Who is a mentor at work. Personnel mentoring methods. Which companies need a mentoring system

1.1. This Regulation defines the goal, objectives and procedure for the implementation of the institute of mentoring in the system of training labor personnel.

1.2. Mentoring is a purposeful activity of managers and the most experienced employees of an organization (institution) to prepare employees (trainees) for independent performance of official duties.

2. Tasks of mentoring

2.1. The tasks of mentoring are:

2.1.1. Optimization of the process of formation and development of professional knowledge, skills, abilities of employees (trainees) in respect of whom mentoring is carried out.

2.1.2. Providing assistance in the adaptation of employees (trainees) to the conditions of work.

2.1.3. Education of professionally significant personality traits of employees (trainees), familiarization with the rules and traditions of the organization (institution) and its unit.

2.1.4. Facilitating the development of skills of professional behavior of employees (trainees) that comply with professional and ethical standards and rules.

2.1.5. Formation and development of a responsible and conscientious attitude to work.

2.1.6. Studying with employees (trainees) the requirements of regulatory legal acts regulating the performance of official duties.

2.1.7. Providing moral and psychological support to employees (trainees) in overcoming professional difficulties arising in the performance of work duties.

2.1.8. Development of employees (trainees) interest in work.

2.2. Tasks of mentoring are implemented in the interaction of the head of the organization (institution), heads of structural divisions of the organization (institution), mentors and employees (trainees) in the organization and conduct of educational work, psychological support and professional training.

3. Organization of mentoring

3.1. Mentoring is established for the following categories of employees (trainees):

For the first time hired by the organization (institution) for the position [fill in the required], as well as graduates of educational institutions;

Transferred to a higher position or to a higher (equivalent) position in another unit, if the performance of new job duties requires additional knowledge and practical skills.

3.2. Mentoring is set by the duration of [fill in].

3.3. The mentor is appointed from among the employees of the structural unit of the organization (institution) who have high indicators, have significant professional experience, demonstrate the ability to educate and enjoy authority in the team.

3.4. The mentor carries out mentoring activities in relation to one or more employees (trainees) at the same time, depending on the specifics of work.

3.5. The mentor is appointed by order of the head of the organization (institution).

3.6. Responsibility for organizing mentoring is borne by the head of the structural unit where the employee (trainee) is hired.

3.7. [Position] exercises direct direction and control over the organization of mentoring.

3.8. [Position] is obliged:

Organize training for mentors in the basics of pedagogy and psychology, forms and methods of individual educational work;

Provide organizational and methodological assistance to mentors in the planning and implementation of educational activities with an employee (trainee);

Hear reports from mentors on the work done, stimulate the positive results of mentoring;

Analyze, summarize and disseminate positive mentoring experiences;

Ensure that the organization of mentoring is systematically reviewed.

4. Rights and obligations of a mentor

4.1. The mentor is obliged to:

4.1.1. Know labor laws.

4.1.2. Study the personal qualities of an employee (trainee), his interests and hobbies, lifestyle and behavior. Participate in the development and implementation of a comprehensive program for studying the personality of an employee (trainee).

4.1.3. Provide comprehensive assistance to the employee (trainee) in mastering professional skills, timely identify and eliminate errors in the labor activity of the mentor.

4.1.4. To educate the employee (trainee) to be disciplined and diligent, to be exacting and principled in matters of compliance with the law and the norms of professional ethics.

4.1.5. Report on the results of mentoring work with an employee (trainee), participate in the preparation of an opinion on the verification of the suitability of the trainee's position based on the results of the probationary period.

4.2. The mentor has the right to:

4.2.1. To get acquainted with the personal data of the employee (trainee) in compliance with the requirements and conditions provided for by labor legislation in order to protect the personal data of the employee.

4.2.2. Make proposals to the head of the structural unit in which the employee (trainee) works on the creation of the necessary conditions for the performance of labor duties.

4.2.3. Participate in the certification of an employee (trainee).

4.2.4. Make proposals to the head of the structural unit in which the employee (trainee) works, about his encouragement, the imposition of a disciplinary sanction on him, moving through the service.

