Mentoring mechanisms. Modern problems of science and education. What is mentoring

Mentoring at the enterprise is recognized as one of the best in terms of efficiency and effectiveness methods that are used to train new employees.

A feature of the current situation in the business world can be called serious difficulties with the selection of professional personnel. It is almost impossible to find a ready-made specialist who can instantly get to work. Mentoring, as a method of personnel training, practically allows to educate personnel with specific knowledge and skills that are relevant for a particular company. Many large enterprises are switching to this method of team building. This technique becomes especially important in cases where the personnel of the enterprise are young people with a minimum

What is mentoring

Depending on the size of the organization, as well as on the specifics and complexity of economic activities (production, trade, services, consulting), the manager may hire personnel with little or no experience. In the process of training (this is the mentor) provides the newcomer with the information necessary for work.

Also, his responsibilities include tracking the process of assimilating this knowledge, the formation of the necessary skills and, in general, the desire to work. Upon completion of the training, the young specialist passes the certification and can be admitted to the performance of labor functions.

Distinctive features of mentoring is that the whole process takes place directly at the workplace, affects real-life situations and illustrates the entire work process. That is, such training contains a minimum of theory, focusing the student's attention on the practical side of the activity.

Internal and external school in the company

Most often, the term "mentoring" is used in connection with the concept of "learning company". This is the name for organizations and enterprises that respond with high speed and efficiency to emerging changes in their business area. They create new technologies, study and acquire skills and knowledge, and also extremely quickly integrate new developments into the production (trade, consulting or other) process. The aim of these actions is to transform the core business to maintain and improve competitiveness.

An integral part of this process is the constant improvement of the qualifications and professionalism of the personnel. For effective and high-quality training of employees, two systems are used:

1. The external school provides for the organization of a kind of training center on the territory of the company or outside its walls. Here the personnel of the enterprise, who are trained "from scratch" or improve their qualifications, can attend trainings, seminars or lectures conducted by the company's own trainers or invited specialists.
2. Inner School is a more personalized way of learning. A young professional uses the instructions, advice and guidance of a more experienced worker in his workplace. The advantage of the inner school is the transfer of individual experience and observations.

and what it should be

Mentoring, as a method of personnel training, presupposes preliminary training of the instructor himself. They can only choose the leader, specialist or manager who passed the selection, was enrolled in the group of mentors and meets a number of requirements:

When the company needs to train new employees, the manager selects a candidate and signs a mentorship order. In accordance with this document, all actions are later performed to assign the trainee to a specific instructor, to accrue remuneration to the latter and to enroll a new employee in the staff after his successful training.

How is enrollment in a mentor group

Based on the fact that work with personnel is a rather complex process, and its results have a significant impact on the productivity of the company, they approach the selection and training of mentors with the utmost responsibility. Along with the abilities and desires of an employee applying for the role of a mentor, the decision to be included in the group is made by an HR specialist in agreement with the employee's immediate supervisor.

This happens when the head examines the application submitted by the employee himself in written or electronic form (this depends on how the corporate portal is organized). In addition, the manager can independently select and recommend a certain employee, and the candidate for mentors has a chance to be enrolled in the group based on the results of the annual personnel assessment.

Being in a group, mentors take training courses aimed at systematizing and harmonizing the mentoring process. They are told the content, style and correct order of presentation of educational material.

Why mentors are expelled from the group

Being among the instructors, employees must perform their assigned duties at the proper level, otherwise they will be expelled. The reasons for such drastic action on the part of leaders may be the following factors:

• The employee does not demonstrate personal progress, his competence does not develop.
• More than 20% of new employees of the company, who were supervised by this mentor, did not go through the adaptation program.
• The specialist is not able to perform his direct job duties efficiently.
• More than 30% of trainees complained about a given employee within one year.

Mentor interest

Mentoring, as a method of teaching staff, imposes certain responsibilities on the instructor and trainee, but they are also given the opportunity to use a number of rights.

In addition to realizing their aspirations and abilities, the specialist to whom the student is assigned is paid a monetary reward. However, in order to receive this money, the mentor must perform all his functions well and wait until the personnel training process is over and certification is passed. It is common practice to pay remuneration two months after the HR specialist has assessed the knowledge of the new employee and approved his admission to the staff.

Such measures are fully justified, because the goals of mentoring are to transfer experience and educate a useful employee for the enterprise. The company is not interested in losing money due to the incompetence of the mentors, negligence, laziness or negligence of the students.

The importance of setting goals correctly

One of the most important tasks that a highly qualified specialist performs in the role of a mentor is the formation of an image of the result in the consciousness and imagination of the trainee.

The reality of its achievement for the student depends on how accessible and understandable the goal will be. In addition, the correct wording can inspire the adaptable employee to perform more complex tasks.

The relevance and adequacy of the goals set can be assessed by correlating them with the following criteria:

• Concreteness.
• Measurability.
• Achievability.
• Significance.
• Binding to a specific date.

Specific goals

For any manager or mentor, work with personnel, first of all, is based on the principle of concreteness in the formulation of tasks, responsibilities and required results.

At the same time, along with concreteness, the goal is set from a positive position. For example, it would be wrong to ask to make a title page layout without using red and black colors.

In contrast to this, the task of making several versions of the layout according to a template that is well known to the employee will be more correct.

Mentoring, as a method of teaching staff, should be based on positive statements without the particle of "not". It has been proven that it is not perceived by the subconscious, so there is a serious risk of getting exactly the result that you wanted to avoid (the layout in red and black).

Instead of talking about how not to act, a good mentor gives the trainee the right and clear course.

What does the concept of "measurable goal" mean?

The characteristic of a correctly set goal is the possibility of its quantitative or qualitative measurement. For this, a variety of parameters and measures are used: pieces, sheets, percentages, rubles, meters.

An example of an incorrectly formulated task is a well-known anecdote, the salt of which is in the final phrase of an army ensign: "Dig from here until dawn."

An adequate goal is to make ten cold calls every day or to negotiate with three people.

Goal achievability: is it so important

Forming the student's self-confidence and competence is one of the functions that the mentor performs. Mentoring should not be a way for experienced employees to assert themselves at the expense of newcomers.

That is why, when giving a trainee an assignment, a good manager compares the difficulty with the student's capabilities. There is no place for hope of luck or miracle

The peculiarity of setting an adequate goal is that it should motivate the trainee for further activities, which means that it should be more difficult than he is used to. However, over-complexity scares insecure learners.

The best characterization of goals that fall into the “golden mean” between difficult and simple is the phrase “difficult, but doable”. Over time, the level of difficulty of goals for the trainee will increase, because he receives new knowledge and must be able to apply it.

Setting the deadline for the task

An indefinite formulation when setting goals is one of the main factors provoking a failure of a task or its unsatisfactory performance.

A new job, first of all, should have a deadline, as well as a time for delivery or reconciliation of intermediate results.

It is extremely unprofessional to put an approximate definition of the due date, for example, "by the end of the month" or "next week". The task of completing the layout by September 15 sounds much clearer and more specific.

Significance of the goal

A new job becomes a challenge for the trainee, and not a burdensome duty only when it is interesting to him. Knowing that he needs to motivate the student, a qualified mentor will formulate the goal in such a way that it becomes important to the performer himself.

