Improving the Mentoring & Field Certification Processes for Siemens Healthineers

Abstract

Mentoring is a vital component of organizational development, yet its potential is often not recognized or underutilized. Despite the potential benefits of mentoring, its study has been largely confined to disciplinary silos (youth coaching, academic, nursing), focusing on specific types of mentoring relationships and outcomes. A review of mentoring research in academic and organizational settings revealed a positive association with various behavioral, relational, and career outcomes. Because mentoring can lead to organizational improvements, Siemens Healthineers, a global medical device company, deems it an essential component in developing and maintaining the technical expertise of their customer-facing employees. Their leadership focus on constant improvement fueled their request for assistance with finding ways to improve their mentoring program. This project used a mixed-method approach to identify the major competencies that a mentor should possess to be effective in their role as a mentor. Our project also investigated the criteria that should be used to pair a mentor with a mentee to optimize successful outcomes. We discovered that establishing more structured mentoring programs, providing professional development opportunities for mentors, reviewing competencies and fit characteristics, and implementing formal feedback mechanisms through organizational change and leadership support can positively impact the mentoring.