By Deborah Lang, CHRP

Mentoring is one of the most valuable benefits of being a member of the BC Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA) and here is why.  Throughout history, a proven way of developing mastery in one’s profession was through “apprenticeship”— whereby an inexperienced individual studied under an experienced master.  Some of the oldest professions have used the apprenticeship process to develop mastery of the “internist” prior to setting the person free to practice their craft independently.

As stated on its website, BC HRMA is the foremost professional association for HR practitioners in BC and is committed to providing leadership in HR excellence. Their Professional Mentoring Program (PMP) has been around for nearly 10 years and is one of the best ways to develop as an HR professional; in my experience, it gets better and better every year.

I have volunteered for five years on the team that leads the BC HRMA Vancouver Island Professional Mentoring Program (PMP) and have seen the benefits of mentoring for individuals and our profession as a whole.  My introduction to the PMP was as a mentee in 2007 and the program was one of the best learning experiences of my working career.  I had 10 years of experience working in HR and because of a spousal move, I suddenly found myself working in a new location as an independent HR consultant.  I was feeling like a “fish out of water” and was brand new to Vancouver Island. I joined the BC HRMA Professional Mentoring Program and I was matched with mentor Cathy McLellan, CHRP, a patient and seasoned HR consultant who listened, coached and acted as a “guide” for me as I jumped into the wonderful world of HR consultancy.

After my positive experience as a mentee, I wanted to give back to BC HRMA and so I volunteered on the Vancouver Island Professional Mentoring Program Team in 2008.  Over five years, I experienced the pleasure of working with 25-35 mentoring pairs in our program.

Prior to writing this article, I wanted to get the perspective of mentors and mentees and so I asked our mentoring pairs the following questions:

• Why did you participate in the PMP?
• What were your most important learning’s or insights as an outcome of your mentoring experience?
• What overall benefits did you receive from being involved in the mentoring program?
• What qualities did you appreciate the most in your mentor/mentee?; and,
• What is the one thing you would like to share with other potential mentors/mentees that might be considering taking part in the mentoring program?

Why do people take part in the BC HRMA mentoring program?

Quite a few of the mentors talked about giving back to their HR community and about how mentees helped keep them current and connected.  Mentor Sarah Hood, CHRP explains why she participated in the PMP: “Participating in the mentoring program is a great way to give back to the HR Community.  Emerging HR professionals have a much keener sense of what is new and emerging in the HR field as they are excited to learn and want to be seen as leading edge.  Their questions make me think and stay connected too”.

Suzanne Boyd, CHRP (Mentor) said, , “It is pay-it-forward. I believe that helping emerging practitioners in the field is part of my role as a CHRP and as a practitioner who has been working in the field for a while”.

Knowing why people participate in our professional mentoring program is important so that we can tailor the program to meet the needs of the participants; even more important is the ROI at the conclusion of the program.

When we consider how adults learn, mentoring makes a lot of sense for developing skills and a knowledge base. Whether you are starting a career as an HR generalist, HR specialist or moving into a more senior role in HR, having a trusted advisor who will share their wisdom with you reduces the time it takes to learn a new area and/or skill.  Mentoring pairs on Vancouver Island talked a lot about the benefits of participation in the BC HRMA mentoring program.  When speaking to some of the mentees, the discussion focused on the benefits of learning a new skill, networking and career development.

Tilsner spoke about a work opportunity she had been given in 2010 to lead the implementation of training for a major corporate project.  To her credit, in the PMP, she was matched with Suzanne Boyd, CHRP (Mentor) who had years of experience as a “project lead” for large HR system implementations in a variety of business sectors.  Tilsner commented that she “appreciated her mentor’s vast knowledge and experience, patience, listening skills and kindness.  I learned a lot from my mentor and also about myself and my leadership skills and how I can continue to develop in the future”.

Mentee Laureen Welgush  shares that perspective: “Being able to hear about the ups and downs of a career of someone so experienced really puts into perspective your role, the level you are currently at and the goals you need to set for yourself to become the HR professional you want to be”.

If you are thinking about being a mentor and/or a mentee in the BC HRMA Professional Mentoring Program – what qualities will make your experience the best it can be?

When we asked our mentees about the qualities that were important in a “mentor” we found out they valued patience and listening skills, knowledge and practical experience, kindness when delivering feedback,  and the ability to laugh and have fun.

Welgush shared what she most valued about her mentor Catherine McDonald, CHRP: “The quality I valued most in Catherine, which made my mentoring experience so fulfilling, was her ability to joke and laugh.  You see, I am a sole HR professional in the organization I work for and miss the camaraderie of an HR team.  I also happen to be quite new to Vancouver Island.  Well, not only did I find a knowledgeable HR professional in my mentor, Catherine, but I also feel as if I found a friend.”

When we asked mentors what qualities were important in a “mentee”, we found out that commitment, curiosity, and the ability to be open to new experiences and feedback were all high on the list of ideal qualities in a mentee.  Hood (mentor) commented that qualities she sees as important in a mentee are “eagerness to view the entire field of HR, and curiosity about all aspects of the field without pre-judging one specialty or another.”

Finally, mentoring pairs were asked to share one thing with potential mentors/mentees and the responses focused on one main theme – a commitment to action – sign up now.

“Just do it,” said Boyd (mentor)  “Not to sound cheesy but you will make a difference in someone’s career.  That matters.  The mechanisms are in place at the BC HRMA to make it logistically simple for you.  And you will learn from your mentee.  You absolutely will.”

Whether it is giving back to the HR profession or jump starting your career in the right direction – try out the BC HRMA Professional Mentoring Program – you will cherish the experience!

Deborah Lang EQi, ConRes, CHRP, MBA is the Director, Organizational Development and Human Resources Consulting at the University of Victoria.  For the past six years, she has sat on the Advisory Council for BC HRMA as Lead of the Mentoring Portfolio for Vancouver Island.

Interested in mentoring? Apply for the BC HRMA Professional Mentoring Program before October 15, 2012.