MENTEE GUIDE ADVANCEM HIEVER LEARN FRIEND STUDENT START MENTEE GROW LISTEN

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1 HIEVER ENT FRIEND LEARN STUDENT MENTEE GUIDE ENT MENTEE GROW ADVANCEM START R IN ND LISTEN N AMB

2 MENTEE GUIDE 1 MENTEE GUIDE Welcome to the HR Certification Institute s Certification Mentor Program, and thank you for your interest in becoming a mentee. As a mentee our goal is to provide you with an enriching and invaluable experience that exceeds your expectations. Throughout our Certification Mentor Program, we will provide you with resources, support and the information you will need to assist you in facilitating your mentoring relationship. In this guide, we offer advice and tips on how to begin the relationship, what will be expected of you, advice on communicating online and how to work with your mentor. Please remember that we are here to assist you during your time as a mentee in our Certification Mentor Program. We look forward to learning more about what you gain from participating in our program. Sincerely, The HR Certification Institute

3 MENTEE GUIDE 2 Mentee Expectations and Requirements Mentees are expected to: Demonstrate initiative and the desire to learn Communicate clearly their needs and expected outcomes of participating in the Certification Mentor Program Work within the timeframe given to meet those needs and expected outcomes Be receptive to feedback and constructive criticism Provide their mentors with feedback that will assist them in better coaching mentees Drive the mentoring relationship Mentees are not expected to: Be submissive Look to your mentor for answers to every question you may have Achieve goals immediately Become a personal friend to your mentor Seek advice from your mentor regarding personal issues or problems Mentee requirements: Adhere to Certification Mentor Program policies and procedures Complete program training Commit to the program at least three hours per week Create a plan of action for how you and your mentor are going to meet your needs and reach agreed-upon goals Adhere to mentoring relationship agreement between mentor and mentee Complete required program activities Adhere to program workflow Create goal and closure plan Review outcome of the relationship with mentor at closure

4 MENTEE GUIDE 3 Mentee s Overall Goal in the Certification Mentor Program As a mentee in the HR Certification Institute s Certification Mentor Program, you are to work with your mentor in creating strategies for success in achieving certification, as well as define your career path and professional goals. As an HR professional seeking to earn your certification, you understand the value and heights that one can achieve in the profession with a certification. You are participating to gain a better understanding of that value from your mentor. Mentee s overall task to accomplish this goal is to work with your mentor to answer these questions: Why do I want to become certified? What do I expect to accomplish in my career after becoming certified? Why did I select the certification that I attempted to achieve? Does my current HR role align to the body of knowledge of the certification I attempted to achieve? Did I select the correct certification to achieve? How did I study and prepare for the certification exam? Why did I select that method? How else could I have studied and prepared for the certification exam? Am I ready to earn my HR certification? Along with earning an HR certification, what additional actions can I take to accomplish my career goals? When you begin to create goals to accomplish during your time with your mentor, you want to ensure that the outcome will assist you in answering the questions above. At the end of the mentoring relationship, you ll want to have met your goals and answered these questions.

5 MENTEE GUIDE 4 Are You Mentee Ready? What does a mentee look like? A mentee is an individual who is looking for ways to achieve more than what he/she already has accomplished. Mentees are ready and willing to learn from someone who has accomplished a success level they desire. They can be male, female, young, older or the same age as their mentors. Mentees can have any level of professional experience and are willing to take on more challenging tasks. Should I be a mentee? Am I a team player? Am I prepared to break out of my routine? Am I able to confront my own shortcomings? Do I know how to listen? Am I a self-starter? Do I have the time to commit, and am I willing to make time? Am I open to guidance? Do others trust me and do I, in turn, trust them? If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you more than likely have what it takes to be a mentee. A good mentee: Has a positive attitude Wants to learn and is able to accept feedback Knows how to listen and take responsibility Is ambitious but realistic Welcomes help and is prepared to put mentor s advice into action Is appreciative of the help offered by the mentor Is willing to commit to a mentoring relationship Mentoring calls for a mutual understanding and respect for different personalities, cultures and backgrounds. Successes in mentoring relationships are based on good organization, documentation and follow up. Who Leads the Mentoring Relationship? You, as the mentee, set the stage: you determine goals and create the atmosphere for the type of mentoring relationship you will have for the next six months. As the mentee, you will let your mentor know what you need from the relationship. The more initiative you take, the more productive the relationship will be. As the mentee, you do the driving of the mentoring relationship, and your mentor is there to guide and assist you along the way.

