Virtual Mentoring: Key Benefits and Best Practices
Training Industry, Inc.
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Remote and hybrid work models are here to stay. Widely adopted out of necessity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies now realize that remote and hybrid work arrangements offer benefits for both?employees ?and the?bottom line .
That said, adopting remote or hybrid work isn’t without?its challenges . Building connection and engagement in a virtual environment isn’t easy, and employees working remotely are less likely to benefit from informal development opportunities that occur more naturally in an in-person setting, such as impromptu “brainstorming sessions” over lunch or even a quick catch-up with an executive by the coffee machine. This can quickly lead to an inequitable employee experience: In?a 2022 survey ?of C-suite executives, 41% of participates said they believe remote employees are less likely to be considered for a promotion. The survey also found that remote and hybrid workers are 47% less likely to have access to company leadership.
Virtual?mentoring ?can help ensure that remote and hybrid employees receive the development and support they need to improve their performance and advance their careers. However, “leading remotely is challenging,” says Kelly Lockwood Primus , chief executive officer of LeadingNOW, an inclusive leadership development training provider, and many leaders may find themselves ill-equipped to be effective virtual mentors.
@Stephen Bailey, CEO and co-founder of leadership development provider ExecOnline , explains that the rapid rise of remote and hybrid work has “left many leaders unprepared, as traditional methods of leading teams no long longer meet the demands of leading increasingly distributed and diverse teams.” In fact, research by ExecOnline found that only 5% of leaders surveyed have the right combination of strategic prioritization and talent engagement skills needed to effectively lead right now.
Let’s consider why virtual mentoring is a critical skill for leaders today, and how learning and development (L&D) can help leaders develop it.
Why Mentor?
Today’s leaders are busier than ever, and finding the time to mentor team members can seem next to impossible. However, it’s critical that leaders treat mentoring as a business-critical initiative — because it is.?Research shows ?that when mentors are actively engaged with mentees, those mentees form stronger emotional bonds to the organization, report higher job satisfaction and perceive greater support from the organization broadly.
While leaders may?feel?like they don’t have the time (or energy) for virtual mentoring, investing in their team’s professional development can ultimately?save?them time and energy down the line by bridging skills gaps, driving engagement and?reducing turnover . Mentees aren’t the only ones who benefit from virtual mentoring, either. Bailey says that “the opportunity goes both ways.” For mentors, “the ability to connect with people who may be quite different in any number of ways opens up the chance for learning and gaining [a] new perspective and appreciation,” and doing so in a virtual environment also provides an opportunity for mentors to progress their skills in communicating and connecting virtually.” The learning, therefore, is “bi-directional.”
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