productivity and job satisfaction, making them more likely to stay with the same organisation.
Provides additional feedback
Lack of feedback can lead to low employee retention and over 60% of employees feel that they would like to receive more feedback. You can fill this void through mentoring. A huge part of mentorships is open communication and honest feedback. Since the mentor-mentee meetings happen regularly, it is a safe space for both parties to sit down and provide feedback, suggestions, and insights. This will help the employee understand the areas they need to work on. While the feedback is not always job-specific, it will improve job performance and can supplement reviews since it happens frequently. On the successful completion of a mentorship program, you could reward them with a reward or a trophy from the trophy store from edco.com which will also encourage others to participate in the mentorship program.
Helps employees feel more connected to the organisation
You can create a supportive and positive work environment while building a sense of community through a mentorship program. It will encourage the employees to engage in the organisation’s activities and work towards its mission and goals. You will notice that they are more motivated to give their best since they want to see the business do well. Mentoring is also helpful in building strong relationships between the mentor and the employees. It becomes a valuable part of the employee’s professional development and will aid their personal growth. A mentor will provide support and guidance in the workplace but also beyond it. Employees will be able to find support in other areas of life like work-life balance or career planning.
Handle issues with management
A majority of the employees leave their organisation to get away from the boss since they place high importance on their relationship with the boss. When an employee is allowed to forge a mentoring relationship, it will allow them to find different manager figures in the same organisation. A mentor will bring a unique perspective to mentees and give them a relationship they can lean on whenever their direct manager falls short. A mentor also works as an additional support to help the mentee in tough times, personal or professional. Whenever the direct manager is unable to provide support, the mentor can take their place.
Proves that the business is invested in employee growth
When a business offers a mentoring opportunity to the employees, it shows the people in the organisation that their growth is valued. As employees see this in the employer, they will feel more engaged and motivated in their work. It will also lead to higher productivity, improved performance, and a positive environment.
Build a culture of learning and development
Young professionals are jumping from one job to another to make the most of their career path and the time spent in the workplace. This shows that they are not happy with a stable job or decent pay and they like to be challenged. Many employees leave their companies because of the lack of career growth opportunities. This issue can be addressed through mentoring. It will aid the employee’s need for growth and development. With a mentorship program in place, there will be a lot of brainstorming of ideas, goal-setting, taking action steps, and working for long-term personal and professional goals. These things paired with a good career and personal advice can address the need for learning and development. Wherever employees are encouraged to think, learn, and grow, they will feel valued for their presence and it will improve their productivity.
Shows your employees that they are valued
Through mentoring, you can make your employees feel valued and supported which will encourage them to become more engaged in what they do. A large part of your workforce wants to feel encouraged and mentoring is one way to do it. When the team feels they have someone to go to for support, advice, or guidance, they will feel connected to the organisation and will not look for opportunities to shift. This move will make them feel like they are an important part of your business journey and they will be happy to learn more from experts. On the other hand, the employees who feel unsupported often start looking for opportunities elsewhere. The right mentor can help them overcome challenges and gain the confidence to succeed.
Build a better organisation
Lastly, it is all about building the right culture in your organisation. If you want to achieve higher employee retention, you need to get away with poor culture. Employees tend to start thinking of looking for another job when they do not like the culture in the organisation. Mentoring will help them get a platform for building interpersonal relationships, find security in their job, and understand teamwork. It will also encourage diversity and generate unique ideas. Through this, you can also encourage cross-department interaction and see higher retention.
Mentoring is an ideal way of improving the retention rate in your organisation. It is a win-win for both. The mentor gets a chance to showcase their talent and work with an individual to help improve their skills while the mentee gets a chance to learn from an expert. This will ultimately benefit the business and you will see better returns.
