February 4, 2020
Work culture can be a key aspect for enjoying your job. Joining a culture that fits your needs can make or break how easy it is to get up in the morning and head off to another day at the office. Everyone’s “must have” list when it comes to office culture may look a little different, but as a young professional, mentorship is at the top of my list.
During my internship at LCWA, I discovered that I thrive in an atmosphere that places a high significance on mentorship. Knowing who to go to for advice on setting personal goals or feedback on my performance–and having that set structure in place–is essential for my professional development and personal growth.
At LCWA, our mentorship program is central to the culture of our office, and I would argue a major factor in the uncommonly high retention rate of our team members. Here are a few ways I witnessed it benefit our company since joining the team five months ago:
- Creates a smooth onboarding process – On-boarding is a critical part of attracting and retaining top talent. Studies show that new employees who experience a well-structured on-boarding are 82% more likely to remain at a company. Including mentorship as part of the on-boarding process gives the mentee access to a supportive relationship from day one, making them feel like a part of the team right off the bat.
- Forms a culture of learning – Mentors help you set reasonable goals and guide you in reaching them. They offer objective and constructive advice, and can use their experiences, mistakes and lessons learned to help better your own career path and enhance your personal growth.
- Decreases work-related stress and anxiety – When an issue at work arises, half of the stress can be determining the best way to go about solving it. Should I talk to someone? Should I try to figure it out on my own? These are the kinds of questions that young professionals who are still learning the ins and outs of workplace culture ask themselves. Personally, I have found these types of questions far more stressful than the issue or concern at hand. A mentorship program gives the mentee a protocol for navigating any issues, giving them a go-to person dedicated to guiding them, and significantly reducing the stress and anxiety that can come with any job
- Promotes high employee retention – Having a great mentor is a key factor when it comes to employee satisfaction and retention. According to Forbes, those planning on staying with their current employer for more than five years are twice as likely to have a mentor (68%) than not (32%), and 81% of those planning to stay are happy with their mentor.
Hopefully all companies start to see mentorship as a “need to have” rather than a “nice to have.” If you do have a great mentor at work, make sure to say an extra thank you!