Want to have a loyal and dedicated workforce and keep employment costs in check? Try a mentoring program.
Mentoring can be one of the most important programs organizations can offer, say staffing experts. A mentoring program can help to keep employees engaged and loyal, hold down costs of recruiting and on-boarding and helps to create the next generation of organizational leadership.
A successful mentoring program depends on three factors, said Jim Perrone, principal at Perrone-Ambrose Associates, a consulting firm that helps clients in a variety of industries establish mentor programs.
What the program achieves from a business perspective. In terms of the business goals, the program should identify upfront what outcome the organization hopes to achieve. An example might be to get under-represented groups into leadership roles, Perrone said. What mentees get from the program. The program should have a champion who works with employees to identify career goals and how the program can help them achieve those goals. The program should provide training where needed, and a structure for checking on progress frequently. What mentors get from the program. For the mentor, the most important aspect of any program is personal satisfaction. Make sure mentors are provided with the time and resources necessary to work with a mentee. And ensure that the relationship is long enough for the mentor to see real progress in helping to develop the mentee's career.A mentoring program sends the message that the employer cares about employees' professional development and mentoring can help employees feel more connected to the institution as a whole, to the individual job role and to their long-term career options, Perrone said.
A few good mentors and the bottom line
Healthcare organizations with effective mentoring programs enjoy higher retention rates. That means less money spent on recruiting and training, and a workforce that has more experience on the job – in that facility.
Having good mentors is key to achieving an effective a mentoring program.
"Those people say 'I want to be part of shaping the leadership of the future. I want to play a role in making the hospital, or the practice, successful,'" Perrone said.
Successful mentors usually display common characteristics, and have similar motives, Perrone said. Patience is a given. An ability to listen and a desire to make a difference and leave a legacy are also common traits. But equally important is the ability to help a mentee understand the organization and how they can contribute to its success.
A mentoring assignment is also a great way to put a key employee on a management track, Perrone noted. On the flip side, Perrone said the mentoring program can also weed out employees that may not be best suited to a particular future management role.
For established leaders, said Perrone, a mentoring assignment gives them the opportunity to advise someone in a non-supervisory relationship, and helps them better appreciate the needs of others. It lets mentors sharpen leadership skills with someone who is willing to be more open about telling them how they're doing.
Getting it right
Once a mentoring program is up and running, how does an organization tell if it's working?
A common evaluation practice is to figure out how individuals advance up the ladder in an organization, but that is not always the best strategy, since management roles are not for everyone, said Amy Simmons, the vice chair of mentoring of Professional Women in Healthcare's professional development committee.
"The way you measure success is by watching turnover," Simmons said. If a healthcare organization sees retention rates increase, odds are a mentoring program played a role.
The best way to evaluate if a mentoring program is working for mentees is to ask them at the outset what they want to get from the program, and then periodically check in to find out how they are doing at achieving their own goals, she said.