Month: May 2023

The way we work has been flipped on its head in recent years. Following the pandemic, hybrid working models have become the predominant way of managing offices.

In fact, some have predicted that 39% of workers will undertake hybrid roles by the end of 2023. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but as employers, it’s important that to make the effort to make sure your mentoring program is accessible to your people, wherever they are working. 

In this article, we’ll address 5 ways that mentoring can work for hybrid workers so you can make the most out of mentoring. 

What is a hybrid job?

A hybrid role is a job where an employee is able to work both from home and in person. The ratio of in-person to remote days is often subject to the preferences of the employee, and the needs of the organisation, but a hybrid model normally follows a 2-3 split between office and home working. 

Like many organisation-based decisions, hybrid working is a mixed bag for business leaders. Whether it works for your business is down to the nature of the work and whether you need to meet in-person to work effectively. As well as how well you’ve been able to pivot your working model to support remote working. 

What are the advantages of hybrid work?

There are many advantages to hybrid working, including:

• More autonomy and flexibility
• Better work-life balance
• Leading to better retention and productivity
• Increased morale in the workplace
• Reduced travel costs and better financial wellbeing

For the right person, hybrid working can be a great thing. It allows people that live further away from your office to work for you and can be a fantastic way to support employees that have caring responsibilities or other needs.

For many, the switch to remote working in 2020 has changed the way they view work completely – making hybrid working a must-have for forward-thinking businesses. In fact, it’s now something that Gen-Z expect from employers.

📖 Find out more about attracting and retaining Gen Z employees here 📖

What are the disadvantages of hybrid work?

OK, so there are always downsides. While many people love working hybrid – there are always some people or organisations that it won’t work for.

If leaders don’t make the mental switch to embracing hybrid working, there can be issues. For example, a culture of presenteeism may present itself. Meaning people that are able to be in the office more are seen more favourably.

On top of this, more channels are needed to keep workers aligned, communicating and collaborating when working remotely. This requires more effort and processes in place to ensure people working from home still feel included in workplace culture.

How can mentoring support people in hybrid jobs?

We know the benefits of mentoring for career development, supporting mental health and breaking down company siloes – but did you know that hybrid and remote teams can still enjoy these benefits?

Mentoring is useful for people in hybrid jobs because it maintains that level of communication and connection to employees, increases motivation and opens up networks, even from home. 

Also, mentoring provides a consistent, structured framework that will improve the employee’s ability to hit important milestones. Not to mention the levels of personal development and professional enhancement that mentoring builds in and of itself, hybrid, remote, or in-house which can lead to higher employee retention rates.

📖 Find out more about using virtual mentoring to support remote teams here 📖

5 tips for making mentoring work for a hybrid role

1. Invest in mentoring software

Mentoring software makes virtual mentoring programmes a whole lot easier to manage. In one intuitive platform you can match and meet with people in-person and virtually.

And with software like Guider, it’s simple to switch between the 2 without losing momentum. Our in-built video meeting tech means you don’t need to leave the platform to benefit from mentoring.

📖 Find out more about how Guider works for hybrid working 📖

2. Make virtual introductions

It’s important to make sure mentoring in a hybrid environment doesn’t become siloed. A great benefit of mentoring is that mentors can introduce their mentees to their networks and make connections that otherwise wouldn’t happen. 

To make sure this keeps happening in hybrid mentoring, makes sure your mentors and mentees are encouraged to meet in person, at networking events or to make introductions virtually to relevant people.

3. Be flexible

As the hybrid role is a flexible one, so too should hybrid mentoring. To be clear, just because hybrid working involves remote work, that doesn’t mean the entire experience should be.

It is important to meet up in person when possible, which is important for establishing a deeper relationship that is ultimately more fruitful for the mentee. Why not meet for coffee once a month to break up the number of virtual sessions? 

4. Stay focused

The prime intention of mentoring is to support, help and gain an advantage for the mentee in one way or another. Make sure that whether your mentoring sessions are in person or virtual, you’re keeping track of your goals and progress. This way, the mentee will benefit greatly from the experience, and more so than in an office-based environment.

