Employee engagement has been a major challenge for companies around the globe. A recent study by Gallup found that only 13% of employees across the globe feel engaged in the workplace. This low number is alarming, as engaged employees are more productive, have lower absenteeism rates, and are less likely to leave their jobs. According to Gallup, actively disengaged employees cost the United States billions of dollars in lost productivity each year. This costs businesses an estimated $450 to $550 billion annually.
Mentoring can be the silver bullet that can be used to overcome the problem of employee disengagement. Wondering how? We shall go through it soon.
Also Read: Role of a Mentor: Purpose & Responsibilities
In light of the above factors, in this blog, we understand the impact of mentoring programs on employee engagement; different challenges that employee disengagement causes, and how mentoring can be used to address various challenges and increase employee engagement.
What are the various factors that affect employee engagement?
Several factors impact the engagement of employees at organizations and they are as follows:
Organizational growth
The growth of an organization can have a positive or negative impact on employee engagement. If an organization is growing quickly, employees will feel like they have more opportunities to advance or even explore new career paths. However, if an organization is not growing or if the growth is stagnant, employees may feel like their jobs are unfulfilling and may be less involved.
Thus, organizations should be aware of how their development drives employee engagement and take steps to ensure that employees are engaged even during periods of slower growth.
With the right policies and procedures in place, organizations can put themselves in a better position to maximize their potential and continue advancing at a healthy pace.
Recognition and rewards
Rewards and recognition can have a big impact on employees. When they feel appreciated and their hard work is being recognized, they are more likely to be engaged in their work and motivated to do their best, which benefits both them and the company.
A positive work environment and high retention rates are the positive results that employers experience because of the fact that they have been recognizing their talent and rewarding them regularly. As per a report, an individual will remain with an organization as long as their inducements (such as compensation, working conditions, and growth chances) are equivalent to or higher than the person’s contributions (time & efforts).
Likewise, when employees feel like they are being ignored, they don’t feel like putting effort into their job.
Thus, organizations should consider how they can use recognition and rewards to improve employee engagement. Some ways to do this include offering financial incentives for meeting goals, giving public recognition for a job well done, or providing opportunities for employees to earn rewards through company programs. Whatever the approach, organizations should make sure that recognition and rewards are given regularly and consistently to send the message that employee engagement is important.
Also Read: Quiet Quitting – Causes and Techniques to Prevent it
Work Culture
Company culture is the glue that holds an organization together and is made up of the values, beliefs, and behaviors that employees share. It can impact employee engagement because if employees believe in the values of the company and feel like they are a part of the company culture, they will be more engaged in their work. In a comprehensive research project, the corporate cultures of 200 firms and the effect of every company’s culture on its long-term economic success were investigated. It was indicated that organizations with the finest corporate cultures, which supported all-around leadership, rose 682% in revenue.
.png)
To elaborate, a healthy work culture can lead to employees feeling more engaged with their work and more invested in their company. On the other hand, unhealthy work culture can lead to employees taking less interest in work and soon they may shift their focus on other opportunities.
There are a few key factors that can make or break a work culture:
- Communication – Open, honest, and frequent communication is essential for a healthy work culture. Employees should feel like they can share their thoughts and concerns without fear of retribution.
- Trust – Employees need to trust their leaders and feel like they are being honest with them. If there is no trust, it will be difficult for employees to align themselves with the company’s vision and goals.
- Respect – Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of their position in the company. A lack of respect can lead to employees feeling devalued and unimportant, which can impact engagement levels.
- Fairness – Employees need to feel like they are being treated fairly, both in terms of compensation and opportunity. If there is a perception of unfairness, it can breed resentment and discontentment.
- Fun – Work doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom! A little bit of fun can go a long way in making employees feel good about coming to work each day.
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is another key factor for employee engagement. When employees are satisfied with their jobs, they are more likely to be engaged in their work and committed to their organization. Conversely, when employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, they are less likely to be engaged or committed. A report suggests that young individuals are the least happy with their jobs, with just 31% expressing full satisfaction. Only 31% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 are entirely content with their jobs, whereas 16% in this age group are dissatisfied.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction, including the nature of the work itself, the working conditions, compensation and benefits, and the relationships with co-workers and managers. When any of these factors are not up to par, it can lead to job dissatisfaction and a decrease in employee engagement.
For organizations, it’s important to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs. This starts with creating a positive work environment and offering fair compensation and benefits. But it also requires regular communication and feedback so that employees feel valued and know that their concerns are being heard. By fostering a culture of job satisfaction, organizations can create an engaged workforce focused on achieving success.
