Mentoring for HR Growth...

The February/March issue of Merit Guidelines™ discussed the use of mentoring programs to enhance the development of talent and enrichment of jobs, while improving employee retention across virtually any function or division of a company.

But mentoring is also a great idea for the accelerated development of professional HR skills. This can be particularly effective in a company where an early-career HR practitioner is the sole resource in a critical business area that gets increasingly more complicated -- human resources management.

Through the practicality of 'learning-while-doing' or applying 'just-in-time' learning to daily situations, an effective mentoring relationship with a senior, experienced, credentialed HR professional can provide invaluable learning for early career HR practitioners, or others that companies want to groom for such a role. And it all can happen while business issues are being addressed and problems appropriately solved. In other words, the day-to-day routine becomes the classroom.

Such an experience can make formal training at a later date more meaningful for the person being 'coached'. Also, it can save the company money if the on-the-job skills development precludes the need to hire a more experienced person later.

To be successful, such a mentoring program needs to be carefully thought through and a good match made between the mentor and the person being developed. Each must establish trust in the other and be clear about expectations within their roles. And they each must desire to participate in this coaching arrangement. Goals should be set and accomplishments reviewed systematically. And - oh yes - there must be strong support from the coached person's supervisor if the arrangement is to succeed.

We have experience and a number of successes providing this type of support to businesses that are interested in developing their own employees while growing more effective HR functions. If you have questions about how HR practitioner mentoring could work in your company give us call. We will be glad to discuss it with you.

Merit Resource Group, 925-867-4400 / 408-501-8863