5. Be inclusive and enjoy the process!

Mentoring is a great opportunity for companies to promote inclusivity, as it is a way to encourage previously unheard employees to advance in new directions and solve business issues in an innovative way. Also, as a mentor, it’s important to enjoy the process as much as possible, as this will make the experience more impactful for the mentees.

The verdict

Hybrid mentoring is an effective, practical development tool that helps hybrid employees to excel professionally. Plus, it can become even greater if you remain focused, build a rich relationship with mentees, and even introduce them to other industry professionals who can assist their development even further.

If you want to know more about making mentoring work for hybrid team, speak with our expert team today. 

Mentoring program goals are a crucial part of developing any successful mentoring program. They give your business and your participants clear direction and something to work towards.

The best mentoring program goals align with your wider business objectives, as well as support the individuals involved towards their personal goals.

Everyone knows there’s loads of benefits to mentoring, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of not setting goals thinking it will have a positive impact regardless.

While this may be true, mentoring programs without goals are going to be harder to promote, measure, maintain momentum, and prove ROI. As with anything you want people to get behind, there needs to be a clear purpose and therefore a goal.

In this article we suggest 4 examples of mentoring program goals and how you can achieve them. Let’s dig in!

1. Mentoring Program Goal: ‘Create a Leadership Pipeline’

Getting the right, high-potential employees into leadership should be a priority for any forward thinking business. Making this an essential mentoring program goal.

Your goal should be clearly defined and based on tangible outcomes. For example, you may want to create a multi-year graduate to leadership pipeline that puts mentoring at its core to develop new graduates.

Mentoring is a great way to identify and support these employees, developing their communication and leadership skills as well as opening up their networks. It also reduces the hiring costs accrued when searching for leadership talent externally.

📖 Read more on why leaders need mentoring and coaching here 📖

Example Program Objective

The objective of the mentoring program is to develop and nurture a the next generation of leaders who possess the skills, knowledge, and mindset necessary to effectively lead our business.

The program aims to equip mentees with the essential leadership capabilities, encourage personal growth, and inspire them to make a positive impact on their teams. 

2. Mentoring Program Goal: ‘Increase Employee Retention’

You’ve noticed that a number of employees have been leaving the company for things like higher pay or further opportunities, but with that comes a loss of productivity and knowledge.

To increase employee retention you need reasons for employees to remain and mentoring can work as part of this plan. Mentoring is an investment into employee development, helping them learn more about their role and helping them reach their potential. It aids in creating a positive company culture where employees feel valued.

As statistics show, 37% of employees have a mentor, largely centred across Fortune 500 companies as 84% of fortune 500 companies have a mentoring programme. These companies understand the importance of further developing their own talent to reduce external hiring costs and knowledge retention.

Mentoring improves cross team communication, decreases isolation and improves confidence and gives the mentor a trusted point of contact to help them in dealing with workplace or confidence issues. Where you reduce the risk of employees feeling isolated, you reduce the risk of them falling to the wayside, increased stress and early exits.

Example Program Objective

The objective of the mentoring program is to enhance employee retention rates by providing personalised support, guidance, and professional development opportunities to employees. The program aims to foster strong relationships between mentors and mentees, promote a sense of belonging and engagement, and empower employees to achieve their full potential within the organisation.

3. Mentoring Program Goal: ‘Increase Onboarding Efficiency’

Not only can mentoring increase the retention rate of old employees but new employees too. 33% of new hires quit within the first 6 months. This number can be higher for some companies and teams than others, and knowing that hiring can be very expensive and time consuming we want to reduce the risks of this occurring.

This is why you should embed mentoring into your onboarding program and make it your primary program goal.

Mentoring decreases time to competency by giving employees guidance on understanding the company functions, the variety of roles and an insight into the company culture. Mentors also help new employees understand the landscape of their new company. Through creating this connection between mentor and mentee, you reduce the chances of losing employees early into onboarding.

📖 Find out more about implementing mentoring for onboarding here 📖

Example Program Objective

The objective of the mentoring program is to provide comprehensive support to new hires during their onboarding process, facilitating their smooth integration into the organisation and maximising their productivity and engagement from the start.

