With a mixed generation co-existing in workplace, organizations today are faced with the challenge of maintaining the workforce balance and coordination. While the older generation believes in hard work, loyalty and planning, the millennials rely highly on technology, social connections and creativity. Organizations and HR professionals everywhere are experimenting on diverse ways to keep these different generations moving and working together. Reverse mentoring is an approach that makes this happen. Though meant to train senior employees on current trends in technology, in the process it is also coaching younger workforce and making them future ready.
Learning from Millennials
Senior executives are no more embarrassed to reach out to their younger employees in order to catch up with the latest trends in technology and social media. But there’s lot more these lesser experienced one can teach:
- Work-Life balance
- Flexibility and multitasking ability
- Sense of entitlement and constant feedback
- Art of celebrating success – Big or small
Coaching Millennials
Millennials score in technology but when it comes to real work life, their approach is relaxed and unconventional. They believe it doing-it-all but often fail to prioritize and plan. Giving them an opportunity to mentor their senior employees prepares them for real-time workplace challenges:
- Makes them confident ,responsible and punctual
- Trains them to be better with collaboration and team work.
- Make them well versed with industry practices and business terminology.
- It prepares them for leadership roles
Reverse Mentoring is setting the new trend in L&D. Looking at the positive outcome of the process, organizations are now offering formal reverse mentoring programs to help employees share and learn from eachother.
Do you agree that reverse mentoring can set the right tone for today’s workplace?
HRDictionary 
Reblogged this on The Corporate Sensemaker.