At the disposal of the mentor, only he / she does not have access to monetary incentives or penalties from interns. Therefore, the art of a good manager is to firmly and permanently interest the student in the work process.

An example of incorrect goal setting: "I need you to make this layout." The student does not understand why he needs to do this task, he internally resists.

A request to make this model has a cardinally opposite effect and, in case of a good result, the whole team will know about the trainee's merits.

Feedback as a mentoring tool

In the learning process, the role of the instructor is not only to mechanically convey the necessary information to the trainee, but also to control its correct and complete assimilation.

Using feedback methods, the manager can analyze the student's level of perception, his mistakes, shortcomings and delusions. Correction of the performance of the labor function is carried out through discussion and delicate prompting of the right direction, that is, through constructive criticism.

Any remark should be structured like this:

1. The mentor describes the situation that is the subject of discussion (task, project, team behavior, adherence to corporate ethics).
2. Then he expresses his attitude towards it and its consequences.
3. The manager voices his wishes regarding the future results of the student's actions in the same (similar) circumstances. He may also suggest a simpler behavior to maximize the efficiency of the workflow.

In any case, the mentor's behavior towards adapting employees should be based on tact, patience and diplomacy.

Manufacturing in Russia is getting ready to get back on its feet, but in most industries there is a colossal gap in the chain of generations of specialists. It is clear that today this problem cannot be solved without the Corporate Mentoring System. Moreover, it is necessary to treat mentoring as a modern business process. It is impossible to simply take and copy the Soviet model, because informed and rather ambitious young people come to the enterprise, for whom the methods of transferring experience on the principle of "do like a father" are not suitable.

Who the doctor prescribed

First, let's outline the criteria for an organization where the Corporate Mentoring System (CMS) is a reasonable management decision.

First is scientific, production or research and production enterprise- Areas of activity where experience accumulates over the years, and where the departure of one person can make a significant gap in the entire business process. Secondly, it is "Aged" groups in which employees with strategically important knowledge and experience have come to a critical age limit, and it is necessary to prepare a shift for them. Thirdly, growing structures... When there are 5-10 young specialists for one master, and he physically does not have time to transfer experience to each one individually, and the training manager is not always able to teach the “newbie” specific points related to the work of a particular department.

In all such cases, you need nmentors - respected, highly qualified employees, authorized on an individual basis to work on adapting younger colleagues to production activities, corporate culture and professional development. Moreover, “mentors” must be specially selected from among the company's authorities based on a number of criteria, and they must be trained and motivated.

Of course, in different organizations, the process of transferring experience is characterized by its own characteristics. However, everywhere at the present historical stage, it must be systemic. This means that, in addition to the actual creation of the institute of mentors, the HR manager will have to develop and implement

1) system selection and motivating mentors

2) system planning adaptation of "newbies"

3) system control of results mentoring programs

Model for describing the business process of the mentoring system

Key competencies of mentors

Not every “aksakal” is capable of becoming an effective “mentor”. Deep professional knowledge, extensive practical experience, generally recognized personal production achievements, substantial (more than five years) general work experience in the company - all these are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for the success of a specialist in the field of mentoring. He must have very specific specific competencies. I will list them.

• Corporateness. In his work, a person proceeds from the strategic priorities of the organization, finds a reasonable balance of interests of the division and the company as a whole. Assumes meaningful obligations to the company, clearly justifies its own capabilities to management, based on calculations and facts. By its actions, it strengthens the company's reputation among employees, partners, government officials.
• Ability to teach. Knows how to structure the existing work experience and pass it on to a young specialist. Clearly and consistently sets out the necessary information, comments on the results of the ward's work. Selects adequate and effective methods of instruction. Provides constructive feedback.
• Responsibility. He is interested in the success of the ward, takes personal responsibility for solving problems that have arisen during training. Is actively looking for ways to develop the skills of the "student". Provides him with the necessary assistance, offers tasks, the work on which activates the abilities. Encourages him to acquire new experiences and exchange ideas.
• Ability to motivate others... Inspires the student to a positive attitude towards work, contributes to the successful achievement of the goal. Unmistakably finds motivating factors for the ward and skillfully uses them.
• Influence. Has a credit of trust from communication partners. Possesses the necessary skills and personality traits to influence others. Adapts his style of interaction depending on the characteristics of the interlocutor. Achieves the stated goal of communication.

Once you've identified worthy mentor candidates, the first thing to do is to show your reframing skill *, that is, to show them the possible benefits of gaining a new status in the company. We are talking about both material and non-material motivation. However, if a person perceives his appointment as a mentor only as a flattering "badge" or a raise in salary, then, most likely, his new activity will be as ineffective, just as if he was unhappy with the additional burden. A mentor should be genuinely willing to engage in the transfer of his knowledge and experience, and at the same time understand his responsibility.

* reframing–the concept of neurolinguistic programming (NLP), which denotes a special behavioral model of establishing contact with a certain part of the personality, which generates one behavior and blocks another. After establishing such contact, it becomes possible to intentionally replace the negative perception with a positive one, or at least an acceptable one.

Reframing technology was developed in the 80s of the twentieth century by R. Bandler and J. Grinder. The authors relied on the following propositions: 1) it is better to have a choice than not to have; 2) there is also a subconscious choice; 3) people have the resources necessary to change, the task is only to help them master the appropriate resources in certain situations; 4) any piece of behavior in some conditions has a positive function; 5) it is senseless and irresponsible to simply change people's behavior without taking into account their “secondary benefit”; 6) the behavioral stereotype presented by a person is the most successful reaction available to him in a given situation. With the help of reframing, it becomes possible to find out what is the secondary benefit of a certain behavior, and take care of it as an integral part of the process of generating change in this area of ​​behavior. To a certain extent, Reframing provides a positive meaning for any events.

Mechanics of STO implementation

The status of the mentoring system solely as an HR initiative is of little use, especially in organizations where the transition from HR to modern forms of HR management has occurred recently. It is necessary to involve in the project and obtain active support from the most influential managers in the company. Honored employees, chief engineers of enterprises can become such people. The management must not only approve the idea, but also approve the planned costs. A special conference on the implementation of the mentoring system will help to finally dot the i's. The result of the joint discussion should be the Mentoring Statement. In this document, it is necessary to consolidate the procedure for the selection and training of mentors, the procedure for organizing their work, as well as their responsibilities, rights, the system of material and non-material motivation and other important points.

Undoubtedly, the help in identifying potentially successful "mentors" should be provided by the heads of structural divisions (departments). But it is advisable to assign the training of mentors and control over their work to the personnel department. It is logical if it is the personnel officers who will take upon themselves the methodological support of the process and the solution of the issue with the conduct of the trainings necessary for the mentors.

The procedure for organizing the adaptation activity itself is as follows. A maximum of two young professionals or new hires will be assigned to one mentor, appointed according to the selection criteria. Appointment of a mentor is formalized by order within a month from the date of hiring "newcomers". Both the “mentor” and his charges are introduced to this order. Then, within 15 working days, they jointly develop individual development plan(IPR) for one calendar year. The HR department coordinates, and the line manager approves the IPR. The mentor is responsible for the implementation of the IPR of the new employee and the young specialist, the timely submission of the plan and the report on the work done.

Individual development plan template

All participants in the process, and indeed all employees of the company, must understand the essence of mentoring, and, first of all, the duties and rights of an officially authorized “teacher”.

