{"id":118368,"date":"2024-09-24T08:30:37","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T12:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/?post_type=magazine&p=118368"},"modified":"2024-09-24T13:25:57","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T17:25:57","slug":"mentoring-the-key-ingredient-for-successful-onboarding","status":"publish","type":"magazine","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/magazine\/fall-2024\/mentoring-the-key-ingredient-for-successful-onboarding\/","title":{"rendered":"Mentoring: The Key Ingredient for Successful Onboarding"},"author":34,"featured_media":107348,"template":"","tags":[21051,29428],"class_list":["post-118368","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-coaching-and-mentoring","tag-effective-onboarding","global_topic_tax-onboarding","magazine_issue_tax-fall-2024","magazine_article_type_tax-info-exchange","magazine_article_type_tax-upskilling-info-exchange"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":"Wendy Brenes","author_image":"","author_bio":"Wendy Brenes<\/a> has more than two decades of experience in L&D. She passionately creates transformative mentoring cultures at Robert Half<\/a>, the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm, including a program that has been recognized by the Brandon Hall Group. Email Wendy<\/a>.","excerpt":"An onboarding mentoring relationship can accelerate how connected the new employee feels to the company and team culture while expanding their internal network.","main_content":"After reviewing a mountain of resumes and interviewing multiple candidates, you found THE ONE! Congratulations! Your next steps are critical \u2014 what will you do to ensure the new employee is set up for success? Does your company have a new hire mentoring program? An onboarding mentoring relationship can accelerate how connected the new employee feels to the company and team culture while expanding their internal network.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s look at this from the new employee\u2019s perspective. Joining an organization can be exciting yet full of uncertainties. While eager to succeed, they are in a period of transition. Think back to your own experiences. For me, these have been some of my most vulnerable moments and I remember wondering if I made the right decision, taking everything in day by day.\r\n\r\nWhile they accepted your offer, today\u2019s new employees are assessing every interaction, every connection and every communication to determine if it is the right role and place for them. They are taking in the company and team culture, evaluating if both align with their personal values. They may be questioning if the work they are doing aligns with their understanding of the role presented to them during the interview process. Some are afraid to ask questions or feel isolated, particularly in remote work environments.\r\n\r\nAccording to research, 70%<\/a> of employees decide whether a job is the right fit within the first month \u2014 and 29% know within the first week. What\u2019s more, 20% of new employees<\/a> leave organizations within their first 45 days. Can you afford to let this happen?\r\n\r\nAs they leave the role, they also leave with a bad experience of your company, and these unfortunate experiences are shared freely on websites such as Fairygodboss, Glassdoor and Rate My Employer. That means it\u2019s back to the drawing board \u2014 reviewing resumes while battling fresh negative reputations, and existing workers feel the weight of extra workloads. Productivity, innovation and engagement could be impacted.\r\n\r\nIt doesn\u2019t have to be this way. You can significantly influence a new employee\u2019s experience through a mentorship program. Below are recommendations to empower new employees and experienced ones to create meaningful mentoring relationships, and ultimately, encourage positive employee experiences for all:\r\n

Choose a Mentor for the New Employee<\/h2>\r\nWhen considering who may be the right person to mentor your new employee, I often think of someone who has had similar experiences. Perhaps they worked in a similar industry or share common experiences and interests. Mentors do not necessarily need to perform the same job function and can be job function-adjacent so there is a general understanding of the role and impact they each have.\r\n

Introduce the Partners and Set Expectations<\/h2>\r\nProvide an opportunity for each of the partners to get to know one another. This is a great time to share the structure of the program and expectations. Consider meeting for 30 minutes once a week for a two- to three-month period. This will support the new employee beyond the important 45-day mark. Encourage the partners to set a meeting schedule that works best for them and when meeting virtually, encourage the use of video technology.","full_width":false,"content_band":[{"acf_fc_layout":"social_callout","blockquote":"70% of new employees decide whether a job is the right fit within the first month \u2014 including 29% who know within the first week."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content_area","wysiwyg":"

Provide Sample Discussion Topics<\/h2>\r\nAn onboarding mentorship is more than just pairing people together and hoping for the best. By offering a few focus areas and prepared discussion topics, you can strengthen the impact of the partnership and create a standard for mentoring excellence across your organization. Of course, mentors should also invite the new employee to bring questions of their own and allow time to follow the new employee\u2019s energy and curiosities.\r\n\r\nBelow are a few samples of discussion topics:\r\n

Getting to Know You<\/h3>\r\nDiscovering common interests and experiences is a critical step in building trust within a mentoring relationship. These foundational conversations connect people, and when new employees feel connected, they begin feeling more confident in their decision to join the company.\r\n