The UK has made progress in achieving gender equality at work. Many women face challenges in their careers.
Working mothers can face even greater obstacles. In our Modern Families Index report we found that more than half (53%) of women reported carrying the burden of parenting at home, as compared to only 27% of men. Many women are left to balance their home and work lives, putting a strain both on their mental health and their workplace productivity.
Mentorship is important for women in this situation. Leaders who actively support women’s professional development and well-being and implement processes to help them can make organisations more diverse, inclusive and successful. Employers are urged to do more to promote mentorship between women at work. Not only for women, but also for the overall growth of the company.
Mentorship: The Power of It
Mentorship consists of a relationship in which an experienced individual (known as the mentor) provides support and guidance to a person with less experience, called the mentee. This partnership should help the mentee grow and develop, both professionally and personally.
Mentors are best suited to provide guidance on how to overcome challenges based on personal experience. They should also help their mentees set goals and gain confidence.
Why is this so important for women at work? Women face many unique challenges when it comes to their career advancement. These include unconscious bias, limited opportunities for leadership roles, and social expectations. Women can benefit from mentoring each other because the more experienced woman will be able to understand the challenges that their mentee is facing.
Mentoring women at work
Managers play a vital role in helping team members achieve their full potential. This includes fostering a culture that encourages mentorship.
Managers can then create structured mentoring initiatives to match women with senior leaders that can provide guidance and advocacy. Formalising mentoring ensures accountability, provides tangible outcomes, and facilitates meaningful relationships. When it comes to creating a successful mentoring system, consistency is essential. Those who spend regular time with their coach will reap the greatest benefits.
There may be Employee Resource Groups in place that are dedicated to supporting females at work. Encourage women to join these groups as a way of finding mentors.
Managers should also set the goals of these relationships right from the start. Clarify the goal of the mentoring relationship and what both parties expect. Set these expectations early to help both mentors, and mentees, understand their roles, responsibilities and lead to more meaningful and effective mentorships.
Use events as a powerful tool
If you don’t feel that a structured mentoring program is right for your business, networking and informal mentorship can have the same impact. Managers can organize casual networking events to bring women together from different teams or career stages. These events provide an opportunity for members of the team to build relationships with other colleagues who they may not normally interact with.
For example, informal coffee talks, round-table discussion, or lunch-and-learn sessions can help women connect with mentors in a natural way. Open-door policies, knowledge sharing and encouraging an open-door policy can also help to develop mentorship organically.
Collaboration is important
Collaboration across departments can naturally lead to mentorship. Women can build professional relationships and learn from each other’s experience when they work on a project together. Managers can encourage women to work together on cross-functional projects, brainstorming sessions or innovation challenges. A company could, for example, create mentorship-driven groups to tackle business issues while providing a learning opportunity.
Encourage career advancement
Managers can encourage senior leaders not only to mentor, but also to advocate for the career advancement of women by recommending that they be considered for important projects, promotions, and leadership roles.
The sponsorship of team members or the championing of women for leadership positions can help to break down barriers for women and accelerate their career growth.
Leadership training
Mentoring is more than just giving career advice. It involves developing skills, obtaining recognized qualifications, communicating effectively, and developing leadership capabilities.
Workshops on goal-setting, active listening and career planning could be included in the training. Companies could, for example, host an annual leadership conference where female employees can attend mentoring training sessions and panels featuring successful women leaders.
Leading by Example
Mentoring does not have to take a lot of time, but can be very rewarding. The managers who invest time in organising mentorship programs will get the best out of their teams. Women in particular can benefit from role models to help them succeed in business. If you see someone who looks like you succeeding, it will encourage you to follow suit.