Duties and rights of a mentor

What is the essence of a mentor's work with a new employee or young specialist? This can be summarized in seven terms.

1. To familiarize with the corporate culture, to pass on traditions, rules of business and off-duty communication, standards of conduct.

2. To identify problem areas in the professional training of a new employee or a young specialist, to recommend priority areas in training.

3. To take part in the formation of the individual development plan of the ward, to provide theoretical and practical assistance during the test line or internship.

4. Make proposals to encourage a "newbie" in accordance with the established practice in the company.

6. At the end of the mentoring period, submit an oral description of a new employee or young specialist, reflecting the degree of his training - the presence of professional skills, the ability to solve practical problems, initiative, innovation, communicative competence, leadership - to the HR department (based on this document a decision should be made on further rotation of the specialist in the interests of the Company).

7. Transfer the acquired practical experience of curatorial work to colleagues.

At the same time, the mentor should have the right to abandon his mission before the expiration of the established period if the ward violates the established rules of labor discipline or does not comply with it. individual work plan (YPRES). Of course, at the same time, he must provide the HR department with a reasoned justification for his decision. (The final decision on the advisability of continuing to work with such a young specialist is made by the personnel officer.) Of course, the supervisor has the right to initiate the termination of mentoring and, if the IPR is completed ahead of schedule, if there is a high-quality and timely performance by the “student” of job duties, the manifestation of reasonable initiative, the ability to work in a team etc.

But what about the mentor's right to receive remuneration for the additional responsibilities assumed? Of course, this also cannot be forgotten. The HR department establishes an additional payment for mentoring in the approved amount, in accordance with internal (local) regulations. These expenses are provided for by the corresponding items of the company's budget.

HR service initiates the appointment of another mentor in the following cases:

• long absence of a mentor (for example, by
• disease);
• change in the position or region of work of the mentor;
• changes in the position of the "novice" ward;
• dismissal of a mentor from the company;
• refusal of the mentor to work with the "newbie";
• refusal of the "newbie" to work with the appointed mentor.

Individual development plan

The process of onboarding an employee can be compared to growing a tree. In order for a plant to take root quickly and bear fruit when transplanted from one environment to another, it is necessary to create the required conditions - enough light, moisture, fertile soil. So that the new person quickly "takes root" in the company, gets used to the new corporate culture, you also need to take care of the psychophysiological environment. The process of adaptation of a specialist in an organization will be the more successful, the more the norms and values ​​of the team are or become its norms and values, the faster he assimilates his social role in the team. Helping a new employee "get accustomed" means helping to adapt to new intellectual and psychological burdens, the level of monotony of work, a relatively new society, as well as assimilate the status of your workplace and division in the general organizational structure of the company. In addition, it may be necessary to transfer some professional knowledge and skills, as well as communication skills. All this is taken into account when forming plans for the individual development of newly recruited employees. In general, adaptation activities are planned in accordance with job descriptions and career prospects of the "newbie".

An individual development plan for a new employee or young professional is drawn up for a period of up to one year and should contain group and individual activities. Among the group ones are those carried out in accordance with the annual plans of the company. This is training in the system of professional study in the field of activity, and participation in business games, trainings, and training in courses, seminars. The individual list contains: general information about the activities and structure of the company; acquaintance with the departments and departments directly related to the work of the "newbie"; familiarization with the workplace, job descriptions, regulations in force in the organization; on-the-job training, gaining practical experience; independent study of regulations, standards, etc.

Implementation of IPR

Based on the individual development plan, the line manager, together with the HR department, draw up an internship schedule for a new employee or young specialist. Once a quarter, the mentor discusses with the ward the results of his work and success in professional development and makes the appropriate marks in the IPR. Based on the results of the one-year internship program, taking into account the recommendations, the "teacher" and "student" develop another individual plan indicating career prospects in the next two years.

Every year, and if necessary and more often, written reports on the work done are prepared. The mentor report contains basic information about the achievements of a new employee or young specialist during the time of the joint work. Mandatory characteristics reflecting the degree of preparation of the supervised, recommendations for his "horizontal" and "vertical" movement in accordance with the demonstrated abilities and professional skills, proposals for encouragement.

The “newcomer's” report contains basic information about the achievements over the years of implementing the individual development plan, as well as an opinion about the mentor's work, reflecting the degree to which the “mentor” has fulfilled his duties. It is important to invite the employee to add a paragraph with recommendations for the development of the mentoring system in the company.

Reports are sent to the HR department . Based on the results of their analysis, the personnel officer decides to terminate or extend the period of the employee's work under the guidance of a senior colleague, and gives advice on further development. In case of termination of mentoring, the mentor is assigned to the next specialist who has come to the organization.

Status young specialist is received by a full-time graduate of a university, technical school or vocational college under the age of 33, who has passed the competitive selection system for employment in the specialty specified in the diploma, and has been working for no more than three years from the date of employment.

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Introduction

The relevance of the chosen topic is due to the fact that at present personnel training for most Russian companies is of particular importance.

The need is ripe for the continuous development of personnel, i.e. creating conditions for the full disclosure of the potential of employees, their ability to make a tangible contribution to the activities of their organization.

In this paper, I will consider one of the types of staff training in the workplace, namely mentoring.

Teaching employees by mentoring in Russia began in the last century at manufacturing enterprises, with the aim of "transferring advanced labor methods" to newcomers. Most Western studies evaluating the effectiveness of this method of teaching spoke in its favor: mentoring was considered the key to a successful career.

Until recently, the oldest method of transferring experience was used mainly in industrial areas. However, now many companies, whose activities are not related to this area, are increasingly turning to proven practice. And one of the industries where employers are employing a mentoring system today is sales.

Mentoring involves a system of personnel training in which knowledge transfer takes place directly at the workplace, when a more experienced employee transfers his skills to a beginner.

1. The concept of mentoring, functions, principles, methods

Mentoring (mentoring) is one of the methods of personnel training, when a more experienced employee shares his knowledge, skills and abilities with an inexperienced beginner for a certain period of time.

Nowadays, the mentoring system in companies is acquiring other features and moving into new areas, for example, mentoring in the technical field. Mentors mainly rely on the advancement of pre-existing knowledge or professional skills. In other words, they teach what they themselves know.

Mentoring is needed to:

support and encourage the implementation of employee training;

transfer the knowledge accumulated in the organization and the norms of behavior adopted in the company;

unleash the potential of the trainee.

The advantage of mentoring is the possibility of training directly at the workplace. Compared to training, the method is generally more "individualized", but often requires more effort and time.

Mentoring can be personal, group, collective. Most often we are faced with personal mentoring, in which one mentor leads one employee. This is another plus for mentoring. Less common is group mentoring (one mentor leads a group of employees) or collective (several mentors per one or a group of employees).

Distinguish between mentoring, coaching and mentoring. These concepts complement each other and are close in spirit, but!

Coaching is aimed not so much at transferring knowledge and developing skills as at activating the processes of self-learning and self-development. It does this by providing continuous feedback during the joint analysis of situations and problems.

Mentoring combines the attributes of coaching and teaching. Feedback is also important here, but a good theoretical basis is added. The mentor first tells the theory, then shows an example, and only then the student completes the task and receives feedback.

