Mentorship Improves Satisfaction in the Workplace

By now, most of us can agree that mentorship programs are important in building careers, expanding networks, and general professional and personal development. If the proof is really in the pudding, let’s explore just how important mentoring is by taking a look at some recent mentoring statistics.

Mentoring Improves Workplace Output 

Happier workers are more productive. People also want to contribute more when they feel their work and talent is recognized and appreciated. In the workplace, humans do very well with positive reinforcement. Let’s take a look at how mentoring plays a part in creating happier professionals through the results of this CNBC/SurveyMonkey survey:

• 90% of employees who have a career mentor are happy at work.
• 24% of young workers say that “having opportunities to advance” is the most important factor in their overall happiness at work.

According to the Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal:

• 70% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.

Mentorship Programs Help Retain Next Generation Employees

Say what you will about millennials and Gen Z generations, but they are people who know what they want and don’t want in a workplace. Both these generations have a higher chance of leaving a job if they aren’t satisfied or fulfilled by their responsibilities and the environment around them. In fact, almost half of millennial professionals are looking at quitting their jobs in the next 2 years. A Deloitte study shows the following impact mentoring has on this generation:

• 68% of millennials who stay at their organization for 5 or more years have a mentor, compared to just 32% of those without a mentor.
• 94% of millennials believe their mentor provides them with good advice.
• 91% of millennials say their mentor is interested in their personal development.
• Only 61% of millennials have a mentor.

A study on the Gen Z population reports:

• 73% said they are motivated to do a better job when they feel that their supervisor cares about them.
• 82% said they would prefer to work under a boss who cares about them and can relate to them on issues beyond work.

Mentors Are Wanted And Needed

Overwhelmingly, people agree that mentorship programs and networks are incredibly helpful. More people want a mentor than have access to one. Mentoring relationships have been around since the beginning of time and seem to be a natural part of personal and professional development.  Research shows:

• 76% of people think mentors are important, however, only 37% of people currently have one.
• Only 14% of mentor relationships started by asking someone to be their mentor.

This particular statistic may show a need for more female mentors:

•  Most people opt for same-sex mentors (69% women, 82% men).

The newest statistics in mentorship show that mentors are wanted and needed for professional and personal growth. Not everyone who wants a mentor has one. The largest and most profitable companies seem to understand how mentoring can retain employees and produce more output. Mentorship is not luxury, it is indeed a necessity in the workplace.