5. Planning a mentor's job

5.1. The planning of the mentor's work to prepare an employee (trainee) for independent labor activity is carried out for the entire period of organizing mentoring for each employee (trainee).

5.2. An individual training and training plan for an employee (trainee) under the guidance of a mentor is drawn up jointly with the head of the structural unit in which the employee (trainee) works, based on a standard mentoring organization program in the specialty and is approved by the head of the organization (institution).

6. End mentoring

6.1. Mentoring ends with the mentor's report to the head of the structural unit in which the employee (trainee) works.

6.2. The mentor's activities are assessed by the head of the structural unit according to the following criteria:

The effectiveness of the employee (trainee) performance of job duties;

The level of professional knowledge, development of skills and abilities of the employee (trainee);

The ability of an employee (trainee) to independently perform official duties.

6.3. The mentor's report is approved by the head of the structural unit and attached to the employee's personal file.

6.4. Based on the proposal of the head of the structural unit, the head of the organization (institution) considers, in the prescribed manner, the issue of encouraging the mentor.

6.5. A mentor for improper performance of his duties can be removed from mentoring, and also brought to disciplinary responsibility in accordance with the established procedure.

The workplace is mentoring new employees. Mentoring is the process of training and involving new employees in the activities of the enterprise with the help of one of the experienced specialists in the given field of activity, profession or position. At the same time, mentoring in a company can have both certain advantages and disadvantages, and the methods of organizing it, as well as the number of interpretations, are quite diverse and therefore it will be useful to familiarize each employer or personnel specialist with them.

Mentoring - what is it

In the modern labor sphere, mentoring is, first of all, a system of training new employees to fully perform the labor process. Moreover, this teaching method presupposes the presence of certain peculiarities peculiar only to it. Mentoring in a company, among other ways of training employees, has the longest history in its roots - such training methods were the only ones for many millennia of development of human culture and economy. But even now, mentoring methods remain relevant, although they are not the only ones in questions - more details about how the adaptation procedure is carried out can be found in a separate article.

Mentoring is often combined with and these ways of training and educating employees have certain commonalities in most situations. However, internships and mentoring themselves are different methods of employee adaptation.

Mentoring itself presupposes the presence and participation of at least two people in this process - a new employee and his immediate mentor. To optimize mentoring, one mentor may have several mentees, however, the effectiveness of this training method directly depends on their number, and is highest if each new employee has a separate mentor.

In many ways, mentoring and tutoring are considered synonymous with mentoring. However, there are some minor fundamental differences in these terms. The mentor primarily provides practical training for work activities to implement the already existing theoretical knowledge of the applicant. Mentoring, on the other hand, involves a complete learning process - from the presentation of theory to its practical application. Tutoring does not imply direct training, but only support in the employee's self-training and consulting support.

Labor legislation does not directly regulate the institution of mentoring and a similar training model, leaving the decision on the possibility of its application directly to the employers themselves. Accordingly, employers need to draw up appropriate enterprise regulations that would regulate mentoring as a training process for employees and provide it with an appropriate legal basis.

Mentoring Model in the Company - General Principles

The easiest way to demonstrate the features of mentoring as a training model for employees is the following example using the “Tell-Show-Do” principle. This training is carried out in three appropriate stages:

The above steps are just a basic outline - in practice, the process of employing mentoring in an enterprise requires a much deeper approach and elaboration of each of the stages. At the same time, it should be remembered that sequential training in individual work processes, especially in the framework of mentoring, is much more effective than simultaneous training of the entire range of employee responsibilities. Accordingly, it would be prudent to draw up a plan for mentoring and training new employees - this plan can either be regulated by local regulations, or remain fully at the discretion of the mentors themselves.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mentoring as Teaching Methods

As a teaching method, mentoring has many positive aspects and that is why it is widely used in all areas of activity. In particular, the advantages of mentoring new employees include the following features:

Individual approach. In the case of mentoring, it is distinguished by the most individual approach to each new employee, which compares favorably with most other methods of training and adaptation, which cannot take into account all the characteristics of each specific new employee.
Control. The mentor always has the opportunity and in most cases is obliged to supervise the activities of the trained employee. Due to this, not only the effectiveness of training is ensured, but also possible negative consequences from the incorrect performance of the new employee of his duties are leveled.
Simplicity. Mentoring does not require the development of complex training systems, but primarily implies a simple transfer of the experience of qualified workers to new employees, which greatly simplifies the process of introducing such a method of personnel adaptation.
High efficiency. Due to an integrated approach, the experience of a mentor and careful control, an extremely high efficiency of such a training method is ensured, which leads to a minimum period of adaptation of personnel in the workplace in comparison with other methods.
Reducing psychological stress. Due to the constant availability of a mentor who can be contacted for help in solving complex work issues, the overall level of psychological stress on the employee is reduced.
Good assessment of the potential of new employees. Thanks to long-term and deep interaction with the new employee, the mentor has the opportunity to compose his psychological portrait, to identify the strengths and weaknesses and development potential within the company.
Improving team relationships. Since the mentor and the student can communicate not only on work issues, but also in an informal setting, such a training system in the long term improves relationships in the work team between employees.
Low costs. The organization of the mentoring system does not formally require any additional costs from the employer. However, in practice, such an approach is ineffective - mentoring should have certain incentive allowances for mentors so that they strive to perform their respective duties efficiently. In addition, mentoring can be considered an additional activity for which an additional payment for an increase in the amount of work is provided by law. But in any case, even such costs may be less than the use of other training systems.
Wide range of applications. Mentoring can be applied in any field of activity, provided there is at least one employee who could act as a mentor.

But despite the large number of advantages, there are certain disadvantages to mentoring new employees, which limits the scope of this training method in many situations. So, the disadvantages of mentoring in an enterprise include the following characteristic features of such a mechanism:

Subjectivity. When organizing mentoring in a company, the assessment of new employees and the effectiveness of the application of training largely depends on the personal qualities and personal attitude of the mentors themselves to new employees and the mentoring itself in general. Therefore, there are certain risks of a lack of objective perception.
Low efficiency in certain areas of activity. Mentoring is, first of all, an effective method of training for qualified specialists of the main workforce. For executives or low-skilled employees, as well as for creative professionals, mentoring is not an effective teaching method.

The procedure for introducing mentoring in an enterprise requires from the employer, although not too many actions, but still some attention to certain aspects of such a training system. So, first of all, it is necessary to fix this system in local regulations. An example of such an act is the provision on mentoring, adaptation of new employees or training of personnel, which will consider the procedure for applying this system, the basic rights and obligations of mentors and trainees and other nuances that provide a legal basis for training within the organization.

The employer should pay particular attention to the selection of mentors. Thus, the mentor must simultaneously meet all of the following criteria:

The mentoring system requires more than effective supervision of new hires by the mentors themselves. To neutralize possible negative factors in the use of this system, especially the risks of subjective perception, it is necessary to regularly check the activities of mentors.

In fact, the implementation of mentoring can be carried out both within the entire enterprise, and within individual structural divisions. In small companies, the role of a mentor can be performed by the employer himself - this approach is especially relevant for individual entrepreneurs. The use of mentoring in large companies can often be difficult if not properly regulated. Another method of organizing mentoring can be the involvement of third-party specialists from personnel companies by means of outsourcing or other contract.

Who should be the mentor.
What functions should be assigned to the mentor.
Whether to pay the mentor additional remuneration.

Mentoring in the classical sense, it is considered as a way of transferring skills and knowledge to a newcomer from a more experienced employee of the company. As a rule, this is a qualified specialist who has been working in the company for a long time and can introduce a new employee to the course of work. Thus, mentoring activities may include:

a mentor can make the process of adaptation for a newcomer in a team more comfortable;
promotion of career growth, professional development;
the mentor also takes part in evaluating the performance of new employees during the trial period.