6 MENTEE GUIDE 5 The First Meeting First impressions last forever. The first meeting is the most important meeting of the mentoring relationship. This is the time when both mentor and mentee begin building trust and rapport with one another. The mentee must perceive the mentor as someone who instills confidence and professional respect, and this will be determined in that first meeting. When mentor and mentee first connect, it is best to discuss the first meeting. Determine the best time, means of communication and, most importantly, what will be discussed. We are encouraging mentors to create an agenda to ensure that all topics that were agreed upon get covered and that time spent is utilized effectively. You may also want to go into the first mentoring session with notes about what you want to accomplish in case your mentor hasn t prepared an agenda. Also, keep in mind that the first meeting should be the only one for which your mentor is the main driver. After the first meeting, you should set the topic and agenda for each mentoring session. What to Say This is the perfect occasion for ice breakers. Any ideas or activities you can bring to the meeting to facilitate discussion with your mentor is helpful. You may feel intimidated or nervous because your mentor is in a position you admire and desire to achieve. The best way to combat those feelings is to be prepared for every meeting you have with your mentor. Think about what you want to ask your mentor ahead of time. Here are some tips that should be kept in mind for all meetings: Ask open-ended questions (make your mentor give you more than yes or no as an answer) Don t just question, have a conversation Summarize any agreed-upon tasks to be completed before the next meeting Be clear about your goals Put your thoughts into words

7 MENTEE GUIDE 6 Questions to ask your mentor: Tell me a little about yourself»» What is your role at work? (ask for more background on profile information related to work and add more specifics such as company, industry, supervision responsibility, current projects)»» What roles do you have in your personal life? (husband/wife, children, pets, volunteer activities)»» What are your interests and hobbies? Expand on why you wanted to be a mentor in the Certification Mentor Program Tell me a little about what type of teacher you are What do you expect from me as your mentee? What were your career goals when you first became an HR professional? How has HR certification assisted you in reaching your goals? Be certain to share the answers to these same questions about yourself with your mentor. Include the certifications you wish to hold and why you decided it is best to earn those particular credentials. The first meeting also can be a good time to begin discussing how you would like to structure the mentoring relationship. Determine the best meeting times and frequency, the means of communication with which you are both most comfortable, how feedback should be presented and any parameters or guidelines you both want to put on the relationship (times not to call, amount of time expected to receive a response to an , etc.). If time allows, begin to talk about the goals you would like to set for the six-month relationship. If you have not thought about that yet, set it as an action item for the next meeting so that you both get the most out of the time you are committing to the mentoring relationship. To close out the first meeting, discuss the next meeting date and time and create an agenda together on topics to be addressed. Mentoring Relationship Engagement To assist in keeping your mentoring relationship moving, we have built in mandatory activities to conduct with your mentor. As mentioned in the program handbook, there is a workflow that these activities should follow. Please do not rely on these activities alone. Bring your past mentoring, work, volunteer, classroom and other experiences to the relationship to enhance it for yourself. This is your opportunity to be a sponge and learn from your mentor and develop new goals and insights from the relationship. Come ready to enhance your knowledge, get on a career path toward greater success and set a course for preparation and successful completion of the HR certification exam.

8 MENTEE GUIDE 7 Activities included in program workflow: Let s Work Together (guide used to help define the terms of the mentoring relationship) Setting the Bar (set goals and action plan for accomplishing goals) Time to Say Goodbye (create closure/exit plan) Mentoring Relationship Agreement How Did I Score? (review your score report from certification exam(s) taken) How am I Doing? (progress reports check in on how mentor and mentee are doing with the goals that were set) How Are We Doing? (3 surveys given throughout the six-month relationship to learn how the program is going for you and your mentor) Prepare for HR Certification (review of the study methods and materials available to HR professionals to prepare for exam) When I Grow Up (career week discussions) The goal of each activity is to ensure that both you and your mentor have the same understanding of what needs to take place during your time together. Setting goals assists with providing a target for the relationship. With both participants heading in the same direction, there is a clear understanding of where you are going as a team. Creating a plan of action helps you clearly state how you are going to get there and the means of transportation you will use to get to your final destination. Having a closure/exit plan ensures that you and your mentor pause to look back at your time together to ascertain whether there are any aspects of the relationship that were missed. It also allows you to ensure that all your expectations have been met. When you include all these elements, in addition to defining your relationship in an agreement between you and your mentor, this shows you have a mutual understanding and commitment to the mentoring relationship. Helpful activities Read newsletters shared by your mentor Connect with networks that your mentor has introduced to you Go to relevant conferences, seminars or workshops suggested by your mentor Meet with your mentor after attending any event related to your career or the HR profession to debrief Share with your mentor any HR events that you both may be able to attend Research further education or training in key areas of interest

9 MENTEE GUIDE 8 Keep in mind that the above activities are just a framework for you and your mentor. You both must determine how best to work together; when it is time to move on to the next activity; what additional activities could be included; and how best to communicate, coach and learn together. It is also your job as the mentee to communicate about the effectiveness of the activities you are engaging in with your mentor. As the relationship progresses, you should find yourself taking on more responsibility within the mentoring relationship as well as on the job. Your confidence level should be increasing, and you should be feeling more capable. If three months into the relationship, you are not feeling more confident, share this with your mentor. Assessing the Relationship There are several places within the workflow where mentor and mentee are asked to take a look at the current state of the mentoring relationship. Use this time to reflect and review what has taken place in the relationship thus far. A mentor relationship assessment can include reviewing and revising goals, defining any area of improvement the relationship may need and looking over what has been accomplished. Feedback It is critical to the mentoring relationship that both you and your mentor agree on how to give and receive feedback. Mentees should make certain to be clear in communicating how you want your mentor to provide feedback, the type of feedback that is expected and how follow up to the feedback is delivered. This includes the forum used to communicate feedback, the tone and attitude feedback is delivered in and the presentation of feedback. This understanding should be defined from the beginning of the relationship. Feedback tips Do not become defensive when feedback is given: your mentor is here to help Communicate if feedback is not given in the manner agreed upon Validate any improvements made based on the feedback you received Remember to give your mentor feedback as well

