A well-implemented coaching programme is a crucial part of any HR strategy. It provides benefits for both the junior employee and their mentor. Further, it can help create a culture of teamwork and shared goals and responsibilities within an organisation
In an ideal world, the employees a company hires would come pre-programmed with all the attributes necessary for them - and hence the organisation - to succeed. But in reality, employees require ongoing learning and development. Naturally, the people best equipped to provide such training are senior personnel within the company; those who have seen and done it all before. This is where mentoring comes in.
"Mentoring is important because it provides intergenerational transmission of knowledge and know-how," explains Carol Muller, founding CEO and senior advisor of MentorNet, a California-based non-profit mentoring initiative. "It bridges experience gaps and adds value to professions and organisations, as well as to the individuals involved."
While that may sound like Business 101, it hasn't necessarily caught on in the corporate world. Indeed, many local companies do not have formal, organised mentoring systems in place. Haresh Khoobchandani, director of the Business and Marketing Organisation, Microsoft Singapore, is convinced of the importance of mentoring schemes. "I'd see it as an opportunity to establish such a programme, because I'm seeing the benefits every day at Microsoft," he said.
The art of mentoring
The effective transmission of wisdom and experience is of particular importance in a nation like Singapore. With the recruitment and retention of both foreign talent and local graduates considered crucial to the growth of Singapore's economy, the effective mentoring of these two groups takes on a special importance for local corporations.
Both groups, as it happens, already have their own need for mentoring. With fresh graduates, mentors can not only instill the existing company culture and unwritten rules, but also provide a tremendously calming influence during the first formative (and often stressful) stages of their careers. Many multinational companies achieve this through internships or graduate programmes that keep new recruits in close contact with senior management.
At Microsoft, mentoring has become a key part of career development. Khoobchandani says the programme helps new employees to settle in quickly and smoothly. In addition to receiving a mentor, those in the two-year Microsoft Academy for College Hires programme gain valuable contact with senior executives and are exposed to common business scenarios. Microsoft also offers the 'On-Boarding' programme for all new employees, which further introduces the workplace culture and helps ease in recruits.
Grace Wong, HR director of Thomson Reuters Asia, says that there are specific issues that need to be addressed regarding the mentoring of fresh graduates. "We have a special learning and development approach for the millennial (Generation Y) recruits," she said.
The need for mentoring
ORC Worldwide's 2007 Expatriate Work-Life Balance Survey found that almost two-thirds of expat workers felt stressed in their jobs. Some were frustrated at missing out on activities available in their home countries; others missed the comfort of their home support networks. ORC Worldwide also received comments about language and cultural difficulties.
Disturbingly, 74% of those surveyed believed that their organisations were not adequately handling these stress points. Expatriates felt even more overwhelmed when having to work longer hours in their new role.
Some companies, however, are addressing these concerns. At Microsoft, peer mentors can provide an ongoing point of contact to help expat employees understand the cultural nuances of their new home. Khoobchandani recalls that Microsoft's policies helped him adapt quickly during his time working in Malaysia. "HR played a big role in helping me understand certain behaviour and etiquette."
Wong says there are a number of programmes designed for foreigners working at Thomson Reuters in Singapore. These include cultural awareness workshops, buddy programmes and access to seminars by the Asia Diversity Advisory Council.
Elliot Lee, regional director of Learning and Development at Research International, reveals that his company typically addresses such issues on a person-to-person basis. "The norm is that fellow colleagues, both local and foreign, are always ready to share cultural dimensions with our new foreign colleagues," he said.
Of course, graduates and foreigners are by no means the only groups in need of mentoring. As Wong notes, "every individual, at different stages of their career, will benefit from a mentoring relationship."
Muller agrees. MentorNet aims to further the progress of women and others under-represented in scientific and technical fields but is careful not to do so at the expense of other employees. "I recommend never limiting a programme to targeted groups," Muller said. "It almost always leads to a backlash.
"Where programmes are limited to participation by those groups, there's sometimes a stigma attached, and an assumption that somehow they're assigned mentoring because they're deficient in some respect."
That couldn't be further from the truth. Indeed, mentoring is a universal tool. "Everyone benefits from, and is in need of, mentoring throughout their working lives."
Not as easy as it sounds
There are plenty of obstacles and challenges that can hamper the implementation of a new mentoring programme. Muller notes that often well-intentioned, intelligent people start a programme, failing to fully appreciate the resources - especially time and human - that will be required.
"Their biggest point of failure is usually failing to recognise that once trained and matched, mentors and protégés still need ongoing communication, coaching, and trouble-shooting," she said. This helps the partnerships to stay on track and to ensure the programme's objectives are being achieved. Muller says regular communication also helps hold individuals accountable for their commitments, and recognises the contributions of those participating, particularly the mentors.
Matching the right mentor to each employee is also crucial, says Wong. She believes that the right chemistry' can be the difference between success and failure and sees the role of the HR professional as critical.
Khoobchandani says the mentor/protégé relationship must be revisited periodically. "As your needs and your career evolve, there'll be different people with different strengths," he said. The growth of online mentoring has been an important development in this respect. It creates a greater pool of potential mentors, thereby increasing the likelihood of meaningful match-ups.
Lee, meanwhile, is adamant that HR professionals must "create, educate, promote and encourage leaders to take on mentoring roles." He also points out that the role of the mentor must be clearly defined. He says employees can often approach their mentors with a problem, hoping for them to simply offer instructions. But mentors should be giving advice, not orders. He says the core qualities of a good mentor are listening skills, knowledge and a passion for enabling people to learn, develop and grow. "A not-so-good mentor is one that will advocate their point of view or even make decisions for the protégé."
Companies may also need to make clear to their employees that being mentored is not a sign of poor performance. Rather, such investment is an indication that the worker is valued highly. Both Lee and Wong confirm that mentoring is particularly vital for high-potential talents within any organisation. If this message is conveyed clearly, the mentoring partnership may serve as a valuable motivational tool.
Ultimately, mentoring is no silver bullet - it is best used as part of a balanced approach to learning and development in the workplace. As someone who experiences the benefits of mentoring daily, Khoobchandani likens its popularity at Microsoft to "a viral effect" - once successfully implemented, its effectiveness and importance grows exponentially.