4 ways to make mentorship part of your company culture

June 2, 2023 11:05 AM

Remote work took away chances for more spontaneous workplace connections, but employees are still craving the opportunity to learn from each other through mentorship.

Mentorship can have a positive impact on an employee's career trajectory and overall happiness at work. According to a survey by CNBC, about half of workers have a mentor at their workplace, and 91% say their mentor makes them more satisfied at their job.

At Globant, a professional services firm, employees have many opportunities to connect with mentors internally, and now the company plans to extend those benefits to refugee women, by teaming up with Tent Partnership for Refugees. Globant, along with twenty other employers, has committed to mentoring nearly 1,500 refugee women over the next three years.

"It allows employees to enhance their leadership skills, and drives business growth and innovation going forward," says Nancy Anderson Bolton, vice president of corporate affairs at Globant. "For companies that are focused on creating strong company culture and being purpose-driven, it's a fantastic way of giving back."

For two employees at insurtech firm Ontellus, a multi-generational mentorship has helped them both connect to their purpose. Shareen Minor, chief revenue officer, has worked with Fraley Morton, a Gen Z product marketing manager, for the past three years, and the two shared how they learn and make each other better day-to-day.

Interested in connecting employees through mentorship? Here are four ways to get started.

Look to onboarding as a first step

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Hiring recent grads? How to onboard them effectively

For new grads, having an opportunity to connect and network in a professional setting is a top priority. Employers can establish these relationships by onboarding new employees in groups rather than individually, creating community from day one.

"Creating a cohort with other new hires at the same stage of the company journey, and then setting up touch points with other employees in the organization through informal mentorships really makes all the difference," says Rohshann Pilla, president at Aquent Talent. "It's really about building that first foundation during onboarding that fosters those long-term relationships."

Embrace age and experience differences

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For this Gen X and Gen Z duo, mentorship is mutually beneficial

For all the perceived multi-generational drama at the workplace, it is possible for valuable relationships to form across generations — and the conversation is about much more than TikTok tutorials.

"Fraley jumped right in to not just execute along the way, but to share ideas and teach me things," Shareen Minor says of her mentee, Fraley Morton. "Yes, she told me what TikTok was, but she also shared ideas about social platforms that were a little foreign to me. I knew if I invested even a little of my time in her, she'd take off like a rock star."

Be inclusive of the talent you hire

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30 LGBTQ-friendly companies hiring remote workers

A company that outwardly promotes diversity and inclusion efforts doesn't always translate to a work environment that will actively support LGBTQ folks and their families, and queer workers may need help finding the right company for them.

"Inclusivity, equity, and representation should always be a part of the conversation," says Keith Spencer, career expert at FlexJobs. "Employers should strive to create business practices that foster a supportive workplace and ensure every employee has the same access to professional growth and opportunities."

Remember to give back

Read:

American Airlines, Pfizer and Globant are getting refugee women ready for the workforce

Creating pathways to employment is the goal of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, an employer network dedicated to mentoring, upskilling and hiring refugees. In May, Tent announced a new initiative that will support and mentor refugee women through the career preparation and job searching process. Employers including American Airlines, Accenture, Pfizer and others have committed to mentoring 1,500 women over the next three years.

"Companies have really stepped up to look at this population of refugees and have their employees team up with refugee women who are coming to the U.S., providing them with a range of support to help them become job-ready," says Scarlet Cronin, vice president at Tent.