In grooming our future workforce, time and again, research shows that mentoring works. Recent reports found that youth who participate in mentoring relationships experience a number of positive benefits.
In terms of educational achievement, mentored youths have better attendance, a 
better chance of going on to higher education and better attitudes towards school. In terms of health and safety, mentoring appears to help prevent substance abuse and reduce some negative youth behaviors. On the social and emotional development front, taking part in mentoring promotes positive social attitudes and relationships.
Mentored youths tend to trust their parents more and communicate better with them. They also feel they get more emotional support from their friends than do those who are not mentored. But, did you know that workplace mentoring can also be beneficial to employees and to your company?
What is a Mentor?
Mentors are professionals who pass on knowledge, guide others as they explore the field and provide the encouragement needed to reach goals. Mentoring provides incredible value for all participants by harvesting human potential and allowing individuals to learn from each other's experiences.
Mentoring enhances careers and sharpens the skills of both mentors and protégés. Whether formal or informal, mentoring creates a collaborative environment that improves quality.
Why Should Your Business Get Involved?
Attracting and retaining a skilled workforce is an ongoing challenge for all companies as they strive to remain ahead of the competition and compete in a global market. Many different development strategies exist and a company that wishes to remain a player needs to incorporate a number of them to grow its talent.
Mentoring is one of the most effective strategies for growing individuals, whether as a standalone program or as part of an existing workforce development program. For example, if your company is conducting formal classroom training on specific competencies such as leadership or customer service, adding a mentoring component can translate the theoretical knowledge gained through formal training into "practical" experience.
This has the benefit of creating a more completely developed employee by combining theory with practice. Since, today's workforce is evolving -it's aging, more women are in the workforce, more immigrants are entering the workforce and more companies are conducting business globally, it becomes more important for employers to develop talent internally.
Mentoring programs can help with:
Attracting Employees - As competition for highly skilled workers becomes a greater challenge, prospective employees conduct more sophisticated job searches and are more likely to assess what they will gain in both the shortterm and long-term in working for your company. Mentoring offers a planned approach to their career development and is a powerful attraction for future talent.
In terms of educational achievement, mentored youths have better attendance, a better chance of going on to higher education and better attitudes towards school.
Retaining and Developing New Hires - Mentoring programs are one of the biggest return on investments for companies. It helps to demonstrate the company's investment in their future within the organization, creates a more effective contributor to the company's overall goals and engenders a sense of loyalty in employees.
Management Development - Mentoring is a strategic initiative that helps balance formal book knowledge with experience. It provides a supportive environment where less-seasoned workers can benefit from the wisdom of others without feeling as though their performance is at risk.
Succession Planning - As baby boomers begin to retire, mentoring is ideal for targeting workers who can increasingly take on more responsibilities and eventually assume leadership roles within the organization. It ensures that knowledge transfer will not be lost once they retire, but will be retained by those that they mentored.
Supporting Diversity Initiatives - Mentoring is an effective technique to reduce the barriers to equal employment opportunity issues and to encourage collaboration across different demographics.
Globalization - Technology continues to transform the workplace and as more employees work from remote locations, it is important for them to feel connected to the company. Mentoring helps to create a culture of teamwork among all employees regardless of where they work.
How to Get Started
Know your options. Mentoring comes in many forms. There is a program to suit everyone.
Think big, but start out small. No matter what size your organization, you will want to start by setting realistic goals.
Be realistic in what you hope to accomplish. Mentoring is an invaluable tool for helping people find the best in themselves and live up to their potential, but it does not "fix" personnel problems. This philosophy needs to be evident in all aspects of your own mentoring program.
Use existing resources rather than trying to go it alone. Find out what mentoring opportunities and resources may already exist in your community. Online resources include www.managementmentors. com and www.mentoring. com.
Think of ways you can implement your program with minimum disruption to your business. This might be as simple as deciding when volunteers are available to mentor. For instance, you might try a lunch-time mentoring program. Or, try an e-mentoring program - mentoring through the exchange of e-mails.
Join an already established program rather than launching a brand-new 
initiative. This approach can streamline your efforts, save heavy startup costs and allow your organization an easier entrance to mentoring. By choosing to partner with an existing mentoring program you will have the benefits of learning the ropes from experienced program administrators.
Be creative in your approaches. For example, if your organization is primarily made up of professionals, consider jobshadowing programs. Bringing young people into an office environment can give them a better idea of the demands of the workplace.
Follow your instincts. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, scale back. This is a much better solution than giving up before you get your program off the ground.
The recruitment landscape of the future changes every day. Whether choosing to mentor youth or current employees, there are proven benefits to getting started sooner rather than later. After all, haven't you waited long enough to begin mentoring?
Tell us about your mentoring experiences by commenting on this article.