What are the benefits of having a mentor?

The specific benefits of being mentored include:

• being encouraged and empowered in personal development

• being helped to identify and achieve career goals

• being helped to identify and correct gaps in generic skills and knowledge

• increasing your confidence

• developing and maintaining a broader perspective on career options and opportunities

• having access to a senior role model

• gaining insight into University culture

• developing mentoring/coaching skills

The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU)commissioned a literature review (Hawkes 2012) and study into Mentoring: progressing women’s careers in higher education (Quinn 2012) and found that mentoring has a number of benefits for mentees, mentors and HEIs alike.

From the study, Quinn identified the following as being generic benefits for mentees:

• career advancement, including a higher rate of promotion

• increased opportunities and a likelihood of staying at the institution

• higher salaries

• increased productivity and better time management

• greater success in achieving external research grants

• personal and professional development, including increased job-related wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence, and better work-life balance

• preparation for the future and heightened career aspirations

• developed networking skills

What are the benefits for mentors?

The specific benefits of being a mentor include:

• recognised involvement in a programme of strategic importance to your Faculty

• new perspectives and insight into your Faculty

• potential for networking

• additional experience in staff management and development

• opportunity for self reflection, and personal satisfaction

• funding bodies increasingly value an active mentoring programme and often encourage senior staff to be mentors

• developing mentoring/coaching skills

Additionally Quinn identified the following as being generic benefits to mentors:

• career rejuvenation

• increased confidence

• personal fulfilment, particularly satisfaction form seeing junior staff progress