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In the new world of work, everyone needs to fully embrace the importance of mentoring. For employers and employees alike, there is no doubt that mentorship programs can offer an all round win-win situation. Hence, to cope better in a workplace landscape that has seen so many changes in the past few years, organisations need to grasp the importance of mentoring programs and support activities that encourage the growth of their employees.
What exactly is the New World of Work?
In the past few years, or what has become known as the post-pandemic era, the very foundations of the workplace as we know it have been shaken to the core. Employers and employees alike were forced to suddenly adjust to a remote way of working. No longer could employees pass by their manager’s workstation for on-the-spot guidance, and no more could managers directly oversee the day-to-day operations of their staff. While remote working arrangements were difficult to adjust to at first, this setup led to important realisations that morphed into the New World of Work.
Since many professionals began working from home, the realisation of the importance of creating a work-life balance and workplace autonomy began to kick in. In the beginning, employees began to graps the implications of emphasising their preference for a remote or hybrid structure and often departed to new places of work where these requirements were not met. Currently, employees are not only concerned with autonomy over where they work but are also more assertive about how things should work. In this regard, more and more employees are now driving the implementation of improved work practices, such as greater diversity and inclusion as well as better mentoring programs.
The role of mentorship in the New World of Work
In the New World of Work, diversity and inclusion are critical factors that provide previously disadvantaged professionals with better opportunities to strive for the positions they deserve. Mentoring enables individuals to improve their chances of breaking down barriers to achieve their goals. The New World of Work also takes into account the capabilities and autonomy of every employee and due to the changing workplace landscape, leaders are now more than ever considered as coaches and mentors that are tasked to provide a safe working environment for each employee, embrace diversity and offer meaningful feedback. As opposed to telling employees what to do and how they should go about getting things done, leaders now take on the role of mentors by involving employees in developing solutions and supporting their growth. This new approach enables leaders to make the best use of employee potential.
Tips on how to improve Mentorship Programs
Learn how to mentor using a remote or hybrid working model
Since many professionals are leaning towards the remote or hybrid working model, businesses need to learn how to mentor remotely. Instead of relying solely on platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, mentors can deliver an all-inclusive experience using dedicated mentoring platforms. Such technologies make things easier to gauge opportunities, schedule meetings, and monitor and track mentee progress.
Take into account the individual circumstances of each mentee
Seen from a coaching perspective, mentors should take into account the various facets and circumstances that can affect the performance of their mentees. One such example is factoring in the different social backgrounds of their employees, which is why customising a mentoring program to align with an employee’s specific circumstances is critical. One-on-one mentorship programs based on the specific circumstances of each employee are a good way to engender trusting relationships between mentors and mentees.
Consider the benefits of reverse mentoring programs
Mentoring isn’t a one-way street where a manager simply gives commands to a junior staff member. In fact, one study on reverse mentoring revealed that leaders can drive organisational progress through learning about equality, diversity and inclusion from junior staff who act as reverse mentors.
Mentorship for a stronger, more capable workforce
There remains no doubt that the world of work has undergone numerous changes in the past few years and mentorship plays a vital role. By adjusting your mentorship programs to embrace the New World of Work the needs of the workforce can be met and employee potentials can effectively be developed to ultimately result in a stronger, more capable workforce.
Reference sources: Pushfar.com