How Mentorship Is Shaping Careers In St. Cloud

Mentors can have a big impact on employees and employers.  Greater St. Cloud Talent and Community Impact Director Gail Cruikshank joined me on WJON.  She says employer mentorship programs can be a huge lever for retention, engagement, leadership development and culture.

Investing in Mentorship

Cruikshank says employers are investing in mentorship programs to help onboard employees faster, allow them to gain confidence, to create a clearer job path and for internal mobility.  She believes employees need to have a sense of belonging.

Benefits

Cruikshank indicates employers benefit with higher retention and engagement, leadership pipeline development, knowledge transfer from senior staff, stronger cross-department collaboration and the support of inclusion goals.

Types of Mentors

There are many types of mentorship.  Gail says they include traditional 1 on 1, peer mentoring, where same level employees support each other, reverse mentoring where career employees get a new perspective from younger, new employees, industry regional mentoring and mentorship with a leadership path.

The Program

The key elements of a strong mentorship program include a clear purpose, defined expectations, thoughtful matching and training for mentors.

Learn More

If you'd like to learn more about mentoring go to greaterstcloud.com and to learn more about jobs in the St. Cloud area, go to stcloudshines.com.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Gail Cruikshank, click below.