The role of mentoring in fast-growing organizations is especially evident. However, it should be noted that mentoring does not take place in every company, even though this “tool” is free of charge. This concept is usually associated with helping in the adaptation of new employees to the team during the first three months of work. At the same time, this tool is not very actively used in the process of further development of the employee in order to help his potential to be fully revealed.

Who benefits from organizational mentoring

Mentor - as a result of mentoring activities, a specialist mentor has the opportunity to develop managerial skills by participating in the formation of a professional team, improve his status in the company, and gain the trust of colleagues;

Employee - he is provided with timely assistance at the stage of integration into the company, support for career and professional development;

Company - the organization of mentoring will help stabilize the team, reduce staff turnover and form a qualified team of loyal employees who will stay for a long time.

The HR service will receive a powerful supportive resource.

A mentor, first of all, is necessary for: newcomers who came to a well-coordinated team of the organization; employees with significant potential for professional growth; employees with low productivity.

Labor productivity: simple rules for increasing it

What types of mentoring can be found in different organizations

Mentoring-supervision - the mentor shares information about the organization, the prospects for the development of the protégé, teaches basic skills. Relationships are built on the principle of control.
Formal mentoring - mentoring activity consists in explaining the goals of the work and teaching at specially organized trainings. Formal mentoring procedures and rules apply.
Situational Mentoring - Providing needed help in difficult situations.
Informal mentoring. The mentor assumes all responsibility for the “disciple”. Voluntary mentoring option without financial reward.

Effective mentoring: Yota principles

If the company does not have a clear and understandable personnel training system, then mentoring will not solve the problem of low qualifications of employees.

Find out what Yota tips for effective employee training in the CEO ezine article.

What techniques are used in mentoring

"Accompaniment" - the mentor assumes the obligation to provide the trainee with assistance, including participation in the development of professional skills during training;
"Seeding" - the trainee develops skills or knowledge that are not yet relevant, but will acquire value in the future when the situation requires it.
"Catalization": the student is immersed in the environment of changes, provoking the student to broaden their horizons, with a change in the order of values and perception. Learning when it reaches a critical level experiences a sharp leap.
"Show": the mentor, by his personal example, shows certain techniques, skills in performing certain actions, ways of solving assigned tasks, making working situations clearer.
Harvesting: Concentrates the mentor to provide feedback to the trainee. To understand what was learned during the training, what conclusions were made.

How and who will work with an employee at first determines his loyalty to the company.

Julia Nemova, Head of Human Resources, Landia Group of Companies, Moscow

A probationary employee is like an implant that is implanted into the human body. To avoid rejection, "supportive therapy" is indispensable. She becomes a mentor who tells the new employee about the specifics of professional duties, introduces the structure of the company, introduces to the corporate culture.

Who can be a mentor

Not every employee in a company can be a mentor. This requires specific qualities:

Corporateness. A person in his work is guided by the strategic priorities of the organization. Finds a balance of interests of the division and the entire company as a whole.
Ability to teach. Ability to structure work experience, with its transfer for a young specialist. With a clear and consistent presentation of the necessary information and comments on the data of the student's work.
A responsibility. The mentor should be interested in the success of his ward, bearing personal responsibility for solving the problems that arise during the training.
Ability to motivate others.
Influence. Availability of a credit of trust on the part of communication partners. Personal qualities and skills needed to influence others.

The "Company Introduction" program tunes in one wave

Nina Litvinova, Director of the Human Resources Department of the Arpikom company, Moscow

Our learning system is generally simple. Within the framework of the ABS-restaurateur program, 3 stages of training are to be completed. The first stage - an experienced lawyer introduces the newcomer to the standards of service, the content of the menu. Further, the training center undergoes training as part of a team - we attract waiters from different restaurants. The next stages - the new employee gains knowledge about dishes (products). In our company, the main focus is on professionalism, so the waiter must know everything about fish, meat, all the dishes presented. In order not to clog employees with unnecessary knowledge, information for staff is differentiated - we highlight mandatory and additional knowledge.

