Mentors are 6x more likely to be promoted

… and other great reasons you should mentor.

The benefits of being a mentor

In a fast-paced workplace, mentoring a colleague doesn’t seem as important as that looming deadline. It’s hard to focus on someone else’s personal development when trying to develop your own career. But what if your career progression and a colleague’s personal development could be connected? What if the process of ‘mentoring’ was actually mutually-beneficial? As our working environments evolve, traditional ideas of ‘mentoring’ are becoming increasingly outdated. Mentoring is no longer an onerous, homogenised process, but a data-driven, carefully-tailored exercise that attends to the needs of the mentor and mentee. Here are 5 reasons why becoming a mentor could be integral to your future…

1. Career Development

You’re experienced. You have the respect of your colleagues. You’re comfortable in your role. But can you take your career to the next level? A 5-year survey by Sun Microsystems on 1,000 employees found that Mentors were 20% more likely to receive a pay-rise than those who didn’t participate in mentoring. In addition, the study also highlighted how mentors were 6 times more likely to be promoted to a more senior role. Mentoring won’t add to your workload, but it will have a tangible impact on your career.

2. Ideas and inspiration

The workplace is the centre of innovation. However, great ideas can only be developed through communication, and key changes can only be implemented when senior employees are made aware of them. Mentoring enables two individuals, at different stages of their careers, to collaborate and build a lasting creative relationship. Not only will you be able to transfer your knowledge to the inexperienced mentee, but the mentee will have the opportunity to share their fresh perspective. Moments of inspiration won’t be lost on the ground but described, distilled and put into practice.

3. Highlight potential problems early

A relationship between a mentor and mentee can benefit the entire organisation. By connecting with your less-experienced colleague on the ground, you’ll be able to ensure that operational issues are recognised before they become genuine problems. Your assumptions about what is or isn’t working can be confirmed or challenged with direct experience from the frontline. Unseen issues can be acted upon and eradicated. Furthermore, building these symbiotic relationships across your organisation will ultimately upskill the entire team.

4. Expand your network

A trusted support network is essential at any stage of a career. Your mentees will eventually become mentors themselves and evolve into highly successful colleagues. As your former mentees thrive in their careers and create new relationships, you’ll be able to draw upon these valuable old contacts for potential support in your own career. A bond between a mentor and mentee isn’t simply remembered retrospectively but creates a network that can be a constant source of inspiration and support in the future.

5. Personal satisfaction

Assisting a colleague’s personal development can help a mentor to recognise their own individual worth and enhance their mental well-being. You’ll be given the opportunity to impart knowledge you may not realise you have, while your capacity to teach could be a hidden talent. You’ll be understanding yourself as much as helping someone to understand their role in an organisation. Relating to another colleague, feeling valued and being heard are integral to our mental health. At its heart, mentoring is about creating the conditions for these vital connections to take place.

Mentoring will drive communication in the workplace, upskill the workforce and establish lasting connections. However, this is all predicated on the mentor making an active choice over the mentees they wish to help. Mentoring shouldn’t be an onerous task and the connections must be genuine. Grasp enables mentors to choose their mentees from a list of requests based on recommended criteria. The mentoring process is as flexible as you want it to be. You decide the terms. You decide the time. The connections are ready to be made and the benefits are right at your fingertips.