For a company to continue to thrive in an ever-changing market, they need to adapt quickly and change with the market itself. One of the most important ways to do this is to continuously check in on employee needs, motivations, and aspirations. Happy employees mean more productive and efficient work and better communication amongst the teams. Employees can better learn how to thrive by working with a mentor. Mentors assist in all types of areas, including emotional support and teaching new skills. Below, we will look at the various benefits of a workplace mentorship program as featured in an article on GQR.
Formulates a learning culture
By putting in place an employee mentorship program and making it public, you are endorsing a culture that prioritizes learning and development. When employees discover they can work with a mentor that will help guide their career and further development, they realize that their future is being invested in. Also, workplace mentorship programs encourage collaborative learning and working environments where employees can obtain knowledge by watching and learning from the peers who work alongside them.
Decreases the price of learning
If a company has a workplace mentorship program, they likely also have official departments of development and learning. However, this does not equate to an endless budget. According to the article linked above, companies have been using the classroom for training activities more than any other purpose, but mentoring and coaching are viewed as much more effective. Mentoring and coaching are actually the top-rated learning methods, and the cost is relatively minimal compared to other training methods.
Reduces anxiety and stress.
As stated above, having a mentor can keep employees from feeling like they are alone. Especially with newer employees, they might be experiencing stressors or new challenges that they are uncomfortable going to anyone about for help and guidance. Mentors are there to assist employees in working down the correct path and taking care of their mental space while they are doing so. With work issues or even conflicts among personnel, they might not want to go to their manager or another team member. Having a workplace mentor means having a listening ear at all times, no matter what, who might even have experienced the same situation.