Mentoring Programs 101: 7 Traits of a Good Mentor

As one of the leading recruiting agencies in Houston, TX, Murray Resources knows having a company mentoring program sounds great in theory. But not every employee is cut out to be a mentor, even your key players.

So if you’re wondering how to identify those employees who can serve as strong mentors to other staff members, what should you look for? Here are 7 traits of a good mentor:

Honesty. Some people have a hard time being direct and stating the facts. A good mentor, though, is unafraid to tell the truth. This is a critically important attribute considering an employee will never develop if they don’t have a sense of areas that need improvement.

Motivator. A good mentor knows how to push people to take risks, aim higher and achieve more. They strike the right balance between honesty and inspiration.

Listener. Being a mentor isn’t all about communicating knowledge; most of it is about listening, offering advice, and encouraging the mentee. In the beginning too, it’s about listening to the mentee’s wants, needs, goals, feelings, and fears.

Committed. Being a mentor takes a big time commitment. It’s not something that should be taken lightly, otherwise the mentee will become disengaged and demotivated. A good mentor is one who does what they say they’re going to do and takes a personal interest in the mentee – who they are, what their goals are, and strengths and weaknesses.

Open minded. Mentoring goes both ways. And a good mentor should be open to learning from the mentee, as well. They shouldn’t approach the relationship as if they have nothing new to learn.

Patient. The best mentors allow mentees to make mistakes and use those missteps as opportunities to teach them. Sometimes, too, the relationship can get a bit heated, particularly when it comes to constructive criticism, requiring a patient personality to diffuse the situation.

Positive Reputation. A mentor is a role model, which is why good ones generally enjoy a positive reputation in their field and are held in high regard by their peers.

When you choose employees to mentor who demonstrate these traits, you have a far better chance of facilitating successful mentor/mentee relationships. This, in turn, will help employees being mentored learn and develop into high performers.

Looking for a few, good mentors to join your team? Call Murray Resources. As one of the leading recruiting agencies in Houston, TX, organizations all over the city rely on our expertise to source, hire and retain skilled, dependable and knowledgeable employees for their teams. We can help you too. Contact us today if you’d like to learn more.