Turning on the Light Cali Presentation

#aihce

Turning on the Light:Tips for Developing and Getting Involved in Mentoring Programs to Sustain the Future of Industrial Hygiene

MELISSA M. RUPERT, CIH, MSDIRECTOR, INDUSTRIAL HYGIENESEVENGENCINCINNATI, OH

Our “To Do” List:

Who am I? Benefits of Mentoring

Recruitment Retention

Program Development Finding Participants Making the Match Wrap it up

Allow Myself to Introduce . . . myself Consultant Living in Cincinnati, OH Mom, wife, business partner,

volunteer Mentor Mentee

Benefits of Mentoring Programs – Fishing for Talent

Benefits of Mentoring Your people are your greatest resource!! Developing talent and knowledge translates into results

on the bottom line Cost efficient alternative to traditional training programs Can enhance organizational talent and talent

management strategies Other benefits:

Recruitment and onboarding Talent development Skill and leadership development Employee retention Diversity enhancement Knowledge sharing Employer branding

Benefits of Mentoring – Recruitment and Onboarding The promise of a supportive mentor in a

structured program is attractive to young and mid career professionals

It’s a signal to all potential employees that you are invested their personal and professional success

Establishes your company sees their employees as investments

Enables new hires to integrate and engage in the organization faster

Benefits of Mentoring – Talent Development Mentoring allows employees to reach their full

potential Promote your employees’ personal and

professional development in a strategic and supportive way

Leads to enhanced ROI per individual! Motivates and engages your top-talent employees

Sustainable talent pipeline Essential for workforce planning and succession

planning

Benefits of Mentoring – Skill and Leadership Development Developes employee skills and qualities that

continue to support the organization beyond the mentoring relationship

It goes beyond the target competencies, participants develop:

Leadership skills Teamwork Self-awareness Ability to compromise, etc.

Benefits of Mentoring – Employee Retention Star employees stay and thrive at organizations

where they can see themselves achieving their goals

Employees value organizations that provide guidance they need to grow as professionals

Nothing says “support” like a mentoring program.

Benefits of Mentoring – Employee Productivity Mentees develop skills on a just-in-time (JIT)

basis according to their career needs JIT development supports productivity (instead

of sending employees to classroom training) Mentoring programs translate theory into

practice – real-world application

Benefits of Mentoring – Diversity Enhancement Studies show mentoring is most significant to

the retention of women and minority employees Presence or absence of a program drives the

decision to remain at or leave an organization Mentoring helps you support, develop and KEEP

talented employees of all backgrounds Bolsters knowledge-base

Benefits of Mentoring – Knowledge Sharing With aging workforces – it’s crucial for

organizations to transfer knowledge and experience of seasoned professionals

Mentoring provides opportunity for veteran employees to share their experiences with young and mid-career professionals

Ensures organizational knowledge is not lost to retirement

Benefits of Mentoring – Employer Branding Mentoring programs can help brand your

organization as one that CARES about its employees

Will help to attract the best people and achieve success

Sustaining the Future of the EHS Profession

Mentoring programs can be used for recruitment Mentoring students before they

go to college Mentoring undergrad students

Building knowledge early, develops interest

Most effective for professional organizations such as ASSE or AIHA to mentor this young talent

Where to Recruit Recruiting new talent into the EHS profession can

come from many avenues How early are you interested in starting? Get ‘em early (professional organizations)

Outreach to high schools Attend career fairs

Reel ‘em in (professional organizations and companies) Matching mentors to undergraduate or graduate

students Keep ‘em on the hook (professional organizations

and companies) Establishing a program from current employees

Building a Mentoring Program

Who would want to develop a progam? Local professional organizations

Local sections of ASSE and AIHA could really benefit from a program

Don’t have to recreate the wheel – national programs may be able to offer structural support while the local section provides the participants

Universities and educational institutions Corporate organizations Small businesses

You Need a Foundation First! Whether it’s a small program

with just a few people or a large program for an entire organization: Consider

Resources Available mentors and

mentees Time

Spending time establishing the infrastructure up front WILL save you time and headaches

Ask Yourself. . . . Who will participate? How will you make matches? How long will relationships last? Who will be responsible for what? What resources will you provide? How will you track participants? Follow-up?

Responsibilities Determine who is

responsible for what – the program needs an internal team for support Matching Content development Marketing Tracking Measuring the program

Clearly define roles Consider program growth in

your structure

Resources Materials can be very useful to participants

Manuals Guidelines Topic ideas Meeting ideas Other available resources

Look at this mountain of resources!

Tracking Participants

Important to track participants to determine if relationships are working

Some professionals can use for CM Did you know CIH’s can get CM for Mentoring?

To provide ongoing support

Measuring Success Keep tabs on the success of the program Define metrics for success Continuous feedback Evaluate and adapt

Finding Participants

Finding Mentors Realistically describe the benefits, practices and

challenges of the program Quality over quantity Mentors should be relatable Screening prospective mentors will improve the

quality of the mentor To determine if they have the time To determine if they have the qualities of a good

mentor To determine if they will be effective as a mentor

All information gathered should be kept confidential!

Finding Mentees Realistically describe the benefits, practices

and challenges of the program Ensure mentees are committed to the program Ensure they are responsive

Match Making

A Match Made in Heaven Matching is maybe most

important part of program Mutually beneficial partnership

to help individuals achieve goals One of the biggest challenges of

any program! Have clear and specific goals

and objectives for the program What will be achieved through

the program? Administrator-led matching or

self-matching?

A Match Made in Heaven Define match criteria – what will

make a good match in YOUR program? Geographical Business unit or department Interests Goals

Rank criteria and then match as many items as possible Remember goals of your program

Follow-up with pair early and often

Orientation and Training Make sure participants are clear on

program parameters Duration of relationship Frequency of meetings Local vs. Long Distance Topics (as guidance or mandatory)

Train mentors in basic knowledge and skills needed to build an effective Ethical dilemmas Program Rules Goals and expectations Relationship development and

maintenance Available resources

Orientation and Training Training the mentee

Program Rules Goals and expectations Available resources

Get Involved

Join a Program Don’t have to create a program

to make a difference There are programs out there

with ASSE and AIHA Mentoring Programs need

supporters Be a Mentee Be a Mentor

For more information on the AIHA program or how to develop your own program, you can contact Melissa Rupert – [email protected]

Thank You!