MENTORING
THE WIN-WIN OF MENTORING
ARTICLE PROVIDED BY K2
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f the company you work for is of medium to large size, your co-workers likely represent at least four generations – maybe five. And how do we go about mentoring an intergenerational workforce? With the great resignation and retirement underway, we must focus on mentoring our workforce.
What Is an Intergenerational Workforce? There are Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers. And with so many decades of life and experience separating them, opportunity abounds for the more experienced employees to mentor the younger ones. But take that one step further because age is irrelevant when it comes to mentoring. Everyone has the potential to teach others and learn from others. A Gen Zer can clue in a Baby Boomer on how young people prefer to communicate. That knowledge can help in interactions with co-workers and potential clients or
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customers. If you are a Millennial, a Traditionalist can use their years of accumulated wisdom to help you navigate obstacles you’re almost sure to encounter – because they have been there themselves. Unfortunately, mentoring relationships don’t happen as often as they should, even though people say having a mentor is worthwhile. In 2019, Olivet Nazarene University conducted a study on the subject and found that while 76% of people think mentors are important, only 37% currently have one. Yet, entrepreneurs and business leaders of all types benefit from mentors. Plus, when you hire people for your organization, you expect the best results for your clients and your team. So, why not do everything possible to enable success?
Who Benefits From Mentoring? Everone! The beneficiaries of most of that mentoring are younger workers. For example, 57% of junior-level employees say they had a mentor. However, just 35% of mid-level employees reported they had a mentor, as did a mere 8% at the senior level. As a result, those top-level people miss out
THE JOURNAL ENTRY |
SPRING 2022