Mentoring focuses on the practical part. The more experienced employee transfers their knowledge and skills to the less experienced. Ideally, mentoring can take place continuously.

A mentor is called a mentor. The name comes from ancient Greek mythology. A hero named Mentor was a wise adviser, everyone trusted him, they came with questions, for advice and help.

Usually, a mentor is a more experienced employee with knowledge and professional experience who helps a young and inexperienced employee overcome all the difficulties of career and social growth. A young employee in mentoring is called a protege. This is, as a rule, a less experienced employee who, listening to the advice of the mentor, tries to improve the quality of his work.

A mentor can perform different functions:

The mentor is an attentive assistant

Shows attention and empathy, supports, inspires. Asking questions. Creates a trusting relationship with the "student". Such a mentor is a friend. And he'll regret it if it doesn't work out, and discuss his bad mood and family problems.

Samurai mentor

A harsh mentor. Feedback is given honestly, directly. The information is presented clearly, requires strict implementation. Can scold. Requires quality work. He seems to be challenging. Such a mentor may initially cause fear in the "disciple". But such a mentor's position makes it possible to get together in the shortest possible time and do the necessary work.

The main principle of the mentor's work is the desire to convey the necessary information and help the young specialist to assimilate it. This means that it makes sense for a mentor:

conform to the initial educational level of the young specialist;

take into account the small life experience and large ambitions characteristic of young people;

be sure to involve a beginner in planning his career and drawing up an individual development plan, be interested in his point of view on what is happening;

remember that all people are different, and you cannot approach two young specialists with the same yardstick;

not to do his job for a beginner, more often to provide an opportunity to work under control, but independently, with subsequent developmental feedback.

mentoring worker employee training

2. Mentoring. On-the-job training

Mentoring is the most important and successful method for promoting professional development. In addition, the effectiveness of seminars and trainings held within the company increases when they are complemented by mentoring.

Training takes place right at the workplace, under the guidance of an experienced specialist whom the newcomer knows well; it is based on work situations and real problems. At the same time, the initial professional level of the trainee can be very different - from a complete lack of the necessary skills to "solid baggage", then the mentor, with his advice, helps to join the team, master the standards of working with clients, the corporate culture of the company.

The topic of mentoring acquires particular relevance in connection with the development and formation of the concept of a learning company. “A learning organization is one that effectively responds to the challenges of changes in the business environment by creating new technologies, mastering new knowledge and skills. She quickly integrates new knowledge and skills to transform her core business. In this regard, the personnel need to constantly improve their qualifications and professionalism. "

Building a learning company involves the creation of an effective training system with parallel functioning of two training systems that have similar tasks and content, but different forms of implementation. The first system is the creation in the organization of its own internal school, in which seminars, lectures, trainings are held with the help of internal trainers or invited specialists. And the second is a mentoring system, in which personnel training takes place directly at the workplace, a more experienced employee transfers his knowledge, experience and his own work technologies to the trainee. Consequently, in a training company, not only trainers-specialists are engaged in the development of employees, but also the leaders, managers of the company.

Currently, companies mainly use two methods of training staff in the workplace - mentoring and storytelling.

Mentoring is understood as individual or collective patronage of experienced workers over individual young workers or their groups, or a form of education (patronage), professional training and adaptation of young employees in an organization, which involves transferring the experience of a mentor and instilling a work culture and corporate values ​​to a newcomer.

Storytelling (from English Story Telling, literally - "storytelling") is to teach young employees how to work in a corporation with the help of myths and stories from the life of organizations. This method begins to work already in the process of recruiting staff for vacant positions. Depending on how suitable a particular candidate is, the interviewer talks about the company, thus preparing for its traditions, philosophy, corporate culture. When applying it, one should not overdo it with the positive, so that there is no strong discrepancy with the information that the employee will receive from the team in the future.

Before going to work, the employee also gets acquainted with all the local regulations he needs: the rules of the internal labor schedule, the policy in the field of personnel management, and others.

When leaving for work, the immediate supervisor helps the new employee to quickly get acquainted with colleagues, the organizational structure of the company (where with what question you can turn to), the entry plan (deadlines), job descriptions and other local regulations necessary for work, standards and philosophy companies. The immediate manager oversees the activities of the newly hired employee during the probationary period, helping him, controlling and building his loyalty to the company.

Mentoring differs from other training methods in that training takes place in the workplace during working hours with the constant support of a new employee who is more experienced and highly qualified. The purpose of this method is to minimize the period of adaptation of newly hired employees of departments and (or) the period of mastering new technologies by employees in the workplace, with the help of which the following tasks are solved:

improving the quality of training and qualifications of personnel;

development of a positive attitude to work among new employees;

empowering new hires to reach the performance targets the company needs faster;

saving time for heads of departments for training new employees;

providing mentors with career opportunities, rewarding them for good work, recognizing their services to the company;

reduced staff turnover;

preparation of documents "Plan of entry into office" and "List of assessment and development of competencies."

The hallmarks of mentoring include:

)flexibility.

Mentoring can be done in a wide variety of ways and in a wide variety of situations. The necessary conditions are time and the presence of at least two people;

)applied character.

Mentoring is related to professional activity and covers the entire range of this activity;

)individuality.

Mentoring is directly related to the needs and interests of the individual;

)people orientation.

People are perceived as they are, with all their values, motives, feelings;

) availability of feedback;

) high motivational potential.

The advantages of this training method are the performance of job duties by the mentor and the trainee, the implementation of the work plan (personal, department, company), and the acquisition of work skills in a short time.

In the process of mentoring, there are 5 main stages of learning, which can be described as follows:

“I’ll tell you, and you listen”;

"I will show you, and you look";

"Let's do it together";

"Do it yourself, and I'll tell you";

"Do it yourself and tell me what you did."

The mentoring process is monitored through an incoming credit and an individual performance assessment prior to the end of the probationary period based on an in-office plan.

A mentor is a qualified person, professional, or experienced worker from whom other workers can get advice.

One of the main qualities that a mentor should have is the desire to pass on their own experience to newly hired employees. Therefore, the mentor must be loyal to the company, know the subject of the transfer, constantly improve and be able to correctly transfer his knowledge. In this he is helped by sociability, patience, a sense of humor, openness, responsibility, exactingness, a sense of proportion, respect for the trainee, and competence.

To establish mutual understanding and trusting relationships with the trainee, the mentor should:

) to find out what the student is hobbying for, to determine the general circle of interests

) try to identify common acquaintances;

) determine the distance in communication;

) pay attention to the problems of the student;

) determine a possible "advance" of trust;

) carry out explanatory work;

) be able to dispel the doubts of the student;

) be able to empathize with the learner;

) provide psychological support.

The mentor should be friendly, welcoming to the trainee, interested in what and how he is doing, have a healthy sense of humor, observe a reasonable limit in everything.

The main methods used by mentors are:

determination of the initial level of knowledge;

determination of the type of student;

structuring training;

personal example;

explanation of theoretical material in simple, accessible language;

provision of educational material (for self-education);

the sequence of presentation of the material, learning how to do the job faster and better;

joint work;

feedback at intermediate stages;

constant attention and support, trust and responsibility of independent work;

timely encouragement of trainees.

Equally important is the mentor's interest in the learning outcomes - it can be material (payments for each trainee who successfully passed the probationary period) and (or) non-material (for example, the award of the title "Best mentor").