Company Introduction program. At the general meeting, the general director introduces newcomers to the strategic goals of the company, I talk about the specifics of working in our company in general and about the corporate culture. The instrumental part of adaptation is teaching serving skills, studying the menu, interaction standards at all levels, resolving conflict situations.

The functions of a mentor can be performed by:

Newbie's immediate superior.
Personnel service worker.
A newbie colleague.

What are the rights and obligations of a mentor

Introducing the employee to the corporate culture, with the transfer of the rules of business and off-duty communication, traditions and standards of conduct;
Identification of problem areas in the professional training of a specialist;
Participation in the formation of a central plan for the development of the trainee, with the provision of practical and theoretical support for a trial period and internship;
Submitting a proposal to encourage a trainee in accordance with the company's practice;
Recommended vertical and horizontal movement of the worker;
Providing an oral description of the student upon completion of training;
Transferring your experience of “supervising” to colleagues in the company.

Mentor motivation

An indirect way of financial incentives for a mentor is to include the relevant measurable indicators in the KPI system (key performance indicators), on the implementation of which the size of the salary and / or bonus depends. However, for companies specializing in professional services, intangible motivation can be critical:

public recognition of the importance of employees to the organization;
attention to the problems of mentors on the part of the company's management;
various internal corporate insignia for mentors - in the form of certificates, signs, etc.

Including other methods of motivation are widespread in the form of determining the best mentor, presenting mementos during corporate events, etc.

Of course, ideally, mentoring should be perceived as an honorable mission that enhances their status, without additional material motivation. This is possible when the external market perceives your company as a very prestigious place of work.

Organization of the mentoring system in the company

Among the most important issues in the organization of mentoring should be noted:

The quality of mentoring.
Conscientiousness in the performance of duties on the part of mentors.

In organizations that are using a mentoring system for the first time, mentors may include:

volunteers;
employees who meet the specified criteria as much as possible.

It is necessary to organize the mentoring process so that the training of newcomers has a positive effect on the work of the mentor himself, otherwise the effectiveness of his main activity will significantly deteriorate. Ideally, the number of wards should not exceed 5-6 people.

CEO says

Dmitry Grankin, General Director of the Press Distribution Center, Member of the Board of the Logos Group of Companies, Moscow

Initial training of an employee is the task of the HR department. The employees of this department have a high status in the company. If the qualifications of the employee are above average, the director of human resources becomes the mentor. If the level is below the middle level, will be subordinate to the training manager.

Then it is planned to conduct classes in the specialty. There are no specialized universities in our industry, so we organized a corporate school for training specialists. The beginner's mentor is his direct supervisor. The direct manager will not only be able to understand the abilities and characteristics of the subordinate, but also to promote the protégé up the career ladder, understanding his abilities.

The CEO is a mentor for top managers: he sets tasks for them and prepares them on issues of corporate culture.

What mentoring methods are found in organizations

1. Model "Guru and his follower". When an employee is subordinate to a guru with authority in the professional circle, he becomes a follower in order to adopt the mentor's knowledge. The student must observe, try to imitate and remember. In this case, the gurus do not explain anything, you can just watch their work. Advantages of the model: high professionalism of the student, if it is possible to understand the principles of the guru's work. Disadvantages of the model: the involvement of the group in training is low, there is practically no feedback, the result can only appear after a significant period of time, and at the same time not always.

2. Model "Master and Apprentice". The Master is ready to share with his apprentice. In the case of a responsive learner, this model would be ideal. Including assumes equal proportions of "stick" and "carrot". The number of students of the master is quite large, however, the mentor also has sufficient experience. Advantages of the model: the involvement of the group is quite high, with prompt adaptation, the achievement of excellent results "at the exit", a team of like-minded people is formed. Disadvantages of the model: when the master leaves, there is a possibility of losing the entire team. Some students are constantly guided by the mentor, without developing independent qualities.