The program will pair new employees with experienced mentors who can provide guidance, share knowledge, and foster a sense of belonging and connection within the organisation. By focusing on the onboarding experience, the program aims to accelerate new hires’ learning, enhance their job satisfaction, and contribute to their long-term success within the organisation.

4. Mentoring Program Goal: ‘Increase Diverse Representation in Leadership’

Mentoring can support DE&I initiatives in a number of ways, a key one being increasing representation in leadership and supporting a future pipeline of diverse employees with the potential to lead.

Take our client, LVMH for example, it set a goal to increase its number of women leaders, aiming for 50/50 women in leadership. One of the ways it planned to do this was through mentoring. They already had a pool of talent in their company and a senior leader with knowledge to be shared – making it the perfect environment to create a mentoring program aimed at getting that talent into leadership roles.

The best part is, through initiatives such as reverse mentoring, you can get you employees mentoring leadership showing them first hand what they’re capable of. This is a great way to open up senior leaders to new perspectives, increase cultural competency and understanding and develop the skills of your mentors.

Example Program Objective

The objective of the women in leadership mentoring program is to identify and support potential female leaders into leadership roles. The goal is to increase female representation in leadership by X% in 2025. 

By providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for skill development, the program aims to inspire and equip women with the tools and confidence necessary to succeed in leadership positions. 

There we have it, 4 example mentoring program goals for you to use, today! Mentoring ensures that all employees have access to training and can get help in developing and defining their goals and aspirations. In order to do this effectively, you need to set your program goals from the start. These are just 4 examples of how you can use mentoring to empower your people.

To find out more, check out our further resources: 

The Benefits of Coaching and Mentoring 

Remove the Admin Burden of Mentoring

5 Employee Retention Strategies That You Can Action Today

How Mentoring Makes Great Managers

10 Top Companies Making the Most Out of Mentoring

Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: The More is Better Approach to Personal Development

The What, Why and How of Returnship Programs

We’ve all been there. You’re trying to get a new initiative off the ground but, it turns out, it’s more work than you realised. 

Mentoring, coaching and sponsorship programmes are no different. 

There are so many benefits to running these programmes for your people. From better retention to improved employee wellbeing, getting it right can be a game-changer for your organisation. 

But in order to reach the right people and get the engagement that your programme deserves, there are a few things that need to happen first. And for many teams, there’s just one person running mentoring and it’s not their full-time job.

So what do you do? You need to find a solution to relieve the admin burden of mentoring, that doesn’t cost the earth.

Enter, Guider. 

What happened the day you realised that you needed a solution like Guider? 

❌ Your manual matching spreadsheet broke.

❌ Your programme started scaling, but now there are too many post-its on the table to keep track of.

❌ You want to replicate your success with a second programme but don’t have the time.

❌ Your job grew – you got a promotion and can no longer put the same effort into your programme.

❌ Your boss wants to see tangible ROI but you don’t have the data. 

Why is manual matching so admin intensive? 

Running a mentoring programme is admin intensive because at the core, it’s about human connection and getting matches right takes thought. 

People are unique. And the reasons they are seeking a mentor will vary even within the same programme. So it’s important to take the time to get the matching process right because when the chemistry is good, the magic starts to happen. 

Once you’ve gotten matching right, managing those relationships and keeping track is then more complicated. You need a centralised place to keep track and report on progress, while being able to create new matches as necessary. 

This is why mentoring software was invented. To make mentoring accessible and easy to manage.

“I used to match mentors and mentees using post-it notes on my kitchen table, it took hours and was a really labour-intensive process. Guider has made the matching and tracking process really straightforward and simple, saving me hours of time.” 

Ivy Wong, Program Lead, Legal Geek

5 ways to relieve the admin burden of mentoring with Guider 

1. Automated matching

Our mentoring software takes care of the hard part for you. With our smart automated matching, users can find the best people for them in moments. And the best part is, as a programme lead you can sit back and relax. 

When users find the right match, the relationship is more likely to last. 

📖 Find out more about how mentoring software works 📖

2. Relationships all in one place

Keep track of your programme all in one place. With Guider, your mentors and mentees can connect, book sessions and meet with our integrated video chat function. 