Compared to other types of training, mentoring attracts:

) the speed of adaptation in the new team;

) practicing the acquired knowledge in practice;

) constant counseling on difficult issues;

) the timeliness of answers to emerging questions;

) motivation (significance, self-development) of the mentor.

What do the trainee, mentor and the company as a whole gain from this form of training? In a mentoring system, the mentor-trainee relationship can have a positive impact on the qualities of both parties, such as self-confidence and self-esteem, especially as the professional development and abilities of the trainee increase. The trainee feels the constant support of the mentor, analyzes his own strengths (strengths - weaknesses), becomes less prone to interpersonal conflict with the leadership, develops professional skills, abilities, competencies that affect career growth, the willingness to take responsibility for their own studies and professional development. level.

The benefit to the mentor is that:

his communications are increasing;

he gets the opportunity to structure information;

in the process of mentoring, his self-esteem and status increases;

the recognition and respect of those around him, his authority in the team are growing;

he has the opportunity to receive “fresh information;

mentoring ensures his active participation in the development of his team;

his personal satisfaction with work increases;

it is constantly evolving.

Thanks to the mentoring system, the company has trained personnel with an optimal adaptation period, increases the cultural level of the company, helps the interaction of employees, both vertically and horizontally, and has a positive effect on attitudes towards learning.

For a full-fledged mentoring system in a company, a tool such as the training of mentors is needed, since the activity of a mentor is very responsible. Employees who apply for this status must be friendly, demanding and responsible. The duration of the work of the future mentor in the company and his loyalty to it are important.

Mentors need to be trained in various teaching-the-trainer methodologies in a training format. The objectives of this training are:

awareness of the importance and uniqueness of the mentoring system;

presentation of various teaching methods;

practical development of the proposed method;

acquisition of the necessary skills and competencies.

In the process of training, the following tasks are solved: development of criteria for the promotion of a mentor, development of methods for establishing contact, effective interaction.

If you combine storytelling and mentoring, then the personnel training system can be divided into the following stages:

) Acquaintance, conversation to establish informal contact (common interests, hobbies).

) Introduction and acquaintance with the personnel of the unit.

3) Support for the employee and the continuation of informal contact (common interests, hobbies), establishment of trusting relationships, clarification of functions and interaction between employees, familiarization with local regulations, setting goals and objectives for a trial period.

4) Transfer of own experience.

) Check of knowledge.

) Passing the incoming credit (according to the plan of entry into the position).

) Improving employee performance.

) Assessment of the individual activities of the employee before the end of the probationary period.

) Closing the probationary period.

So the mentoring system has many positive aspects.

As a result of using this training method, the employee is deeply aware of his responsibility, he is fully involved in the affairs of the company, develops himself and thereby develops the company.

Conclusion

Mentoring is the most direct method of training and development of personnel, which, in addition to positive aspects, also has negative ones.

The main disadvantages of this method include:

-reduced job security for senior staff, from which in most cases mentors are selected;

-using this method in business, as an increase in the flexibility of the internal labor market entails, first of all, a decrease in the motivation and loyalty of mentors to the implementation of the program;

-thirdly, the criticism of mentoring is associated with its limitations in the field of natural socialization and continuity of generations at the present stage.

Of no small importance in mentoring is the characteristic of the ability to captivate and interest your student. Which, of course, significantly increases the motivation and effectiveness of the learning process. Indeed, even after the completed learning process, the student can contact the mentor at any time, and then, in turn, provide assistance.

At the same time, the main task of the mentor is to be in constant closeness with the student, to support him and, by his own example, demonstrate the correct approach to work.

The company's income directly depends on the professionalism of the staff. From the ability of managers to provide customers with the necessary information in a timely manner, to organize everything so that customers are satisfied.

Developmental counseling is aimed at identifying and maximizing the abilities and potentialities of an individual or work collective.

List of used literature

1. Ackoff R. Planning the future of the corporation. - M .: Progress, 2011

Ansoff I. Strategic management. - M .: Economics, 2011

Bestuzhev-Lada N.B. Predicted rationale for social innovation. - M .: Nauka, 2010

Business and manager. - M .: Azimut-Center, 2010

Blyakhman L.S., Sidorov V.A. Quality of work: the role of the human factor. - M., 2010

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By development, we mean all processes that contribute to the full disclosure of the potential of employees. The main elements of the personnel development system are the acquisition of experience, training and mentoring. The institution of mentoring is not new: the idea became widespread in our country back in Soviet times; it is very popular in Western countries as well. Today, for many organizations, mentoring is becoming an integral part of the corporate culture.

Mentoring is a long-term investment
development of the organization, in its "health".
David Meister

In general terms, mentoring can be defined as a way of transferring knowledge and skills from a more experienced person to a less experienced person. In a broader, modern sense, a mentor is a qualified specialist with sufficient experience in the company who:

• helps new employees adapt to the organization;
• promotes their professional development, career growth;
• participates in the assessment of the results of their activities.

The mentor, on the one hand, represents the interests of the employee in relations with the company, and on the other hand, he is its representative for the employee.

The need to implement a mentoring system is especially evident for fast-growing organizations. However, despite the fact that the institute of mentoring is an almost free resource, not all companies use it as actively as trainings, internships, etc. work. In order to further develop employees and unleash their potential, this tool is not used so widely. But for companies specializing in the provision of professional services, this is the key component of mentoring. Professionals are focused on career development and it is mentors who can help them in their continuing professional development.

Who needs it

Who is most interested in the implementation and development of the mentoring system? Experience shows that all participants in this process benefit:

• Mentor develops management skills, increases his status in the company, gains a professional reputation and the trust of colleagues, takes part in the formation of a professional team (this is very important, since the effectiveness of the entire team depends on the efficiency of each of its members).
• Employee receives timely assistance at the stage of integration into the company, support in professional and career development.
• Company stabilizes the number of employees (reduced staff turnover), forms a team of highly qualified loyal employees.
• Human Resources Management Service receives a powerful supportive resource: in companies with a developed mentoring system, mentors are involved in almost all major HR processes.

When introducing a mentoring system, questions naturally arise: “Do all categories of employees need a mentor? When is his help especially important? " Practice shows that a mentor is necessary, first of all, in the following cases:

1) newcomers who have come to a well-coordinated team - they need not only access to information and learning new skills, but also just human help and support;
2) employees who have great potential for professional growth - in the future they will be able to lead the team to new achievements;
3) employees with low labor efficiency - the overall performance of the entire team depends on this.

In the same organizations where career orientation is at the core of corporate philosophy, every team member needs a mentor! For example, in our company, every employee has a mentor - from the first day of work, regardless of their job level. This helps us never stop in our professional development.

Who can become a mentor

The mentor should hold a position at least one or two levels higher than his ward: this "gap" ensures effective interaction and effective transfer of knowledge. (It is not always possible to follow this rule - but it is necessary to strive for it.) Starting from a certain job level, mentoring can (and should) be one of the requirements that determine the further career growth of the mentor himself.

It is desirable that the role of the mentor be performed by an "outside" employee: practice shows that direct managers are more interested in current work results subordinate, not prospects for his development or career, and there is more subjectivity in the relationship. (However, if the relationship between the manager and the subordinate is based on trust and partnership, then this option is also possible.)