3. Model "Creative tandem". Few mentors are ready for such a relationship. It is supposed to accept a new, young specialist as an equal, allowing him to feel it. Such a tandem works together, sharing responsibility for the result, becoming a single working unit. The synergy effect is noted 1 + 1 = 3. Advantages of the model: promotes high involvement of the group, quick adaptation, formation of a full-fledged team, excellent results "at the exit". Cons of the model: the mini-group remains isolated in the team; usually the departure of one tandem representative from the company leads to the departure of another.

Individual mentoring methods

Role-play learning. An up-to-date method for sales departments, customer departments, call centers. The training is conducted by the mentor manager as a role play. The mentor is the manager and the trainee is the “client”.
Training with double visits. The employee and the manager visit the client together. This visit is intended for effective training of employees.

Group mentoring methods

1. Teaching in small groups. The mentor sends questions to the employees in the morning - "What objections do you need answers to?", "What typical situations in communicating with clients lead to the main difficulties?"

In this case, the main task of managers is to collect information and send the received information to the mentor. The collection of information is usually given 3 days. They then come together to have the mentor review the questions asked.

2. For Call-centers. A group of three to four people is gathered, with the inclusion of an audio recording of the negotiations. When teaching newcomers, it is best to demonstrate a record of successful negotiations so that they can copy best practices. Analysis of issues involves consideration of:

what good things have you noticed in the negotiations?
what can be improved in the dialogue, what needs to be worked on?

Order and regulation on mentoring in the organization

Formally, mentoring can be organized in accordance with the company's current mentoring regulations, or it can be organized informally, becoming an element of the company's corporate culture. Typically, a mentoring clause contains the following sections:

tasks and goals of mentoring in the company;
list of professions and positions covered by the mentoring system;
forms of mentoring;
requirements for a mentor;
incentive for the mentor (the method of incentives used, the amount of bonuses or surcharges);
responsibilities of a mentor;
student responsibilities;
the result of mentoring is the development of the trainee's career, testing his knowledge.

A five-step mentoring method using the example of teaching cash register skills

The first stage: "I'll tell you, you listen." Provides theoretical information, for example, on how the cash register works. First, we consider the device of the cash register, how different operations are carried out, what difficulties arise during use.

The second stage: "I will show, you look." We demonstrate to the beginner the principles of operation, which keys should be pressed, with an explanation of each step.

The third stage: "Let's do it together." All operations are carried out together with the beginner.

The fourth stage: "Do it yourself, I'll tell you." A beginner performs the procedure - if he is confused somewhere or missed something, we prompt and help him. This stage should be passed several times until the beginner comes to the error-free use of the procedure.

Fifth stage: “Do it yourself. Tell me what you did. " In addition to mechanically pressing the buttons, it is important for us to hear whether the beginner understands why he is performing certain actions, what he plans to do next. After all, the consolidation of conscious skills turns out to be more essential.

Staff training - what a manager needs to know

Mentoring is the most effective staff training tool

Tatiana Kuzmina, Director of the Department for Organizational Development and Personnel Management of the AutoSpecCentre Group of Companies, Moscow

If the mentor is not an experienced colleague, but a professional consultant, then this is called coaching. We decided to train our coaches on the basis of the company. We are confident that a talented employee must share his skills and knowledge, otherwise he stops developing. When teaching others, he himself often makes discoveries, because he has to study a lot of information.

However, mentoring can also be based on a more simplified scheme, which is widely practiced by the military. It involves 3 stages - story, show, training. In fact, this is an analogue of the five-step system.

It is imperative to break down long instructions and steps into small steps, practicing each step separately to avoid overloading.

The main requirement is that regular feedback from the beginner is required. Tell him what was done wrong, what else needs to be worked on, etc.

How to evaluate the results of mentoring

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

Purposeful - to determine the degree of satisfaction with the mentoring system, and in particular, with the work of mentors;

More general ones are with incorporated mentoring questions, including:

satisfaction and engagement reviews;
"360 degree assessment".