And as a programme lead, this means you can keep sight of all your mentoring relationships without stress. 

3. Engagement built-in 

Our platform is designed to provide the best user experience possible, this means that participants can access and benefit from mentoring quickly. We design our platform with engagement built in and have our experts on hand to help you along the way.

Guider seamlessly integrates with your tech stack too, so that people can access mentoring without hassle or extra training. 

4. Run multiple programmes with ease

With Guider, you can set up and run multiple programmes at once, such as onboarding or graduate talent. This means you can target support to specific groups and offer mentoring, coaching and sponsorship across the business. 

Participants can then select the right programme for them, even joining several at once to really make the most of mentoring. 

5. Reporting made simple 

Reporting back on ROI has never been easier. With Guider, our smart reporting function can show you the success of your program in real-time. 

This means you can monitor engagement as you go and back up the success of your program with data – keeping any boss happy. 

With our smart mentoring software, you can excel without Excel! Reducing the admin burden is the first step to successfully scaling and running your mentoring programme. And the more people that can benefit from mentoring, the better. So, whether you want to support a remote or hybrid team, or improve your onboarding process – investing in mentoring software is the solution you need. 

Why not take back your bandwidth with Guider? Talk to our expert team today to find out more. 

Employee retention has been a hot topic in the world of work for the last few years. And rightly so.

With massive changes to the world of work triggered by the global pandemic, and now the cost of living crisis shifting the needle again – it’s no wonder that employers and employees alike are struggling to make sense of so much change.

For any organisation that wants to succeed, getting hiring right and keeping those people, is not only the key to productivity but will also save you thousands on re-hiring roles.

Employee churn leads to a number of inefficiencies in our organisations, the least of which is having to consistently and effectively re-assemble your workforce throughout the year. 

So how do you get employee retention right? Here we take you through everything you need to know including top tips that you can action today.

What is employee retention?

Simply put, employee retention is the action of hiring and keeping your staff. It’s about keeping them happy, productive and engaged in their work so that they will stay loyal to your company, weathering the ups and downs. 

Every organisation will need to think about employee retention. A high churn rate can indicate issues within your company structure and culture. This can then in turn affect hiring, as savvy new employees will be looking at your turnover rate for clues about what it’s like to work at your company. 

Retention is especially desired in a world where 3 to 5 million people are quitting their jobs per MONTH in the US, according to a Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). Business leaders want to be the shining star in a galaxy full of places where employees are leaving in droves.

What does this mean for your business?

The pros of increasing your employee retention rate are countless, but to give you a flavour, here are a few of the top ones:

• Improved morale: When morale is higher, employees work harder. This can lead to higher output and greater financial gains. Many would consider brighter company culture to be a great benefit in and of itself, but this also leads to greater collaboration between team members and carries numerous benefits for them such as networking with their peers rather than simply going along.
• A retained workforce: Keeping your highly skilled employees at your service is always good, as you will have their expertise at your disposal, but also because you don’t have to re-hire your team, which costs more than you think (more on this shortly). As a team leader, you need to have reliable staffing who you can turn to in the long term for your various business machinations.
• Employee loyalty: When employees feel valued, this increases their loyalty. And thus, they feel more positively predisposed to the goals of the company and will work harder to gain them. This is incentivised further by reward schemes and a general tendency to recognise the successes of others.

The cost of hiring new people repeatedly

Studies indicate that the average cost of hiring an employee is around £3,307. That might seem like a minuscule amount, but it also takes an average of 42 days to fill a position. Throughout that time, you’re losing money by losing that employee. This is even more of a problem when you lose an expert in their field or a high performer. Replacing good people is always tough, and you’re certain to see a drop in productivity and a spike in hiring spend. 

Now, think about the cost incurred every time that an employee leaves your organisation. If you are seeing a high churn then the losses quickly stack up.

While bringing new employees in is always an option, is it not better to implement a few key retention strategies to make your team more likely to stick with you? It’s all about prevention. 

5 employee retention strategies you can implement today

We have compiled a few suggestions of employee retention strategies that can be implemented at speed. 