A good mentor must have a number of positive qualities, in particular:

• have a high level of loyalty to the company, be the bearer of the key values ​​of the corporate culture;
• have a systematic understanding of the work of your department and the company as a whole;
• have significant experience in the field of their professional activities;
• have a desire to be a mentor, otherwise mentoring will be perceived as an additional burden, and this will sooner or later affect the quality; what is important - the mentor is required to have a sincere desire to help the ward, and not just from case to case to evaluate the results of his work;
• be ready to invest your time in the development of another person (this is one of the most painful questions: it is impossible to become a good mentor if the desire to help is not an absolute value for a person);
• be capable of constructive criticism: the main word here is “constructive”. (When a mentor evaluates the actions of an employee, this should not resemble a critical analysis - the assessment should first of all contain specific proposals for improving the work);
• be proactive and provide regular feedback. A good mentor is always aware of the employee's problems. If the ward has problems in work or relationships, he does not wait for the end of the year (when at a meeting to summarize the results, it is possible to fix what has not been done), but takes action immediately in order to timely adjust the employee's actions.

A description of a portrait of an ideal mentor may suggest that not all employees meet such high criteria, even if formally they may qualify for the role of a mentor. Therefore, the questions arise: "Can everyone be a mentor?" and "Where to find worthy candidates?" More precisely: what needs to be done to bring up good mentors from employees? Most likely, there are no universal answers to these questions: the criteria for selecting mentors, as well as the ways of their development, depend on the characteristics of the corporate culture of a particular company, management style, management's understanding of the importance of the mentoring system, and many other factors.

Mentoring system

The most important issues for the company are 1) the quality of mentoring and 2) the conscientious attitude of mentors to their duties. Therefore, we are talking about mentoring system- a set of measures that the company is obliged to take in order to provide quality training for mentors and, to a certain extent, guarantee the effectiveness of their work.

Different companies are developing different approaches to the appointment and training of mentors. In organizations with a long tradition and strong corporate culture, all employees can be mentors, starting from a certain job level. There is even a perception in some that the very existence of tradition and culture is a sufficient condition for not providing formal training for mentors. In those companies that are introducing a mentoring system for the first time, mentors may initially be 1) volunteers and / or 2) employees who meet the above criteria as much as possible.

In any case, mentoring is not so much an innate gift as a skill that can be mastered. This means that mentors need to be trained:

• on relevant trainings (internal or external);
• at seminars for the exchange of experience;
• when mentors meet with their own mentors.

Naturally, the mentoring process should be organized in such a way that the employee's activity as a mentor does not affect his main job (otherwise, his work efficiency will decrease). In this regard, an important question is: how many employees assigned to the mentor will be optimal? Practice shows that "ideally" the number of wards should not be more than five or six.

It is equally important to consider the relationship in the “mentor - mentored” pair in dynamics: to assess their effectiveness in a timely manner, to replace the mentor if necessary. This may be required for various reasons:

• the employee "caught up" with the mentor in career growth;
• the ward or mentor moved to another unit (moved to another region);
• the mentor quit;
• psychological incompatibility was discovered (in this case, the person often asks for a replacement mentor himself), etc.

Of course, developing a mentoring culture is a lengthy process; it takes some time for most employees to embrace the new values. At first, negative reactions are possible - misunderstanding, mistrust, irony ...

Processes accompanied by a mentor

In companies specializing in the provision of professional services, a mentor accompanies a number of processes in which an employee participates: adaptation, performance management and training.

Adaptation... Each of us has once found ourselves in the role of a beginner, so we remember how important it is to get up to speed quickly, how great in the first days of work is the need to obtain the necessary information. Of course, the new employee receives the necessary information from many sources - from the recruiter at the interview stage, at the orientation session from the staff of the HR department, from the secretary, from the head of the department ... etc. His role in the adaptation process is much more complicated and responsible - he must:

• help the employee understand and accept their new status in the organization;
• master new norms of behavior;
• familiarize yourself with corporate values;
• help establish and maintain relationships with the team;
• help the employee develop the professional skills necessary to perform his functional duties, etc.

The mentor's responsibilities also include setting goals for the trial period, summing up the results at the end of the trial and deciding on its passage. To summarize the results of the probationary period, the mentor must meet with his ward and analyze whether the goals have been achieved, and if not, why. In companies that have adopted a more formalized approach, the mentor, following the meeting, fills out a special questionnaire. By signing it, the employee gets acquainted with the results of the assessment of the passage of the probationary period - that is, he receives the first formal feedback.

Performance management... This process includes two components: 1) annual planning and 2) performance assessment ( scheme).

Mentor-Mentor Relationship Diagram

1. Annual planning (setting goals and developing a development plan). In companies that use goal-based management technologies, each employee at the beginning of the year must define individual goals and form a development plan for the coming year. These goals can be refined and adjusted in the middle of the year - during the mid-term performance appraisal procedure. Responsibilities of the mentor at the stage of goal setting:

• to ensure that the employee understands the tasks facing the company and its division;
• adjust and approve his goals for the year;
• assess the competence of the employee;
• discuss the employee's career opportunities;
• help develop an individual development plan.

The mentor should encourage his or her ward to set ambitious and at the same time realistic goals, as well as to take a proactive stance when planning their development.

2. Performance assessment (intermediate and final). Feedback. Mentoring is an ongoing process, so a good mentor gives the employee feedback as needed (rather than once at the end of the year). Meetings can be initiated both by the employee himself and by his mentor, and as many times as they see fit - there are no restrictions here. In addition, the mentor provides informal spontaneous feedback. Regular feedback helps employees more clearly and objectively evaluate the results of their work, and, if necessary, correct mistakes in time.

During the year, the mentor is required to conduct at least two meetings as part of the performance assessment process (intermediate and final). At an interim (usually half-yearly) meeting, the mentor notes progress over the past period and adjusts the action plan by the end of the year. If the company practices brainstorming on an employee's performance assessment, the mentor gathers information by interviewing everyone involved (including employees for whom the mentor is the mentor), and prepares comments and arguments to represent and defend the person concerned at such meetings. At the final meeting with the employee, the mentor announces and argues the final assessment, discusses his achievements, failures and areas for development, and also removes possible contradictions.

Clarity of goals and a timely, constructive assessment of the success of their achievement increases people's interest in work, emotionally supports and motivates them.

Education... An employee gains new knowledge and skills not only during formal training, but also directly in the process of work. Tasks of the mentor in this area:

• assess the degree of involvement of the ward in the work;
• track his involvement in various projects (both client and internal);
• apply for recruiting an employee to work in different areas for a variety of experiences.

In the process of work, the mentor transfers his own knowledge and experience to the assigned employee, and also helps him to obtain the necessary knowledge from other colleagues. If we talk about formal training, then the role of the mentor is to determine the training needs of the ward, to facilitate his training at internal and external seminars and trainings, and, if necessary, to petition about this to the heads of the division and the company.

It should be said that in our company, despite such a wide range of mentor activities, the employee himself bears responsibility for his own professional and career development. The mentor helps the sponsor to understand the internal processes and fulfill all the requirements for him - but the manifestation of activity is expected from the side of the ward. The employee himself must initiate meetings with the mentor, carefully prepare for them, voice his concerns, actively seek feedback, perceive and take into account constructive criticism. Thus, the employee helps his mentor to help him!

