Is mentorship worth your time?
By: Micaela Kelly (she/her)
It’s a common perception that mentorship is time-consuming and costly. With many organizations already running on reduced budgets and being busier than ever, can companies justify dedicating time to developing staff, especially co-op students?
We know that mentorship is a growing expectation for emerging talent. Three out of four Gen Z respondents rated mentorship as essential to their learning support from employers. So, for organizations that want to retain Gen Z talent and boost company culture, mentorship is worth the time. However, offering effective mentorship may be easier than you think.
Here are some of the common barriers and strategies to help you mentor co-op students:
Supervisors don’t have the time to mentor.
Mentorship doesn’t have to be with a direct supervisor. Non-management staff and even more senior co-op students are often excited about the opportunity to develop mentorship skills and help their colleagues.
At Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) newly hired staff members spend time mentoring co-op students. The partnership is mutually beneficial as junior staff gain management and supervision experience, while co-op students build skills and a professional relationship with staff.
Ayman Mahin Gostar, co-op student, Environment and Business worked at OTPP for two terms. He valued learning from co-workers and knowing who to ask when he needed help.
Something I learned during my time at OTPP is that being proactive and taking initiative is always a great thing. Always be the person to ask questions, if you have an idea and want to take the initiative, don't be afraid to reach out. Everyone is on the same team.
It takes too long to set up a mentorship program.
You don’t need a formal mentorship program. Effective mentorship can be as simple as regular supervisor check-ins with co-op students. Giving students the opportunity to ask questions goes a long way to aligning organizational goals with co-op student performance. It’s also great for students if junior staff or other co-op students can offer guidance in areas like résumé building and networking.
University Health Network (UHN) pairs junior co-op students with senior/returning co-op students to help them learn on the job. Junior students can ask questions to their peers while they complete projects. Students who work at UHN appreciate the opportunity to learn from someone who has been in their role previously and understands their experiences.
I had an awesome boss who set up regular meetings and made sure to check-in. That team I worked with was also a smaller one, so it was a good learning environment for me to speak up in meetings and express what I was doing.
Four months isn't enough time to develop a mentoring relationship.
Student mentorship starts with us in Co-operative and Experiential Education. Students have a dedicated co-op advisor who supports them throughout the co-op process. Students get mentorship from their advisor and peers to help them transition from classroom to workplace.
What has helped me throughout my co-op terms was co-op advisors – they are insanely useful. The biggest advantage I've had through co-op is having access to those advisors who have years of experience. They also have had students that have gone through similar issues in the past. It made me feel so much more confident in moving forward and applying for jobs.
Reaping the benefits of mentoring.
Whether it is as simple as regular check-ins or pairing co-op students with junior staff, when organizations offer opportunities for growth and development, they attract top-tier candidates. Companies that engage in mentorship demonstrate a commitment to employee development and organizational culture. This commitment goes beyond the work term for students and can translate into full-time employment after graduation. Not only does mentorship benefit organizations in the moment, it helps to build their talent strategy.
It's really important to give these co-op students meaningful growth opportunities because they're going to be our future teammates and our future supervisors. So I think it's really important that this is the time to let them try new things, be risk takers, help support them when there may be challenges. But as long as you support them, they really appreciate that.
Taking the time to mentor co-op students makes them feel appreciated and can provide meaningful growth opportunities for both students and employers. For more about mentoring Gen Z talent, including co-op students, check out our guide to harnessing the power of Gen Z in your workplace.