Why start a mentoring program? Mentors are a powerful force for developing employees and the organization, from helping new hires feel welcomed to building staff loyalty and retention. Sharing knowledge and expertise is vital to building a connected, communicative workplace – and mentoring can help accounting firms of all sizes do just that. In essence, an organization empowers its staff via the learning and growth opportunities mentoring provides.

Mentoring also is important to career achievement: a mentor can help establish a career plan, offer insight and advice about potential challenges, and serve as a sounding board for ideas and career related decisions. In fact, Catalyst, a nonprofit organization helping women succeed in business, reports that lack of mentoring is a barrier to advancement.

You’ll find that establishing a mentoring program can be relatively easy – and more than worth the time spent in terms of employee satisfaction and retention, and your organization’s success.