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This year will bring new initiatives, experiences, challenges, and successes in HR. Whether in recruiting, compensation, employee relations or any other facet of HR, it is sure to be another eventful year.
For many, this may feel like a fresh start to reignite those great HR ideas from last year. Or to look at new ways to move ideas forward in an even bigger way in 2018. For others, this may feel like a time to become more familiar with HR best practices and how to become an even greater HR partner this year. This creates a unique opportunity for those who have built their HR career to consider helping others in HR to achieve success.
While some ways to accomplish this is to teach, train or provide resources to others in HR that are interested in learning from your ideas and experiences. Another way could be to take another HR professional or student under your wing in an informal or formal mentoring capacity.
By engaging in a mentoring partnership, you have the opportunity to create a memorable experience that could positively impact the lives and careers of another HR professional or student. Whether informally providing HR guidance or advice, or providing a formal HR mentoring opportunity, the following will discuss ways to start this off with great impact.
When it comes to sharing your HR expertise in a mentoring capacity, it is important to kick-off the process in a way that will inspire those you mentor to be engaged in the process from the start. A strong beginning to your mentoring in HR process is a great way to build rapport fast with those you are mentoring, even before the actual partnership begins.
Failure to accomplish this could result in a mentoring process that ends before it has a chance to begin. The more you can show how excited you are to be working with your HR professional or student, the more confidence in the process that your mentee will have in working with you.
The following are 3 ideas that can assist in impressing those you mentor in HR. With each idea, you are able to add your own creativity to make it work best for you and your mentoring situation. By implementing any of these ideas will help you to kick-off your process in an effective way that will leave your mentee excited and thrilled to be working with you.
A Welcome Message – Think about a way to introduce your mentoring process with an impressive welcome message. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways such as a card, ecard, audio, or even a video that you create. This would be a great way to welcome them to your process and to share how much you are looking forward to a productive partnership. Here is some sample language that could be included in your welcome communication: “Hello my name is, ” _____ ” and I want to welcome you to this HR mentoring partnership. I am so excited to be working with you on your goals and aspirations in HR. Soon I will be sending you some additional information that will help us to get started quickly. In the meantime, I want to say again, welcome, and I am very excited to be working with you. Here is my contact information if there is anything I can assist with in advance.”
Themed Gift Baskets – Another great way to kick off your mentoring process in a fun and enthusiastic way is to provide your mentee with a gift basket with an HR theme. You can be as creative as you would like with this. For example, you can use a health & wellness theme, recruitment theme, or an employee orientation theme. Inside this HR-themed gift basket or bag could be several resources, gift items, gift certificates, merchandise, books, guides, pamphlets, or anything else you can think of. By presenting such an item at the beginning of the mentoring process can create a wonderful first impression and start off the partnership in an impactful way.
HR Products – Another option for a strong start to your mentoring partnership could be presenting your mentee with an HR product with an inspirational HR-related quote or a saying. These are great ways to inspire your HR professional or student and beyond. This could be mugs, cups, shirts, or cell phone covers, to name a few. If you would like to see some ideas click here.
While there are many other ways to create an amazing first impression with those you mentor in HR, I am hopeful that these ideas will get you started on thinking of the best ideas that will work for you and your mentoring in HR vision.
For more mentoring in HR ideas, feel free to purchase, “Successful Mentoring in HR: 9 Ways to Turn Your Human Resources Expertise Into Your Own Unique Process for Mentoring Others in HR” here.
Alisa Charles is a certified HR professional (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) and has been working in human resources for over 20 years. She is the author of “90 New Employee Orientation Ideas for Human Resources Professionals” and “Successful Mentoring in HR”, both available on Amazon. In addition to her HR background, Alisa is a certified Personal & Executive Coach and enjoys using her extensive HR experience with her coaching background to assist individuals in achieving their goals.
