Mentor Role Model

Mentoring involves providing a new employee with an experienced employee or an external specialist in order to help the new employee grow and develop within the organisation. The experienced mentor acts as a role model while at the same time guiding, advising and supporting the new employee (Gunnigle, Heraty, Morley, McDonnell, 2011). Its main aim is to develop new skills which are needed in the current area of expertise, improve current skills while also promoting feedback in order to get new ideas. It aids in the process of induction as new employees have professional help which familiarises them with the job and therefore their self-confidence increases, which in return contributes to employee retention as new staff becomes more loyal to

The second stage involves creating a more informal relationship. Trust and understanding are the key factors to ensure a good relationship and productivity. The mentor and the mentee discuss their reasons for entering the program while also identifying their objectives, expectations of the program and themselves, they state their motivation for participating in this program and finally establish certain rules in order to maintain professionalism and order. The third stage is when the training and development begins. It involves the mentee taking action and therefore putting the acquired knowledge into practice which allows the mentor to evaluate their abilities and identifying the areas that need further development. There must be a balance between theory and action in order to ensure stable learning. Once the program ends, the mentor provides the mentee with detailed information regarding the process, an evaluation of KSAs (Knowledge Skills and Attitudes) acquired and developed (Poulsen,

The five most common benefits are; Recognition, two way growth, positive work environment, feedback for the organisation and finally mentoring contributes towards a diverse organisation.

Recognition: The mentor receives appreciation from both the organisation and the mentee as the efforts and contribution have been recognised. The skills demonstrated such as leadership have been acknowledged and deemed valuable for the company. The mentee also receives recognition from both the mentor and the organisation for the KSAs acquired and developed which in return increases job satisfaction for both parties (Miller, 2006).

Two way growth: During the process both the mentor and the mentee get a chance to improve and grow. The mentee develops and acquires certain KSAs from the mentor while also gaining more experience through solving professional problems that the mentor introduces. The mentor in return receives new ideas from the mentee and/or discovers a certain perspective that may not have been considered previously (Miller,