What Great Mentorship Looks Like in a Hybrid Workplace

Mentorship is a hugely important part in the development of your long-term career — having the opportunity build a working relationship with someone more experienced in your field is a great way to build a long-term career plan. The last few years have been a tough time for mentorship. There’s been a huge transition with so many people working from home and then choosing to work remotely, at least on a part-time basis. You can still access mentorship while hybrid working but it does take more work. So what does great mentorship look like in a hybrid workplace?

Things To Consider

One of the most important aspects is making mentorship hybrid. The mentors and mentees should have a holistic approach to their collaboration. As a mentor, some conversations are easier in person, however, moving them online is an important part of building a successful relationship. Holding meetings over Zoom to discuss progress and allow the mentee an opportunity to ask questions rather than waiting until you next see them in the office will help nurture a much more effective mentoring environment.

Keeping Communication Open

Communication is vital for a good mentoring relationship. The atmosphere should be collaborative and allow the mentee to freely ask questions, rather than simply following a process. Communication can be more difficult in an online setting where the meaning of messages can be misconstrued, so taking extra care to communicate clearly is absolutely vital. Offering more lines of communication is a strong indicator of great mentorship in a hybrid workplace, such as video calls and instant messaging while you’re working from home as well as in person meetings when in the office. Each of these steps will go a long way to creating a better environment for learning.

Giving a Reason To Be Motivated

Creating goals is also really important for a great mentorship programme in a hybrid workplace. These goals should be something that the mentee can work towards. Mistakes or missed targets should be discussed in a constructive manner in order to find important lessons but also mentors should actively find the wins and celebrate them before being built upon for future success.

Finally, hybrid working has huge advantages as well as challenging limitations. Finding a way to embrace the differences of each working style and turning the limitations into another method of learning will help create a great mentorship environment. Instead of complaining about not being able to just walk up to each other in the office, use this as an opportunity to work differently. Great mentorship is entirely possible in a hybrid working space, even if it takes more work and an adjustment in thinking. Finding a way to create excellent lines of communication will allow your mentorship programme to thrive. If you’re looking to improve mentorship in your organisation, then we may be able to help. Take a look at one of our mentoring courses, or get in touch to find out more.