10 MENTEE GUIDE 9 Mentoring Online One of the biggest advantages in creating a virtual mentoring program is that it offers greater opportunities for reaching more participants. The HR Certification Institute has more than 120,000 certified HR professionals in more than 80 countries. As you can see, we could not let borders be the barrier to forming a perfect mentor and mentee match. However, we do realize that connecting online removes the opportunity for mentor and mentee to connect face to face, particularly if miles of road stand between them. In this section, we will address ways to effectively connect with your mentor, no matter the distance between you. Here are a few things to keep in mind: The same guidelines for a traditional mentoring program apply here. Everything you would do as a mentee in a traditional setting works in a virtual setting. When necessary and possible, connect with your mentor via phone. This helps to create the real factor of your virtual relationship. Make use of video conferencing tools, such as Skype, to heighten the personal connection between you and your mentor. Say What You Mean To communicate well online is considered an art to master. There are times that s or online messages are sent and the message is not received in the manner it was intended. It is important to think through the goal of your message. Ask yourself what you want the receiver to gain from reading your message. Before sending, re-read what you have written out loud. Make certain that your message says exactly what is intended. When writing s or any other electronic messages keep in mind: A hastily written can be interpreted as disinterest Disinterest also can be conveyed through incorrect grammar, incomplete sentences and numerous spelling mistakes Cute symbols do not replace good writing and can aid in misinterpretation of message Non-verbal cues weigh heavily in a virtual environment. You want to send the right message with every interaction you have with your mentor. There are a few things you can do to help: Keep your meetings and be on time Combine connecting by with phone calls or video conferences

11 MENTEE GUIDE 10 Use active listening skills to assess the mentoring relationship regularly If possible, meet in person (this can occur if there is a conference both you and your mentor will be attending, an event you both happen to participate in or if you are closely located to one another) Bringing the Relationship to a Close You want to end your mentoring relationship properly. It is important to wrap up the relationship instead of abruptly stopping the connections. Spend some time a few weeks before the end of the six months reviewing your closure/exit plan. Spend time together looking at where you currently are in the relationship and ensuring that goals have been completed. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure that all expectations are met and that both you and your mentor are satisfied with the results. This is also a great time to discuss what you both learned throughout your time together. What do you and your mentor both plan to take away from your connection? Review with your mentor the next steps you should take. Discuss areas for continued focus and any actions for engagement or follow up. Explore together what the future has to offer you. Lastly, discuss any ongoing terms of the relationship. You and your mentor can decide to keep in touch once the official relationship is complete. This decision must be made together. If both mentor and mentee would like to continue a mentoring relationship, be sure to talk about what that will look like. You would want to agree on frequency of contact, forums used to make contact, what will continue to be worked on and if you want to designate an ending time to the relationship. Celebrate Ending a mentoring relationship is a time to celebrate. Looking back at all that has been accomplished, learned and gained from the relationship are moments to praise. Come up with how you want to acknowledge all that you and your mentor have done together. Suggestions for celebrating Send mentor a thank you note with comments you wish to share about the experience Send mentor an e-card and include all the milestones reached during the mentoring relationship Have cake and ice cream over Skype Send a small thank you token to your mentor

12 MENTEE GUIDE 11 Ending the Relationship Early You may find that there is a need to end the relationship sooner than expected. An unexpected event may occur in the personal or professional life of the mentor or mentee, the program may be taking more time than one or both of you expected or you and your mentor may discover you are not the best fit. Here are some signs that it could be time to move on: There are other demands in your life that are distracting you from committing to the program completely There have been numerous times where miscommunication becomes an obstacle to progress in the mentoring relationship During meetings with the mentor, you become bored and/or annoyed When it seems that you and your mentor have nothing to discuss There are problems in the mentoring relationship, but they have never been addressed We suggest that you evaluate yourself before ending the relationship. Mentoring is a partnership, and it takes two people to make it successful. Ask yourself, what role have I played in the aspect of the relationship that is not working? Also, take the time to think through how you may improve on your own performance. Once you have discovered what you can do better, reach out to your mentor and talk through your discovery. Ask your mentor to do the same self evaluation. Finally, talk about how you both can move forward to improve the relationship. If you find that improvement will not help the relationship, reach out to the program s administrator for the next steps toward ending the relationship early. This should be the last step.

13 Thank you again for your time and becoming a mentor in our Certification Mentor Program. We hope you find the tips and suggestions helpful. Lastly, remember to include fun in your mentoring experience! Do not hesitate to contact us at any point and time with questions. HR Certification Institute 1800 Duke Street Alexandria, Virginia, USA (US Toll Free) (International) Fax Follow us on and our Certification Matters Blog Web site: HRCI #C12-047