Evaluating the performance of mentors

Various types of surveys can be used to determine the effectiveness of the mentoring system as a whole and to assess the performance of specific mentors:

1) targeted- to determine the degree of satisfaction with the mentoring system and the work of mentors in the company;
2) more general that incorporate mentoring questions such as:

• satisfaction and engagement reviews(to get the big picture);
• "360 degree assessment"(To obtain individual information on each mentor).

It is quite difficult to objectively assess the effectiveness of a mentor's work. Formal assessment criteria can be:

• the number of meetings between the mentor and his charge;
• timeliness of filling out assessment forms, etc.

At the same time, formal indicators say little about the quality of the mentor's work, therefore, to assess the effectiveness, it is justified to use indirect indicators, such as:

• successful adaptation of a new employee to the company;
• effective performance of the wards' professional duties;
• obvious professional growth and development of the employee, etc.

However, the success of the ward cannot be the only evaluation criterion, since in the work of a mentor, a lot depends, first of all, on the employee himself. This is exactly the case when you need to value not only the result, but also the efforts to achieve it.

Motivating mentors

It is very important not only to appreciate the work of mentors, but also to recognize its value. This becomes especially significant when we talk about mentoring as a system, about the formation of a “mentoring culture” in the company.

At first glance, the simplest way (it is practiced in some companies) is bonuses: payment of a monetary reward for each sponsored person (for example, at the end of the probationary period). However, with this practice, there is a risk that mentors will increase the number of their charges, reducing the quality of work with each of them. For many companies, due to the prevailing corporate culture, this type of incentive is unacceptable.

An indirect way of financial incentives for mentors can be the inclusion of relevant measurable indicators in the system of KPIs (key performance indicators), the implementation of which, in turn, affects the amount of salary and / or bonus. But for companies specializing in the provision of professional services, non-financial motivation is still critical:

• attention of the leadership to the problems of mentors;
• publicly recognizing the value of mentorship to the company;
• the use of a variety of internal corporate insignia that give mentors a special status in the team (badges, certificates, etc.).

In addition, there are good old methods like identifying the best mentor, giving special mementos at some kind of corporate event, etc.

The best motivating factor will be to create a corporate culture in which mentoring is perceived by employees as an honorable mission, and not as a burdensome duty. HRs play an important role in this, their creativity, persistence, quality and timeliness of communication.

Staff development

When a probationary period is appointed- According to Russian labor law, the procedure for dismissing an employee is very difficult. Therefore, with the help of a probationary period, the employer is reinsured - in case the recruiter makes a mistake and the newcomer is, as they say, out of place. Theoretically, a specialist has legal grounds for refusing to test, but such a candidate, in the eyes of the employer, instantly moves from the category of promising to the category of problematic. This hardly promises you further successful work in the company. However, there are certain categories of workers for whom, according to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a probationary period is not established. These are pregnant women, women with children under the age of one and a half years, candidates under the age of 18, young specialists, those who are hired on a competitive basis, etc. (see article 70 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

• How to overcome fear of a new job?
• What is the optimal line of conduct during the first months of work?
• How to quickly get used to a new team and build relationships with colleagues?
• What can help you get through the adaptation period in your new job effectively and comfortably?

Probationary Period 2.0 program - your reliable assistant at a new job

A modern specialized program called "Test Period 2.0" is an excellent tool for comfortable adaptation to a new place. Every beginner in the first days receives gigantic amounts of information, so the chance to get lost in it, to make the simplest and stupid mistake is very great. This can make the new employee look incompetent. A specialized program allows you to save information and subsequently, when performing various daily tasks, check the prepared notes. You can get acquainted with the functionality in detail and download the program for free on the website of the "TESTING-TERM.RF" project (sections: "About the system" and "Download").

Organizational Mentoring: Effectiveness and Mistakes

What is mentoring, how is it different from coaching and mentoring? In today's business environment, the concepts of mentoring, coaching and mentoring are often used as a sign of identity. This is a fundamental mistake. Before we talk about mentoring, by tradition, let's understand the terminology.

The term "coaching" was first introduced into the business lexicon in the early 90s by John Whitmore, it is translated into Russian literally as "instruct, prepare, train", but has a broader understanding.

The coaching method is based on behavioral feedback, this is its key difference from mentoring. The coach's task is not to directly transfer knowledge to the mentored person and develop a certain list of skills in him, but to activate the processes of self-learning and self-development. It does this by providing continuous feedback during the joint analysis of situations or problems.

We can say that the effectiveness of coaching is achieved through the application of the detachment effect, when a person who is “inside” a certain situation or problem gets the opportunity to look at it from the outside, through the eyes of another person - a coach. Due to the capabilities of the method, coaching allows you to find solutions to complex problems of an interdisciplinary and interpersonal nature, therefore it is most effective when working with middle and senior management personnel.

Mentoring

It combines features of both coaching and teaching. The teacher teaches, and the coach gives effective feedback. Together, these two processes contribute to both the professional and personal development of the student. Mentoring can be used to identify and develop a person's core values ​​and beliefs. Thus, with the help of mentors, it is possible to correct the system of internal motivation and the model of human behavior. Within the organization, mentoring is viewed as mentoring for mentors. That is, mentors are the same mentors, but of a higher level, who can

Mentoring

It is a form of on-the-job learning with an emphasis on the practical side. In the process of mentoring, a more experienced and qualified employee of the organization transfers to his ward (mentored, trainee) the knowledge and skills necessary for the effective performance of professional duties. In other words, mentoring is aimed at developing applied professional competencies of a person and, unlike coaching, is addressed to line specialists.

On-the-job training of personnel is an important link in the corporate personnel development system. It deserves special attention, because it is one of the most effective methods today, time-tested and worked out by many generations. It is wrong to understand mentoring as a procedure for onboarding new employees. Mentoring involves solving a narrow, purely professional range of tasks, while adaptation implies inclusion in the corporate system of relations. The duration of adaptation and mentoring are also indirectly related to each other. It is easy to imagine areas of activity in which the process of developing the necessary skills can take one or two weeks, but there are others in which you can study for a long time or even permanently.

Ideally, mentoring should be continuous, ensuring ongoing employee development. However, there are two limitations here.

First: the knowledge and skills of a mentor are not unlimited, sooner or later the student may "outgrow" his mentor. In this case, the mentoring process loses its practical meaning. To ensure the continuity of the process, if the specifics of the field of activity require it (for example, the sphere of high technologies), it is necessary that the mentor is always one step ahead of the ward either through external training or through self-development in the course of intensive exchange of information with the ward.

Here lies second limitation: mentoring in this case is no longer just a process of developing practical skills, but a component of the knowledge system, which requires a fundamentally different approach to management, the so-called “knowledge management”. The mentor is embedded in the information flow between the manager and the employee, providing effective vertical and horizontal exchange of information and management of the transferred knowledge, skills, technologies.

In a global sense, mentoring is logical to perceive as one of the key elements of the concept of a self-learning organization.