1. Ask for feedback

The easiest strategy to implement is asking for feedback. But it’s not just about facilitating the opportunity for your team to be open about their experiences and what could improve, but also to action them.

This can be achieved with an anonymous feedback survey or factored into annual reviews. Once you can get a sense of what’s working, or not working and what teams need additional support – you can work proactively to address these concerns. 

2. Invest in learning

When employees don’t feel that they can develop and sharpen their skills for future positions, or indeed, for the sake of upward mobility in your company, then this can affect their morale.

Invest in training and other forms of learning, and you reinforce the idea that there are more areas to develop. The best part is, younger generations are increasingly asking for learning and development. In fact, 76% of Gen Z see learning as the key to their advancement in their careers. It’s a top factor in whether they decide to go or stay.

3. Mentoring, coaching & sponsorship

Organisations with mentoring programs enjoy better retention rates. In fact, according to LinkedIn, 94% of employees would remain with a company for longer if they were given more occasion for development, including mentoring.

This is because our modern workforce value learning and development. Mentoring, coaching and sponsorship programs are fantastic ways to develop your people. And they’re not just about learning. All three can positively impact mental health at work, promote inclusion and improve a range of holistic skills.

Another benefit is that all 3, but in particular sponsorship, have massive benefits to career direction and progression. Given this is a major factor in whether people stay or go, it’s worth investing in sooner rather than later.

4. Give employees more autonomy

Autonomy is the ultimate gift to your employees. It gives them responsibilities, while also assuring them that they are free to organise their work in a way that suits them best. This is empowering and shows your people that you trust and respect them. 

If high morale is what you want, this is the place to begin. Employees that feel a sense of ownership and responsibility in their work are often more engaged and likely to stay longer in an organisation. 

5. Start an employee resource group or network

Employee resource groups and networks are a fantastic way of supporting specific groups that may be under-represented in your workplace or be facing specific barriers at work.

These groups create communities in which people can learn grow and find support. This has massive benefits to inclusion, which in turn leads to people staying longer in a company.

A resource network is also a great method of building allyship between your employees. 

The verdict

Investing in employee retention strategies is a terrific way to improve your company culture, drive productivity, and make your company stand out in a crowded job market.

After all, nothing is more desirable than a company with a dedicated, loyal workforce, both for new graduates looking for their first major professional position, and seasoned leaders looking for a new role. 

And don’t forget, investing in retention now will save you money, and a major headache, down the line.

Find out more about mentoring, coaching and sponsorship programs for employee retention by talking to our team today! 

The HR department is the heart of any company’s internal procedures. It defines company culture, ensures employees have proper training and is central to creating a strong people development strategy. 

People development strategies help HR teams and leaders build a successful company by evaluating skills gaps and ensuring employees meet their career goals. 

It sounds great, but how do you build a strategy that actually works? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we’ll reveal how to create a plan that works for your organisation and sets up your team for success.

Read on to power up your HR department and get lasting results from each employee. 

What is people development?

People development gives individuals the skills, attitude and knowledge to meet company objectives and fulfil their career goals. It involves both formal training and informal on-the-job learning and can include activities such as coaching, mentoring, feedback sessions, job rotation and team-building exercises.

People development is often seen as an investment in employees that pays dividends in terms of increased morale, higher levels of productivity and improved quality of work.

Human resources professionals are instrumental in building people development strategies, and understanding how to isolate each employee’s needs will ensure you can support managers in meeting them. 

What are the benefits of developing your people?

Is developing employees really worth the extra effort? Yes, it absolutely is. When you look at the sheer benefits of coming up with effective development plans, you’ll see how the effort and investment can pay off. 

Here are the main advantages of people development:

1. Retaining your people 

According to Monster, the average UK employee turnover rate is 15% per year, which might not seem like much, but we have to factor in the costs of recruiting and training a new employee too. 

Not training your team and failing to offer development opportunities can increase your turnover rate and impact your finances. 

Retaining your current staff is much more cost-effective than training new employees, and people development is central to retention rates. 

