When people hear the word “mentorship,” they usually picture a younger employee, or someone new to the work, being trained by someone who’s more experienced in the field. While this is partially accurate, there is much more to mentorship than learning new skills and technical knowledge of a job. Mentorship is also about helping guide employees in their soft skill and overall career development, which they will use in a wide variety of settings. Mentorship leads to happier employees and more confident leaders. Best of all, it has ripple effects that can benefit the entire organization.
Sure, this sounds great, but why does mentorship make such a difference? Here are a few of the many benefits that mentorship programs provide to leaders, employees, and their teams.
Mentorship Boosts Employee Engagement
When employees have the opportunity to connect with someone one-on-one, they feel seen and valued. When people know that others genuinely care about them, they bring their full selves to the office and perform their best work. It might be inspiring to have someone on their team guiding them forward as they navigate their career. Additionally, mentors feel more engaged when they’re supporting someone—knowing that others are relying on them helps mentors to focus on presence and work diligently in their own role. They can also learn from those they’re leading. Mentees have valuable perspectives and insights; the connection between mentors and mentees helps both sides stay in-the-know with team dynamics and shifts in process.
Coaching Builds a Positive Work Culture
Mentorship is a great way to foster relationships in the workplace; by building trust between mentors and mentees, employees develop loyalty toward their team. These positive work relationships make teams stronger and create a positive environment that benefits teams and entire businesses. When people enjoy their work and the people they work with, they want to perform their best. They want to celebrate each other’s wins and help each other succeed. Job satisfaction is incredibly important, and a positive work culture makes all the difference.
Mentorship Sets the Company up for the Future
A positive work culture helps employees feel connected, and when employees are happy, they tend to stick around. When employees stick around, teams are stronger and work more efficiently and effectively together. All of this helps lead the company to success. Even more so, mentorship helps the company prepare for the future. Training employees to have the skills to become successful managers and leaders is beneficial to them personally but also to the company as a whole. Mentorship serves as a great investment a company’s future.
A Place to Thrive
Mentorship is an essential part of keeping a company’s legacy alive and helping it grow and evolve as times change. At Viking Client Services, we understand the importance of mentorship and community. As a people-first company, we want to see our employees thrive in their current roles as well as the roles they’re working towards for the future. Opportunity paves the way for growth. This is what we strive to provide each of our employees—the opportunity to move forward and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.