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MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 17, 2018 -- Mentors give their protégés a career boost — and receive one in return, suggests a Robert Half Management Resources survey. Thirty-eight percent of CFOs who have served as a mentor said the greatest benefit is the opportunity to improve their own leadership skills, followed by 29 percent who cited the internal satisfaction of helping others.
The survey also found the majority of financial executives (62 percent) have been mentors.
CFOs were asked, "Have you, at any point in your career, served as a mentor, either formally or informally?" Their responses:
|
Yes |
62% |
|
No |
38% |
|
100% |
CFOs who have been a mentor were also asked, "Which one of the following do you think is the greatest benefit of being a mentor?" Their responses*:
|
Offers you the opportunity to improve your leadership skills |
38% |
|
Provides the internal satisfaction of helping someone else |
29% |
|
Helps you build your professional network |
18% |
|
Allows you to stay current on industry trends |
15% |
|
No benefit to being a mentor |
1% |
|
101% |
* Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.
"Mentoring programs benefit staff at all levels and give mentors an opportunity to hone their communication and leadership skills," said Tim Hird, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. "Helping others navigate their careers is as powerful a development tool for the teacher as it is for the student."
Hird pointed out that not all arrangements need to be of the traditional kind. "Some companies are exploring reverse mentorships, in which professionals earlier in their careers partner with tenured colleagues to share experience from other industries or provide technology coaching."
Robert Half Management Resources offers tips for those interested in becoming a mentor.
- Determine your value. Specify the type of advice and assistance you can provide.
- Research your options. If you're hoping to mentor a colleague, look into programs available through your company. There may be processes in place to match you with a potential mentee.
- Go outside the office. Many groups actively seek mentors for their members, including university and high school alumni groups, community and philanthropic organizations, and professional and business associations.
- Look for a rising star. Start by determining the type of person you want to mentor, such as a student entering your field or a manager looking to become an executive. Update your network on your goal.
About the Research
The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on telephone interviews with more than 2,200 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
About Robert Half Management Resources
Robert Half Management Resources is the premier provider of senior-level finance, accounting and business systems professionals for companies' project and interim staffing needs. Customizing its approach for each organization, Robert Half Management Resources can provide a single consultant, a financial team or full-service consulting services, delivered through Protiviti, a Robert Half subsidiary. With more than 140 locations worldwide, Robert Half Management Resources works with companies of all sizes, including more than half of the top 100 companies from the FORTUNE 500®. For more information, visit roberthalf.com/management-resources.
SOURCE Robert Half Management Resources