2. Create a strong company culture 

A job is no longer a job today. Our digital-first world and changing priorities mean people want to work for a company they can be proud of. Company culture is about setting expectations about how all employees and management should work. 

For example, positive company culture is a supportive and collaborative environment where senior managers listen to entry-level staff and consider their needs. 

If you make it your mission to develop people, you show each employee that they matter and create a positive culture. 

3. Upskill and reap the rewards 

Skilled employees build better companies; we all know how growth potential defines a business’s future success. However, let’s not forget that learning how to create effective career progression plans also helps HR teams build vital skills. 

Development is an investment, it will strengthen a workforce and help even small businesses compete with large companies. 

The do’s and don’ts of developing people

People development is an ongoing process that requires sustained effort and commitment. It’s not something you can just dive into because communication and support are central to building each employee’s confidence. 

Most importantly, there are certain do’s and don’ts when it comes to developing people – the key is to ensure each individual is empowered with the right tools and resources to grow in their role.

Here are our top do’s and do not’s for people development:

✅ Do: Prioritise communication 

Communication is key when trying to develop people because everyone has different needs. Managers and employees must find common ground, and HR departments should be accessible instead of hidden away. 

✅ Do: Build and identify 

Everyone has unique skills and abilities, so it’s vital for a company to build upon existing skill sets and identify areas for improvement. 

You’ll also need to isolate the right training opportunities for people, including workshops, online courses or bringing specialists in. 

✅ Do: Measure results 

Successful people development strategies must also include measures for tracking progress and measuring results. Leaders should regularly assess employee performance with targeted feedback that focuses on what has been achieved rather than just what hasn’t been done.

❌ Don’t: Treat everyone the same 

When it comes to development, nobody is the same. You should always assess each individual’s unique needs and balance them with company goals. 

❌ Don’t: Forget to recognise achievements 

Your team needs to know they’re appreciated, and recognition goes a long way to employee retention levels. Incentive schemes yield positive results when utilised correctly, as you can see from this Webinar Care article. 

❌ Don’t: Forget HR training 

Human resources teams must also ensure they have the necessary skills and tools to support employees. Understanding how to identify needs and come up with the right plan takes time and effort, so proper training is something you should never avoid. 

Examples of people development strategies to implement in 2023

So, now you know more about why it’s crucial to develop people and how to create the right plans, it’s time to look at the best strategies to implement. Whether you choose one or combine some of these strategies, they will deliver results if you stick with them. 

1. Mentorship and coaching

Mentorship and workplace coaching are so important right now, and companies continue to utilise them. You can see how some of the world’s biggest companies are building successful teams with mentoring in place to get inspiration for your programme. 

A report by NBC states that nine in ten workers with a career mentor are happy in their jobs. The numbers speak for themselves. 

2. Job shadowing

Job shadowing is a learning and observation technique in which individuals closely follow and observe someone in their workplace, typically a professional or an expert in a specific field. 

The great thing about shadowing is that the employee learns from an expert and gains vital hands-on experience, making training a lot easier. 

3. Peer coaching

Peer coaching is one of the best ways to create a positive company culture, as it involves people working together and supporting one another. The reciprocal relationship includes constructive feedback and sharing ideas. 

This type of coaching can be highly beneficial, and it also gives employees more autonomy. 

4. Job rotations

Job rotation involve moving employees across various departments and giving them multiple tasks and responsibilities. The positive thing about rotations is they can help people identify their strengths and facilitate personal development. 

However, rotations aren’t always possible in some companies, so it depends on whether you can utilise them effectively. 

5. Creating a learning culture

Some companies believe they have a learning culture, but encouraging employees to develop their skills isn’t enough.

For example, a learning and growth mindset often means employees share what they learn with co-workers, and managers use every experience as a development opportunity. 

It takes a while to instil the culture in existing and new employees, but the end result justifies the means. 

Final thoughts 

Prioritising people development allows businesses to grow and foster a supportive and collaborative culture. 

By taking the time to work with employees and management, HR teams can boost retention levels and create an environment where everyone can thrive. 

Investing in your people is one of the best investments you can make for long-term success, so try it today and be amazed at the results you get.