As a mentor, it’s your responsibility to help your mentee foster new skills and grow their strengths and weaknesses. Not only is it important to uncover their skillset, but also discover their personal motivations in their professional life.
Some leaders make the mistake of assuming that all workers are motivated by the same things, like increased pay or time off. This isn’t always true- many people thrive when they are asked for their feedback and listened to, or given the chance to explore different activities and roles at work.
Understanding what motivates your mentee will help you foster a deeper understanding of their mindset, and therefore be more apt to help them achieve their goals. Professional recruiter and mentor Tyler Buntrock suggests asking your mentee about their upbringing- it may lead to some surprising insights into their personal struggles and motivations.
Many recruiters ask forward-thinking questions to their mentees such as, “where do you see yourself in five years?” but these questions often overlook the key fundamentals it takes to achieve those five-year goals.
With time, understanding, and asking the right questions, you’ll foster a deeper connection with your mentee in no time. The important thing to remember as a recruiter is that trust is essential to building any sort of relationship with your mentee, and other mentors, for that matter.
Leave a Reply