Mentoring in the Workplace

Mentoring in the workplace is the future. It’s the future of talent retention, positive workplace culture and career development. Mentors, like Maya Angelou and Steve Jobs, have opened the door to a world of opportunities for several successful people, from Oprah Winfrey to Bill Gates. But what does it really mean to be a mentor or a mentee? 

By Mariah Flores

Behind every career success story, you’ll likely find a whole supporting cast of family, friends, colleagues and mentors. 

Mentorships are constantly discussed in the working world as necessary tools for a successful career path. Mentees tend to have higher confidence, expanded networks and a front row seat to their desired profession. 

Further, the interpersonal relationships derived from thoughtfully-crafted mentorships follow both the mentor and mentee through their entire professional and personal lives. For these reasons, increased mentoring in the workplace is a must. 

As a mentee, you gain a professional confidant who is always there to lend a helping hand and even open doors to job opportunities (or promotions). Are you a mentor? You gain priceless leadership skills, along with a chance to uplift, support and advise a new generation of talent. 

The National Institute of Health provides a thorough list of all the organizational benefits of mentoring, including better recruiting, retention and elevated knowledge transfers. Mentorship, when done intentionally, is also a positive sign of an organization’s commitment to employee development.

When we think of mentorship, we typically imagine a college student, possibly an intern at some organization, being paired with an older colleague. However, mentorships can take place at every stage of someone’s professional journey — no matter their age, education background or job status. The workplace is a wonderful place for anyone to begin their mentor or mentee experience. 

What is a mentor?

Anyone can open a Merriam-Webster dictionary and flip to the plain definition of “mentor”. The word is simply defined as “a trusted counselor or guide”. Pretty straightforward, right? 

In reality, the question “What is a mentor?” can be answered in many ways. A mentor is the person you call when you need guidance of any sort. A mentor is someone whom you work with, that offers valuable advice only an established professional would know. On the other hand, a mentor may be the older teammate you’re paired with during an internship. 

Again, the ways to define a mentor are endless. No mentorship looks like another, which is why it’s great having some personable insight from our fellow LinkedIn members. 

D’Narius Lewis, a serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author and founder and CEO of Motivated Mentors, a concept dedicated to building up individuals and mentors all over the world, offers up some personal insight on what it means to be a mentor. 

“[A mentor] is a person that you look up to, can seek guidance from and can feel comfortable around,” he says. The idea of comfortability comes up a lot when discussing mentorship. If you don’t feel comfortable around a person, you’ll never reach out to them and that defeats the whole purpose of mentoring.

Take some time now to reflect: “What does mentorship look like to you?”

How to find a mentor or mentee 

Many universities and colleges offer mentorship programs tied to a student’s desired career path or major. If you are a student, head to your advising office and begin the mentor search. You can also seek out a mentor on your own, similar to Lewis. 

After reading a career guidance book, Lewis was inspired to “go where professionals go, wear what professionals wear and do what professionals do,” and joined his local chamber of commerce in college. This action led to him meeting his first mentor when he was 19 years old.

As Lewis discovered in college, networking is another great way to spark up a mentorship. A recent Forbes article from council member Blake Caldwell also recommends taking similar steps as Lewis, joining your local chamber of commerce, visiting coworking spaces, attending startup events and establishing yourself in the local business community that aligns with your interests. You can easily build mentorships with a variety of people in all sorts of careers. 

If you are already in the workforce or not in college, mentorship is still an option. Your place of work, if part of a larger organization, may have formal mentorship programs. These programs allow employees to explore different facets of the workplace, guided by trained managers or peer advisors. The presence of such programs is a good interview question. 

MENTOR is a wide-reaching nonprofit organization for younger people seeking mentorship and responsible adults looking to make an impact as mentors. They firmly believe that “mentoring amplifies change, one relationship at a time.” 

You can also type in “mentoring opportunities near me” into any search engine and explore local options. There are so many programs out there that support mentees and mentors of all backgrounds.

Looking for mentoring opportunities in the workplace, but not finding any? You have the perfect chance to introduce the idea to upper management and HR. Of course, you’ll need to come prepared with the benefits of mentoring at work (especially for those routinely underrepresented in the workforce). A well-researched list may yield a surprising response, impacting coworkers for years to come.

The importance of mentoring in the workplace

Mentoring within the workplace only strengthens the entire organization. Interns, new employees and those who have been with the company for a long time can interact in refreshing ways. Combined organizational and career success will soar, only if all mentorship participants are invested every step of the way.

Steven Colón, CEO of Bottom Line, discussed the importance of mentorship with LinkedIn News Live. 

“Whether it’s formal mentorship or informal mentorship, those types of caring relationships, those types of support systems can encourage you when things get rough,” he said. “They can help you navigate sticky situations early on in your career”

Likewise, mentoring and development programs in the workplace create a more person-centric culture. Organizations offering mentorship benefit from having lower turnover rates, better career advancement and improved morale. The potential for workplaces supporting mentorship are endless and within reach, according to a Forbes article. 

What makes a good mentor or mentee? 

A good mentorship is reflective of the people involved. Whether you’re looking to be a mentor and a mentee, some common traits can make or break any mentoring relationship. 

Lewis has some keen insights on what it takes to be a good mentee. 

“To be a mentee, a person would be ambitious, teachable, willing to learn, and hungry,” he states. “The hunger is very, very important.” 

He goes on to say that a person can have all the talent and energy in the world, but if they’re not hungry and don’t define what their ‘why’ is first, a mentor will have a hard time seeking them out and best supporting their needs. 

Besides being driven, successful mentees need to be able to ask questions, listen and set realistic goals. Knowing what you hope to gain from your mentor and relaying that information to them is incredibly important. This is your time to set the tone, pace and agenda for what all you want to achieve and discuss during the mentorship. 

On the opposite end, mentors should typically be in some senior position, relative to you. In general, they’re active listeners, trustworthy, authentic, caring and someone who’s consistently present. 

Colón shared a few words for mentors during his LinkedIn News Live interview. “[A]s a mentor, part of your responsibilities is to open up your network, particularly during times like COVID, where getting out to networking events are difficult,” he said.

“Mentors play an important role in connecting students, connecting folks to a wider range of individuals who can help them be successful in their career.”

Another point to note is that any impactful mentorship requires a certain level of dedication from both mentors and their mentees. I like to think it’s all about what you make of it, so go into the experience with open arms, ears and mind.

Top Takeaways

Why is mentorship important? How does it present itself in the workplace?

• Mentors provide access to larger professional networks, job opportunities and advice 
• Workplace mentorship leads to a more people-centric culture and environment 
• Seek out a mentor or mentee that you trust and feel comfortable around
• No mentorship program at work? Talk to HR about the benefitx and see what happens