What’s one way to streamline hiring and orientation, achieve intergenerational knowledge transfer in the workplace, and position the business for success?
In a word, mentorship. Good organic business mentorships allow new people to learn from those who have been working hard at the company for years. And it also takes a lot of the burden off of the HR departments, in terms of deeper-level training and professional development. Yes, the company needs to have comprehensive training and orientation. HR departments also need to foster evolution and growth. But mentorships can take care of some of that long-term process of developing new employees into capable leaders and producers for a company.
Arrange Mentorships Before Hires
One of the biggest problems with mentorships is when companies hire first, and then try to arrange the mentorship later. They often find that there’s nobody on hand to take on this role, and it goes by the wayside. Arranging mentorship setups ahead of time ensures that the process will be there for the new people that you take on.
Arranged Mentorships by Job Type
In some ways, any kind of mentorship can work, but in a lot of senses, you’re not going to get the optimal results you want by pairing up a budding technician with an experienced HR person, or having the head of building operations mentoring a new salesperson. Make sure mentorships are set up by department so that the new people are getting the particular types of knowledge and skills that they need to do their jobs well.
Provide an Element of Choice
Another of the big problems with mentorship programs is that people end up resenting their roles or not wanting to participate. When these programs are perceived as being forced on people, they can remain pretty ineffective. That means companies can benefit by providing the illusion of choice or allowing people to set their own parameters for mentoring. In the end, a lot of people will gravitate toward these programs because they realize their value — but if they see them being pushed down their throats, there may be a mutiny in the works.
Provide Facilitation Tools
Mentorships don’t have to be as basic as “okay, you two go get a coffee and talk about work.” Companies can actively facilitate these programs, for instance, by creating specific workday events that get people out of their desks and interacting with their co-workers. Planning mentorships better allows them to be more effective over time.
All of this is key to making sure that mentorships work the way they are supposed to, and that the company has a handle on workplace training and related aspects of administrating the enterprise and guiding it toward the future.
For more on hiring, mentorships and other job initiatives, keep an eye on the Full Steam Staffing blog. We offer comprehensive staffing and consulting services to Ontario, California businesses, and help our clients to success in the new business world.