Creating a sense of belonging for employees is integral to a positive work experience. Belonging motivates employees to perform at their best, impacts work satisfaction, and affects how long people stay at a job. However, many employees struggle with feeling disconnected, especially those who work remotely.

Mentorship is an excellent professional tool that fosters connections amongst employees. Whether online or in-person, mentorship nurtures professional growth and creates the–ever so important–sense of belonging.

Here are three reasons why you should connect employees through mentorships.

1. Establishing connections 🤝🏾

• We spend most of our time during the week at work, so feeling connected to the team is imperative to a fulfilling job experience and overall well-being.
• Mentorships are a great way to connect team members for professional development opportunities and meaningful social connections.
• A study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 77% of respondents note workplace connections as a priority for their satisfaction at a job.

2. Learning and professional growth🪴

• 94% of employees from a recent survey said they’d stay at a company longer if they were offered learning and growth opportunities.
• Mentors advise mentees on what served them on their path to success. Mentorships provide insight and knowledge that set employees on an accelerated professional growth track within a company.
• Investing in your employees through professional development benefits you as well as them. Employees gain new skills and experience while you reap the benefits of an educated workforce, which can lead to promotions (making hiring that much easier)!

3. Raises confidence 🌞

• Mentorships benefit both parties in terms of increased confidence at work, making for higher job satisfaction and self-efficacy.
• Research in the UK states that 87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their mentoring relationships.

Mentorships benefit the mentee, mentor, and company overall through connection building, professional development, and increased confidence. Now’s the time for you to consider who on your team would benefit from mentorship.