Mentor: Expert, Role Model, Treasure of Knowledge

Author: Helena Pregelj // Photos: Robert Zabukovec

Whenever we enter the realm of the new and unknown, it is especially important to have people by our side who offer us support and help with their knowledge. At Hidria, we have been familiar with mentoring for many years, in which colleagues with more experience welcome and accompany a new employee as part of a six-month induction program. If you are considering a job at Hidria, we guarantee: you will not take the first steps alone!

In many workplaces, new employees are faced with such specific tasks that they would not be able to successfully start their business journey without a mentor. The relationship between mentor and mentee goes beyond the exchange of experience and knowledge, confirm Maja, Edi, Bojana, Jani, Sara and Iztok, Hidria's colleagues, who were connected by the experience of mentoring. They agree that a good mentor is not a person who knows all the answers, but a person who helps the mentee to ask the right questions and find their own answers.

Maja and Edi: Cooperation has always been a priority

"Edi is a man who takes his time. When he was my mentor in the field of FMEA moderation, he very quickly handed over responsibilities to me. He supported my work, answered my questions, reviewed the final products before we submitted them. So I was always 100% sure that I understood everything correctly. He participated in the meetings, but always let me have the main say and only helped if the process ever stopped. His trust means a lot to me. He never said he didn't have time. I was always the first priority, which I greatly appreciate," says Maja Nu?i?, quality technologist at Hidria Lamtec.

Edi Tratnik, head of HLS at Hidria Lamtec, has many years of experience in the field of FMEA, in-depth methods for analyzing processes and identifying possible risks and errors that can occur in the design and production of products. "I think it's good to pass on knowledge to my colleagues. I care very much how the work will go on in the future. I am especially happy when I see such enthusiasm on the other side as Maja has. I see her as a person who will be able to continue the work and introduce new moderators."

Is the mentor also a role model? "If I think of Edi, definitely," says Maja. "He is a real treasure trove of knowledge. Whenever I turn to him with a question, I know I will get the right direction. I hope that today, when I myself am in the role of a mentor, I am a role model for others. I'm learning that you have to be very patient in mentoring, that it is necessary to present something several times. Here, I draw a lot of experience from working with Edi."

So is mentoring also communication training? "Definitely," Edi and Maja confirm.

"In Japan, where I was ten years ago, they know how to use the knowledge of the elderly very well. Of course, they can no longer keep up with the fast pace in the company, but they join together in workshops called 'dojo', which are intended, among other things, to transfer knowledge between generations. I would be glad if we would also develop something similar here in Slovenia," Edi believes.

He wants more time to be devoted to mentoring: "Some young people are already overloaded with many tasks when they are employed. Sometimes that's why they don't feel the need to talk to the mentor in peace, which in my opinion is not the best. The time we dedicate to mentoring conversations is an investment that helps young people to work more easily in the future and make better use of their time."

Jani and Bojana: Knowledge transfer and learning about relationships

Jani Rutar, senior production logistician at Hidria Movent, says that in workplaces like his, the mentor plays a really key role. "In my field, I encounter very specific tasks, so when I was employed two and a half years ago, I would not have been able to take the first step without a mentor. I gradually took over the role of planner and replaced Bojana in this position."

Bojana Erjavec, purchasing logistician at Hidria Movent, tries to pass on as much knowledge as possible to the mentee in her role as a mentor. "But sometimes it's good to keep something to yourself and let a colleague discover it himself. Thus, he gains breadth, develops innovative thinking. I do not expect the mentee to do everything in the same way as I do myself. Jani, who recently completed his master's degree in logistics, sees things differently from me, who has been with the company for sixteen years."

"At first, I tried to get as close as possible to Bojana's way of working. Now I do things my own way, partly because the work in our field has changed a lot in recent years. I really like mentoring, as we know it at Hidria. In my previous employment, the mentor was not so clearly defined. I gradually gained information, but I spent more time on it," says Jani, adding: "I also learned a lot about relationships from Bojana. When I got a job at Hidria, she introduced me to all colleagues in production, the office and other departments at Hidria, which I thought was very important."

"Mentorship was a very positive experience for me. I am really satisfied with the cooperation with Jani. When he arrived at Hidria, I saw that he had a broad view, that he was very innovative, which is very valuable for Hidria and our business unit," says Bojana.

Sara and Iztok: Reliable advice, but also a free way

Iztok Von?ina and Sara Brus were initially mentor and mentee, today they are colleagues, project managers at Hidria Alutec. They work in the same office, which contributes to easier communication between them.

"When you come across a case or a situation you've never been in before, you can ask your mentor for advice. This, in my opinion, is the most valuable thing about mentoring. The mentor then suggests possible solutions, while at the same time giving you the freedom to think for yourself and decide which direction would be best. Because you're looking outside the box, you might see another option. But it's important that you can talk about everything with someone who has a lot of experience," says Sara.

Does Iztok, who already has 33 years of work at Hidria in various fields and a lot of mentoring, learn from Sara? "Of course," he affirms: "It's nice to work with young, interested people. Mentoring is always a challenge for me. I realize that I cannot teach a young colleague everything in a few months. I can give the basics, guidelines, present knowledge of the system. Experience counts the most. You can only get them through mileage."

What does Sara appreciate most about Iztok? "Systematics, organization. I already had different mentors. It's interesting how everyone sees things differently. As a mentee, I tried to take the best from all mentorships and transfer them to my way of working."

What does Iztok appreciate most about Sara? “Everyone has a slightly different approach. Sara works with other customers, on other products, has different challenges. But I can say that we both work in the best team, I have never seen a better one in Hidria. It's true that I don't know everyone, but here we are really connected. If someone encounters a challenge that might be of interest to everyone, we always share our experiences and help each other in this way. The atmosphere between us is also excellent."

Tanja Kenda, HR project manager at Hidria, says that the HR department constantly supports, coordinates and promotes the mentoring system at Hidria. Mentoring, a long-standing practice at Hidria, was introduced in a planned way, but at the same time quite spontaneously:

"Intergenerational mentoring is very positive and motivating, where we use the experience of colleagues from the past to build and strengthen knowledge for the competencies of the future. In addition to learning about new content, the relationship and cooperation between mentor and mentee also builds an important social network in the work environment, promotes a culture of learning and strengthens greater belonging to Hidria."

Nina Podobnik, HR officer at Hidria, responsible for mentoring and education of employees:

"Mentoring is a process in which knowledge and ideas are mutually exchanged. The purpose of a good mentoring system is to transfer organizational knowledge, which we have a lot at Hidria and which is difficult to list in standards and instructions. With a good mentoring system, we enable employees to grow professionally and personally and achieve better work results. Being a mentor is not an easy task. The mentor must lead the mentee by example in a way that helps him or her plan work tasks and solve daily challenges. I can say that at Hidria we have excellent mentors who, with a respectful attitude, strengthen the company's culture and encourage mentees to take on more responsible work and tasks."