What are mentoring programs?
Mentoring programs are designed to help employees achieve their goals by providing them with constructive feedback from an experienced professional, who has already achieved success in the same area. The mentor can offer advice, answer questions, and help mentee develop a plan to reach their goals.
As per a report, mentoring can help to increase employee engagement significantly. As a matter of fact, employees with a mentor are usually more engaged in their work and tend to perform better, as mentoring can help employees to get a comprehensive understanding of a work process. Besides these, mentoring programs can also aid employees to understand a company’s culture and values.
How can mentoring programs aid employee engagement?
Mentoring can help employee engagement and organizational growth in the following ways.
Mentoring for organizational growth
.png)
By providing a mentor, you provide employees with a way to cope with workplace issues, learn, develop, and grow, which boosts engagement. Mentoring can assist your employees to develop a better understanding of the organization’s goals and how their work fits into those goals.Furthermore, a case study at Sun Microsystems suggests that mentoring turns out to be beneficial for organizations as it improves work satisfaction, engagement and reduces employee turnover and amplifies retention.
Additionally, mentoring can help employees to build relationships with other members of the organization, which can improve communication and cooperation, and they would work cohesively to reach the organization’s objectives.
Also Read: How mentoring helps organizations flourish?
Mentoring for knowledge and skill upgrade
.png)
Mentoring can help employees to upgrade their knowledge and skills, and improve their engagement in the organization. By providing mentees with the needed information, mentors can help employees to overcome different organizational challenges and make progress in their careers.
On the development of new skills and knowledge, employees would show increased engagement, motivation, productivity, and loyalty. According to a report, mentoring can help people develop new skills, especially in communication and strategic thinking to solve problems.
Mentoring for enhancing work culture
.png)
Mentoring can play a critical role in enhancing work culture and ensuring employee engagement. By providing employees with access to experienced professionals, mentoring can help employees develop the skills and knowledge which they need to be successful in their roles. Additionally, mentoring can provide employees with a greater sense of belonging and purpose within the organization, which can lead to an increase in motivation.
Mentoring for employee retention
.png)
Organizations that invest in mentoring programs often see positive results in terms of employee engagement and retention. By providing mentorship and encouragement, mentors can help employees feel more confident in their abilities and better equipped to handle challenges. In turn, this can lead to increased job satisfaction and commitment to the organization
In fact, studies have shown that organizations with strong mentoring programs have significantly lower turnover rates than those without such programs. In fact, according to a Deloitte report, millennials are more likely to stay with their organization for at least five years if they have a positive culture. This is because they want to be with a company with a work culture that they feel good about and where their needs will be met.
The value of mentoring is well-documented, with studies showing that it can have a positive impact on everything from job satisfaction and retention to employee engagement and leadership development. And it seems that millennials are particularly benefitting from mentoring relationships, with six in ten (61 ) saying they now have someone to turn to for assistance or who helps build their leadership abilities; this suggests that mentoring connections are highly beneficial to the millennium.
Conclusion
Mentoring is a key strategy to enhance organizational growth, employee retention and ensuring employee engagement. By fostering a supportive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to grow, organizations can create a strong foundation for long-term success through its engaged workforce.
This is corroborated with a report which states that mentored employees are more satisfied with their compensation and their sense of worth to the company than their counterparts who do not have a mentor.
Mentoring Complete is one such platform that allows organizations to achieve employee engagement by facilitating mentor-mentee relationships. Mentoring Complete offers various features like matching mentors to mentees based on specified criteria, setting up reminders, chat sessions with mentors and building goals. It also provides resources to enhance skills for both mentors and mentees.
So go ahead and get the most out of your mentoring relationships with Mentoring Complete!
Want to make your executive mentoring program successful? We’re happy to help you!
{{cta(‘3599a73d-b604-4217-999d-55b862e21fb8’)}}
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How mentoring can help an organization’s growth?
Mentoring gives employees a medium to connect which gives them a chance to gain exposure and utilize the network provided by the mentors. This helps them grow with their organization.
Q. Why does mentoring promote employee engagement?
Mentoring promotes employee engagement by giving employees a voice to share their ideas with the leadership. This creates a supportive environment that keeps them engaged.
Q. How mentoring helps employees to progress?
Mentoring helps mentee to learn from their own mistakes and utilize the experience of mentors for their personal and professional development.