With the influx of Gen Z into the workplace, it is critical to implement mentorship programs. Why this might be the key to bridging gaps, increasing exposure to workplace needs and changing the culture.
MENTORS AND SPONSORS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
"The old proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” also applies to developing employees: It takes an organizational community to foster talent. No one climbs the corporate ladder alone.
Mentorship and sponsorship are particularly effective ways for the organizational community to cultivate employees’ potential. And they are potential avenues to improving representation of women and racial/ethnic minority groups in management and leadership positions. Roughly six in 10 CHROs surveyed by Gallup reported having mentoring and sponsorship programs to address DEI. A March 2022 survey of more than 8,000 working adults conducted by the Gallup Center on Black Voices found that mentors and sponsors are crucial to shaping the employee experience, especially when organizations purposefully put them in place." Learn more
HOW MENTORSHIP CAN LIFT UNDERREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES
"Mentorship stands as a cornerstone in personal and professional development. This is particularly true for those who historically faced limited access to resources and opportunities- individuals from underrepresented demographics often face barriers related to gender, ethnicity, or economic disparities. This dynamic interplay between mentorship and education establishes a pathway to fairness, providing those from marginalized backgrounds with distinctive access to resources, knowledge, and opportunities.
It also plays a crucial role in narrowing knowledge gaps. The connection between seasoned mentors and those seeking guidance can create a gateway to resources that might have otherwise been challenging to attain. It fosters a mutual exchange wherein mentors share their wealth of experience, connections, and insights, equipping mentees with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the workforce. As talent from all backgrounds enter the workforce, it's important to consider mentorship programs to level the playing field, and create a more equitable workplace. These relationships help ground employees, especially new joiners, and it provides them a glimpse of their future in the company, and it reiterates their leaders' commitment to their growth." Learn more
A BETTER APPROACH TO MENTORSHIP
"We all know that mentorships are essential to the growth of young professionals. The evidence is clear: 75% of executives credit their success to mentors and recent research shows that 90% of employees with a career mentor are happy at work.
Despite this, and despite the 84% of U.S. Fortune 500 firms that leverage mentoring programs, the majority of these programs fail employees from marginalized communities. Research shows that 71% of executives choose to mentor employees who are of their same gender or race. When 76% of CEOs are white, and white men comprise seven in 10 of the 533 executive officers named on federal regulatory forms, this becomes a big problem. It may explain why only 7.9% of CEOs are Hispanic or Latinx, only 7.8% are of Asian ethnicity, and just 3.8% are Black or African American. Most people of color either fail to reach the management level or plateau in middle management." Learn more
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