The first day of a new employee can be filled with anxiety and worrisome. A good start can shape his entire tenure in the organization whereas a lousy start can make his time in the company hard to bear.
In order to minimize the stress of the new employee, organizations tend to hire or assign an onboarding mentor during their new employee onboarding process. It helps in alleviating his nerve-wracking nervousness.
The onboarding mentor helps new employees in becoming happy and successful with their work. He plays a crucial role in making sure that the low turnover ratio increases at a higher rate.
Difference between Onboarding Buddy, Mentor & Specialist
I am pretty sure you must have heard the terms “onboarding buddy, onboarding mentor, and onboarding specialist” before. You must be confused about whether they all are same or not. Well, all three of them are very much different from each other. Have a look at the below table:
| Onboarding buddy | Onboarding Mentor | Onboarding Specialist |
| An onboarding buddy is an existing employee who helps the new hire adjusts to the company | An onboarding mentor is one level higher than the new hire and focuses on providing support and developing his goals. | An onboarding specialist is a full-time employee who ensures that the onboarding process runs smooth, effective, and efficient |
| A buddy is assigned for a short period of time | A mentor is assigned for both short and long periods of time | A specialist is a full-time employee for a longer period of time |
| No specific training is required | Must have experience of mentoring | Must have knowledge and experience on onboarding. |
Who is Onboarding Mentor
An onboarding mentor is a person who partners with the fresh hire during the first three months or more of his joining. His sole responsibility is to provide guidance and support which ultimately lead to the professional development of the employee.
The mentor is well aware of the organization and answers every question of new hires. He knows what kind of socializing and training will be best for him. All this ultimately leads to new hires getting settled in the new working environment in a positive way.
Why is it important
An effective onboarding program is very essential for every company. According to a Gallup survey, around 88% of employees feel that their employer did not do well in their onboarding process.
This scenario in any organization can be very harmful to their turnover ratio. In order to make their onboarding process better, the organization must introduce an onboarding mentorship program. The following are the two most important benefits of onboarding a mentor:
Low turnover ratio
Research over the past few years has shown that the benefits of mentoring result in a positive long-lasting impact. A study shows that 86% of the employees felt that effective mentoring can be the reason for their long stay in the company.
Higher productivity
Moreover, having mentors will also improve the overall productivity of the organization. It will let new hires speed up their training process. The more quickly the new hire gets transitioned into the new role, the more quickly he starts contributing towards the company’s productivity.
Role of an Onboarding Mentor
The onboarding mentor has some important roles and responsibilities on his shoulders. This not only results in an effective onboarding process but also increases the overall productivity of the organization. Let’s take a look at the following roles of an onboarding mentor:
Knowledge transfer
Once the new employee joins the organization, he is bombarded with loads of information. This can take a lot of time which very overwhelming. The onboarding mentor here can come to the rescue.
The mentor will act as a guide and provide the new employee with all information and tools that he needs to get a good start. He will also make sure that he adapts well to his new role. All this can save the company from the expensive cost of training.
Provide role clarity
The new hire might be ambiguous about his role and must have many questions about his new job role. The onboarding mentor can help him answer all his queries and help him provide clarity.
This role clarity will help him understand his key performance indicators. Moreover, he will know what is expected from him and what needs to be delivered. The more clear the new employee will be the more productive he will be in his work.
Career development
The manager and HR must have informed him about career development plans in the company. But the onboarding mentor can guide him on the career path he has in the company.
This type of mentoring can assist in aligning his personal career goal with the company’s goal. This will help him professionally develop himself in the company. Collaboration with the mentor and the new hire will result in increased employee engagement.
Develop social connections
For new hires, developing a social connection in the new working environment can be a challenge. The onboarding mentor can assist him in developing key connections in the organization.
According to a survey, 60% of the managers feel that establishing an effective social connection is cited as one of the failures to onboard successfully. It is highly crucial for a new employees to feel socially accepted by their colleagues.
Insight into the company culture
A new employee will take a lot of time to understand company culture on his own. Also, an insight into the culture cannot be completed in the orientation session. For this purpose, onboarding mentors jump in and communicate company culture to new employee
The onboarding mentor can make him aware of the mission, vision, values, styles, office jokes, and language of the organization. He will also let him what kind of norms, attitudes, and experiences are accepted in the workplace.
Final thought
Indeed, an onboarding mentor is one of the most crucial parts of the onboarding process. The basic role of onboarding mentors is to guide the new employee. He make sure that new hires start to see growth and development by the end of their onboarding process. Therefore, it is highly recommended for organizations to invest in onboarding mentorship program.
