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Establishing A Program

When creating a mentoring program, the first priority is to outline the goals and scope.

You will need to decide whether to have an informal or formal policy and how results will be measured. The approach you take will depend on the size of your firm and the resources available. For example, a smaller company might assign an IT director the task of developing and implementing the program, while larger organizations may ask human resources professionals to coordinate efforts.

Mid- to senior-level professionals with strong leadership, communication and technical skills, and a healthy, enthusiastic attitude toward their work should be recruited to serve in mentoring roles. You might also consider creating a team of mentors with expertise in specific areas. Junior staff members can work with mentors on a rotating basis to learn diverse skills.

With careful planning, your mentoring program will not only lead to increased motivation and loyalty, but will also enhance your employees' skills, enabling them to become more effective and productive members of your firm.

Reprinted by permission from Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of IT professionals on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half Technology has more than 100 locations in North America, South America, Asia and Europe, and offers online job search services at http://www.rht.com.

Comments (1)

	1. 01-08-2008 13:45
	This is great in concept. It has never been a formal program at any company I have worked for, but I have experienced mentoring from both sides of the equation and it has always been positive. In fact, employees I have mentored, or have been mentored by others I have known have been happier, more productive, and more engaged than employees who have not had this experience. Sadly, smaller workforces, longer hours, more production required from each employee has made this difficult to do in a meaningful way. Guest

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