- . Improved career outcomes
Researchers analyzed forty-three studies comparing the various career outcomes of mentored and non-mentored employees[3]. Compared to non-mentored employees, mentored employees:
- Receive higher compensation
- Receive a greater number of promotions
- Feel more satisfied with their career
- Feel more committed to their career
- Are more likely to believe that they will advance in their career
- . Employee engagement
In a survey of 170 sales and marketing professionals, employees who were part of a mentoring relationship were found to have significantly higher engagement scores than employees who were not[4]. Mentored employees:
- Felt more positively about their organization as a place to work for
- Felt more positively about their organization’s senior leadership
- Believed their organization provided opportunities for career growth
- Felt informed about the future course of their organization
- . Employee retention
Mentoring has been found to reduce turnover intention[5,6] as well as actual turnover[7,8].
- When over 5,000 newly hired sales representatives were surveyed, those who indicated that they were part of a mentoring relationship reported significantly higher organizational commitment and lower intentions to leave their organization than did non-mentored respondents[6].
- Similarly, in a study of 1,300 U.S. Army officers, being part of a mentoring relationship was found to decrease odds of turnover by 38%[8].
- . Employee inclusion
Initiating a formal mentoring program can be particularly beneficial for racial and gender minority employees, who otherwise, might not be chosen as an informal mentee. The structure of a formal mentoring program can:
- Mitigate the sexual tension related to initiating a cross-gender mentoring relationship for women[9]
- Provide access to mentors across racial and ethnic lines for employees of color[10].
- . Mentor benefits
The benefits of a mentoring relationship are not limited to mentees either; compared to non-mentors, employees who act as mentors:
- Report greater job satisfaction and organizational commitment[11]
- Have greater career success[11]
- Perceive increased work-related fulfillment[12]
- Whether improving employee engagement, commitment, inclusion, or retention is your organization’s goal, mentoring may provide a valuable solution. But are all mentor programs created equal? Download a best-practice guide to mentoring to discover how HR technology can be used to help ensure your mentor program is a success.