Mentoring is one of the most powerful ways to level up in the workforce. In all its forms, including reverse mentoring, it can drive positive outcomes for your organization.
Mentoring can help mentees avoid roadblocks. It can help them progress in their careers faster, and build crucial networking connections to open new doors for them. It has benefits for mentors, too, like boosting their teaching and public speaking skills.
The business benefits are there, as well. Companies with mentoring programs see 18% higher profits. Those without had profits that were 45% worse on average. Those are some huge margins.
And yet, despite the fact 76% of people believe mentors are important, and 97% of people who have a mentor say they find it to be a valuable experience, only 37% have one.
So let’s dive into reverse mentoring. We’ll examine what it is, what its benefits are, and how to implement it in your business.
What is reverse mentoring?
Reverse mentoring is when a junior team member mentors someone more senior than them. For instance, a new Gen Z employee could mentor a senior leader.
When mentoring relationships are mixed gender or race/ethnicity, they’re more likely to offer career benefits. On the flip side, mentoring relationships based on similar demographics can provide psychosocial benefits. So, the type of mentoring that’s right for you will depend on the benefits you want for your business and your employees.
On the DiversityInc Top 50, 72% of companies have reverse mentoring programs. This highlights just how significant they can be for top-performing businesses.
Reverse mentoring schemes can open doors that may otherwise remain closed due to age or experience. Understanding differences and bridging the gaps are powerful ways for both mentor and mentee to develop their skills in new areas and boost their confidence at work.
What are the benefits of reverse mentoring?
Reverse mentoring aids in the sharing of internal and external knowledge.
For example, younger employees can educate more experienced colleagues on navigating social media and AI. This helps ensure their knowledge remains fresh and relevant. Simple things like how to write a prompt or how algorithms work can make a huge difference to someone’s career.
They can also educate them on cultural changes and how different things are now. And how quickly things change.
In addition, mentors feel lower levels of anxiety and find their jobs more meaningful. So it’s no surprise that 89% of mentees plan to become mentors themselves.
Mentors also get promoted six times more often than employees who aren’t involved in a mentorship program. Mentees are promoted five times more often.
For businesses, as well as experiencing the 18% higher profits we discussed earlier, mentoring schemes also come with higher retention rates—72% for mentees and 69% for mentors.
With current job offer acceptance rates at just 56% according to McKinsey, and 18% of new hires leaving during probation, a reverse mentoring program could be just what businesses need to keep their team members.
How to build a reverse mentoring program
Now that we’ve explored the benefits, let’s look at how to build your reverse mentoring program.
Talk about it regularly
Mentoring programs often die because employees don’t know they exist or don’t realize the benefits.
Sharing the benefits of reverse mentoring for employees can help win them over.
Senior team members may not understand the differences with reverse mentoring and how much they can learn from younger colleagues. Using internal business communications to educate them can boost both their interest and their involvement.
Encourage employees to take part
Some employees will simply always feel too shy, or too busy, to participate. It’s therefore on HR departments and managers to make employees realize that mentoring will make them better at their jobs and give them more time and energy, not less.
This is particularly important for reverse mentoring. With senior team members having greater responsibilities and not feeling like they have the time to sit down with someone they may not believe they can learn from, it’s all the more important to show them the benefits.
Get leaders to set an example
When your leaders set an example, it shows the whole team that the people they respect use and value the program. This can help break down that reluctance and show that you’re serious about reverse mentoring.
Share case studies
Marketers love case studies because they work. They tell a story, which our brains love, and they have tangible benefits. They help us imagine that we could experience those results, too. So then we want to get that win for ourselves.
When your mentees share what they’ve learned from being mentored, and mentors share what they’ve gotten out of it, it can make people want to participate even more than you sharing generic benefits like the ones listed above.
Use the right software
The right software can make it easier to connect mentors and mentees. For example, mentees can share information on what skills they’re looking to build, while mentors can share their experiences.
You can use tools to connect employees with mentors, or create groups for mentees/mentors to network and share advice. The easier you make it for them to connect, the more everyone will get out of your reverse mentoring program.
Conclusion
Reverse mentoring is a powerful way to upskill your workforce and build connections between generations. It can boost every aspect of your business from retention to promotions. When done well, it can even increase your profit margins.
And, using the right tools, you can make the mentor matching and communication process quicker and easier for everyone.
Use Workrowd
Using Workrowd, you can connect your mentors and mentees so that everyone benefits from your reverse mentoring program. Plus, you get real-time analytics on how this initiative is helping your team. That way, you’ll have everything you need to build the best program possible.
Want to find out more? Get in touch to book your free demo.