It is quite difficult to objectively assess the effectiveness of a mentor's work. Among the formal criteria, one can single out the number of meetings with the trainee and how timely the assessment forms were filled out. It is unlikely that formal indicators can be used to judge the quality of education. Therefore, indirect assessment indicators are also common, including:

how successfully the new employee has adapted to the company;
how effectively the new employee performs professional duties;
obvious professional growth, employee development, etc.

But the success of the ward cannot be regarded as the only criterion for evaluation. After all, a lot is influenced by both the qualities and the motivation of the employee himself.

Common mistakes when organizing a mentoring system

Underestimation of the level of discomfort in the working conditions of the mentor in charge. To prevent this error, you should create a trusting environment, with careful training for the new employee;
Imposing your opinion on the learner. To prevent the problem, you should ask questions about the assessment of different actions, but you should not express your value judgments before that;
Overloading the ward with recommendations and comments on an extensive list of questions. To prevent an error, you need to highlight key questions, and they will be the focus of attention so that the student does not have to deal with a lot of different information;
Insufficient attention is paid to the formulation of tasks and their further control. It is necessary to formulate S.M.A.R.T objectives - (S) specific, (M) measurable, (A) achievable, (R) relevant or appropriate to the activity, (T), setting clear time frames. Systemic control is needed, and not limited to random checks. Based on the results of the control, an analysis of the situation with the wards is required, if necessary, making adjustments to the initial tasks, taking into account changes in the current situation;
“Do as I do” - when the student has to simply copy the actions of the mentor without explaining the reasons and relevance of a certain action. Any abnormal situation that goes beyond the template can disrupt the main process.

In any business that is somehow tied to people, expands and experiences a change in staff, there comes a time when the manager asks himself the question - how to train new employees and introduce them to an already formed team?

It is great if the leader asks this question before the arrival of newcomers and prepares a springboard for them. But it happens that an employee receives a set of instructions at the start, which he has to figure out on his own. The result is employee distrust of the new company and reduced motivation to work. To prevent this from happening, there is a professional solution - a mentoring system.

At PRIME, the mentoring system has been working since the formation of the company in 2004 and the opening of the first cafe in Moscow. Initially, the implementation of the system caused some difficulties: due to the lack of experienced personnel who could train others, the managers of the cafe acted as mentors for the newcomers.

For them, special trainings were held on all relevant topics in the hospitality industry. One mentor could have up to 3-4 trainees, each of whom required attention.

In the course of work, there were also situations that the cafe employees encountered for the first time: can we let a guest with animals into the cafe, can we allow everyone to use the restroom or only guests, should coffee with us be at the same temperature in winter and summer, and much more. All questions were brought up for discussion by the management - and so new rules appeared.

Today, there is one trainee for every mentor in a cafe. The cashier undergoes training for at least two weeks, and the manager takes a month. With the development and expansion of the network, we realized that the mentoring system has become an integral part of PRIME: our employees receive 70% of their knowledge at the workplace and only 30% at classroom trainings.

The mentoring system in PRIME is a well-developed but flexible mechanism, since each new employee brings something new to the company.

Principles of the mentoring system

Openness

The mentor himself is the initiator of communication with the new employee, he is interested in the fact that he accepts and uses the acquired knowledge. Each mentor has his own secrets of how to please a guest, make a smile, cheer up, for example, jokes about the weather and traffic jams are especially relevant in Moscow.

An excellent experience of working with guests was the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when several PRIME cafes were in the very heart of the holiday, and the employees were able not only to get practice of communicating with foreign guests, but also to make sure of the key role of service in the cafe.

A responsibility

The work with a new employee takes place in both directions: the mentor not only conveys information, but also receives feedback, sometimes even negative. All the difficulties a newcomer faces in the workplace must be accepted by the mentor. This is the first person in the new location that the trainee will turn to for help or advice.

If a newcomer goes with his problems to the higher management, it means that the mentor has not finished working somewhere.