Flexible, practical and cost effective, mentoring can work equally well in companies of all sizes, in any industry, and at any stage of organizational development. Its use is especially effective in the following cases:

• with a high turnover of staff, when it is necessary to promptly train a large number of new employees;
• in areas of activity with a high degree of professional risk, when it takes time to develop the necessary skills to fully enter the position and minimize professional errors;
• in some start-up and actively developing projects, the success of which depends on the line employees having a number of unique skills inherent only in this field of activity or even in a separate enterprise (here it is necessary to make a reservation that the organization must have a master with an expert level of proficiency skills, who is ready and able to carry out mentoring work, and he has no more than 2-3 people trained);
• in spheres of activity and in enterprises where technological and technical platforms develop faster and change more often than the knowledge system is updated.

A mentor by vocation

A well-designed and properly functioning mentoring system allows an organization to achieve the following effects:

• reducing the time required for reaching the planned level of labor productivity and achieving compliance with corporate standards;
• increasing the professional level and skills of all employees, without exception, involved in the mentoring system, including the mentor himself;
• reducing staff turnover by strengthening the professional component of motivation and providing additional opportunities to improve professional status;
• reducing the risk of professional burnout of key most experienced employees, holders of knowledge, skills and a system of corporate values;
• providing experienced employees with career opportunities both horizontally and vertically;
• increasing the economic efficiency of the personnel training system;
• strengthening the team spirit, increasing the loyalty of the company's employees to its value system.

The main challenge in mentoring is the dual role of mentoring. It does not apply to the management team, whose official status is formally enshrined in the hierarchy of the organization. At the same time, his professional status and authority in the team is a priori higher than that of his ward.

A mentor is a role that can be played by any employee of the company who has the necessary competencies, as well as the knowledge and skills that need to be transferred to the ward. Who exactly will take on the role of mentor depends on the specifics of the tasks. This can be an employee's immediate supervisor, a colleague, a human resources employee, a specially trained mentor from among the company's employees, or an external invited specialist.

Each method has its pluses and minuses, so their choice should be approached carefully, clearly correlating the scope of tasks with the possibilities and risks of using one or another method.

Relationship system

The effectiveness of a mentor's work is directly related to how correctly the system of relationships between him, his ward, other employees and managers is built. They must establish a common vision both in the perception of reality and for behavior in situations requiring solution. Only in this case the transferred knowledge and skills will have a practical embodiment.

A shared vision of the situation is achieved when both parties have a system of motives that induce them to take joint actions, for example:

A mentor candidate must have three core competencies:

• expert knowledge of the transferred professional skills (technical, manual, etc.);
• excellent communication skills - the ability to find a common language with people, build vertical and horizontal connections;
• good administrative skills - the ability to formulate and set tasks, organize and monitor work performance, analyze results and make adjustments.

In the context of the possible application of the concept of a self-learning organization and a broader understanding of the role of the mentor, two more competencies can be added:

• self-learning, allowing the mentor to draw new knowledge, skills and experience from the mentoring work; the mentored should not be perceived as a blank sheet of paper on which you can only write a new text, each person is a bearer of certain experience and knowledge that may be useful for the organization as a whole and for the mentor in particular, they need to be able to discern in time and use them correctly;
• ability to work with information; all information that is accumulated by the mentor in the course of his work must be analyzed and correctly interpreted by him.

Ideal candidate

Developing a detailed mentor profile, describing the ideal candidate for the role, requires the development of a system of formalized criteria that then serve as a metric for the selection of candidates. Unlike the competencies mentioned above, they can be individual for each organization.
When creating a mentoring system, it should be remembered that this is a systemic activity that obeys the same principles as any business process. It works most effectively only if there is a feedback between the design assignment at the input and the result at the output. In other words, to achieve maximum output, all stages of the process must form a closed loop corresponding to the Deming quality cycle.

The fulfillment of this condition is necessary if we are talking about a self-developing organization, since it is the analysis of the results and actions to correct the system that allow it to develop in a spiral, and not move in a closed circle.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the mentoring system is a multifactorial process. It may not be effective enough and not bring the expected results if mistakes were made in the preparation and implementation.
Method inconsistency. Mentoring as a teaching method is not suitable for this organization or for this employee, for example, in the field of creative activities.
Inappropriate goals and objectives of mentoring ... Mentoring, like any process, must have specific, achievable and measurable goals and objectives, otherwise it will carry a destructive function and contribute to the rapid development of emotional burnout syndrome in all participants.

Organizational and methodological errors

Naturally, it is possible to identify methodological errors that may occur when developing a mentoring system:

• improperly formed pool of mentors (erroneous system of criteria for selecting mentors, requirements for competencies, mistakes in the selection procedure itself);
• lack of necessary training for mentors;
• incorrect implementation of the mentoring system (incorrect positioning of the system, lack of understanding by employees of its tasks, lack of positive perception and shared vision, resistance to change);
• incorrect positioning of the mentor (between the mentor and the trainee there should be no relationship in the "boss-subordinate" format, only relations based on the principles of equality and mutual interest as a result);
• improper motivation of mentors (there is no consensus on how and in what form to motivate mentors, and whether it is worth doing it at all; obviously, this issue needs to be carefully worked out at the preparation stage, taking into account corporate principles of motivation).

Mistakes in the mentoring process can be the result of improper training and motivation of mentors, lack of a clear plan, regulations and standards, as well as:

• lack of feedback between the mentor and the ward;
• "Teaching" theory, not supported by practical skills;
• “Do as I do” (the mentor makes you simply copy your actions without explaining the reasons why this or that action needs to be done this way and not otherwise; in this case, any abnormal situation that goes beyond the template can lead to the failure of the main process);
• professional burnout of a mentor;
• lack of interest in the fate of the ward and in the results of his work in the field of a mentor, formal fulfillment of duties;
• excessive switching to mentoring at the expense of basic production responsibilities.

Final stage errors:

• incorrectness or absence of criteria for analyzing the results of the work carried out;
• irregularity or complete lack of control;
• there is no possibility to adjust the significant parameters of the project.

Typical mistakes

The most common and common mistakes are the following:

• underestimation of the degree of discomfort in the conditions in which the mentor's ward has to work. This mistake can be avoided by creating a trusting environment and attentive attitude towards the learner;
• imposing his opinion on the trainee. You can avoid mistakes by asking questions about the assessment of the results of an action, without first expressing your own value judgments. That is, the analysis of the situation must begin with feedback, and not with the expression of one's own opinion;
• overloading the ward with comments and recommendations on a wide range of issues. You can avoid mistakes if you highlight key issues and focus on them, without overloading the ward with an abundance of heterogeneous information;
• insufficient attention to the formulation of tasks and the subsequent control of their implementation. You can avoid mistakes by observing two rules. Tasks for the ward must be formulated according to S.M.A.R.T, that is, they must be (S) specific, (M) measurable, (A) achievable, (R) relevant or appropriate to the activity, (T) with a clear time frame. Controls should be systematic and not carried out in the form of random checks. Based on its results, it is necessary to analyze the situation with the ward and, if necessary, adjust the initial tasks in accordance with the changing situation.

I won - you won

Before introducing a mentoring system in a company, you need to weigh the pros and cons, carefully assess how much the organization needs it, whether it can be effective and whether the organization is able to implement and maintain it. Most of the difficulties described above can be avoided if the formation of a mentoring system in the organization is actively supported by the company's management, personnel service and line management are involved and take a proactive position.

And, perhaps, one of the main factors of success is the paradigm based on the philosophy “I won - you won”. A small personal victory for the trainee is the success of the mentor and, ultimately, the success of the entire team as a whole.