Case: Mentoring at Roscoe Property Management (RPM)
When RPM, a management company of apartment communities, doubled in size, it experienced high employee turnover, especially among new employees located in small rental markets. RPM developed a mentoring program with the goal of reducing turnover of new employees by 50 percent and among experienced employees by 25 percent. The mentoring program includes formal e-learning courses and group mentorship via Skype or GoToMeeting. Employees who were selected as mentors were high performers who were page 418identified as having promotion potential. Employees apply to serve as a mentor and have to receive approval by their regional manager. The mentors receive training to make sure they understand policies and procedures and learn how to audit if their protégé is following the established standards. They also receive soft skills training on how to provide feedback to protégés and their supervisors. They are asked to mentor new employees who hold their same position. The mentors meet online weekly with their protégés to coach them on their newly learned skills and provide advice on topics such as RPM’s policies and requirements. RPM found that new employee turnover has decreased by 85 percent and turnover for employees with two years or more of tenure has decreased by 50 percent. New employees found the additional feedback and policy expertise they received from their mentors to be valuable. Mentors liked the opportunity to improve their coaching and feedback skills through interacting with their protégés. The mentoring experience helped them prepare for their next position at RPM where coaching employees and providing feedback are critical to their effectiveness.
1. What characteristics of this mentoring program contribute to its effectiveness?
2.Does this program contribute to employees’ development and career needs? How? Explain your answer.