For example, we have a practice of providing a hostel for nonresident employees. If any everyday questions arise, a new employee can contact a mentor, and he will pass the request on to specialists in this area. Such semi-anonymous requests help to quickly solve everyday problems and prevent conflicts.

Development orientation

The mentor undertakes to be constructive and positive in assessing the trainee's performance, his ability to perform tasks and to be firm in the event of a breach of his professional duties.

The first point is especially difficult for mentors, since subjective opinion and an emotional reaction developed to an automatism often prevent the mentor from giving constructive feedback. This completely ruins the beginner's confidence in his strengths and abilities. With a competent and positive mentor, even a beginner in a year can become a cafe manager, we have had a lot of such cases.

What qualities should a mentor have?

A future mentor should have qualities that will help him not only teach a beginner, but also grow up himself. The most important qualities for a mentor:

patience,
sociability,
acceptance of someone else's opinion and experience.

The new employee already has his own background, with which he comes to a new place of work. It is important not to try to convince the employee, but to try to use his experience and new ideas to improve the work of the entire team.

Thanks to the new ambitious employees, at the beginning of the creation of PRIME, a system of six steps was developed, in which the employee managed to punch and prepare an order in 90 seconds. And our cold drink "Coffee Orange" also appeared thanks to a new employee who mixed espresso and orange juice at home and suggested repeating this process in the cafe.

What is the peculiarity of teaching adults

It seems that learning new things is easier for an adult than for a child. He already has a theoretical basis, as well as a practical one, based on experience. But this is not always the case: if it is enough for a child to acquire knowledge itself as a motivation for learning, then an adult needs a final and meaningful goal, an opportunity to apply knowledge in practice and a result.

For example, if we teach a new employee to navigate the assortment, then it is important for him first to see the goal - to know the assortment in order to be able to help the guest with a choice and quickly get through the order. Guests will return to such an employee, even if they are in a hurry, because he understands his product. As a result: increased sales, premiums, etc.

Methods for training new employees for mentors

Most of the methods we all unconsciously put into practice. They are based on childhood experiences we get when playing or studying at school.

Mini-lecture, that is, an oral presentation of the rules, instructions and other materials of the company.
Demonstration where the mentor demonstrates how to complete the task by example.
Role play in which the mentor acts as a potential client or customer and helps "play" difficult situations.
Analysis of case studies from the real practice of the company.
Simulation of a situation in which an employee needs to make an independent decision or take an important action for the first time.
The survey allows you to determine which topics were better or worse learned by the new employee, as well as to identify "pain points".
Observing the actions of a new employee, when the mentor assigns a responsible task to the trainee and monitors the implementation from the outside. The trainee perceives this as a motivation for development.
Involving guests in the mentoring process. This is PRIME know-how when we put a special sign if a newcomer works at the cashier of the cafe. If desired, the guests themselves play the role of mentors, encourage, advise, even suggest if a new employee is confused. This makes it easier and calmer for the trainee to join the work, he is less worried, feeling that the guests treat him with understanding.
Motivation is very important for any adult, so the task of a mentor is to determine what motivates a new employee and, together with his manager, build a development plan. We will tell you how to do this in the next article.

How to get the most

Brief summary: A mentoring system can be effective for any company if it is structured correctly. For this:

for the role of mentors, choose only employees who are really ready to work with newcomers, share experiences, correct mistakes and inspire them to develop in the profession;
correctly distribute the load on the mentors, then they will be able to give the trainees high-quality and useful feedback;
Speak and discuss the situations that employees encountered for the first time. Such situations can be excellent examples for the further work of mentors with trainees;
conduct educational trainings for your employees, but remember: they receive most of the knowledge in the workplace;
do not rush to reject creative ideas from new employees - this way you risk missing out on an interesting and useful offer;
motivate the new employee - create and outline an achievable goal for his work and development in your company. This can be a prospect for an increase, bonuses for the year, or something else;
use different teaching methods - analysis of cases, simulation of situations. Involve the end consumer / guest in the training process, do not hesitate to talk about what the trainee communicates with.

Cover photo: company archive

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