How To Set Up A Mentoring Programme

How To Set Up A Mentoring Programme

If mentoring is something you would like to ingrain in your company’s DNA, then instituting a formal mentoring programme is the way to go. Setting down mentoring processes involves more employees as mentors and mentees and improves mentoring outcomes. Sagorika Kantharia, chief people officer at Radio City 91.1 FM identifies five steps to create a mentoring programme and shares salient aspects of Radio City’s mentoring programmes to get you started.

State the mentoring objectives:

At the outset, establish the expected outcomes of mentoring.

As an example, one of Radio City’s mentoring programmes is for newly joined management trainees who are fresh out of college or very raw. Senior employees taking on the role of mentor to these new hires help them make a quick transition from campus to corporate. Through sharing information about the organisation and work processes, the mentors help mentees learn the ropes.

Another mentoring initiative called Reverse Mentoring is open for all Radio City employees. It aims at building appreciation for different functional areas such as programming, research, music, spot scheduling, etc. and through that, at breaking the silos between different departments and increasing inter-departmental camaraderie. It also helps mentees identify new areas they would be interested to get involved in, and thus chart future career graphs for employees. Reverse mentors impart work flow and process information about different departments.

Set a schedule:

How often will the interactions entailed in mentoring take place?

At Radio City, mentoring for freshers happens round the year and lasts for one year. Interactions take place every 15 days in the first quarter and once a month thereafter.

Reverse mentoring programmes are run twice a year. A programme is comprised of six sessions, each of 90 minutes duration. The mentor and mentee mutually decide on the dates and time.

Establish methods to measure the success of mentoring:

How will you determine if the mentoring is up to the mark?

Radio City mentors and mentees share feedback with a Human Resource department representative after every mentoring session. Mentees take a small test at the end of the mentoring programme. Also, six weeks after the close of mentoring, someone from Human Resource puts mentees through a five question survey to evaluate how effectively they are applying the newly gained knowledge.

Build enthusiasm for mentoring:

Who makes a good mentor? Also, what inspires employees to offer to mentor youngsters or to be mentored?

To sign up as a mentor at Radio City, an employee must belong to middle management or above and have at least two years of tenure. Mostly young leaders climbing the corporate ladder opt to become mentors because they get to showcase their talent and leadership skills. Also, they understand that their own leadership skills improve through mentoring and their knowhow about the organisation grows when they prepare for sessions. Imparting knowledge and expertise is a fulfilling exercise. Additionally, a best Mentor–Mentee Award helps create some enthusiasm about mentoring.

From the perspective of mentees, reverse mentoring is seen as a fun activity because employees get to learn about creative functions and interact with the radio jockeys.

Institute a system to match a mentor to a mentee:

Ideally, mentors should be selected for their expertise and experience and for the mentees calibre. To ensure the best mentoring outcomes, Radio City employees are mentored by someone other than their direct reporting boss.

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