Subverting stereotypes about where knowledge and wisdom resides, the “reverse mentoring” model positions junior employees to mentor senior employees. Since 2011, Cisco has run a such a program, joined by the likes of Ernst & Young, PwC, Unilever, P&G, Heineken, the Latin American headquarters of CitiGroup and ditto HP. Beyond tech and manufacturing, there’s a precedent for business leaders in the construction lane and at insurance companies also adopting reverse mentoring into its L&D initiatives.
What do these programs have in common? Typically, younger employers are getting their older colleagues hip to new technological processes and progress in social justice movements. It’s a way to unite generations while keeping employees of all ages engaged. “Nobody likes to feel stagnant within an organization,” said Lydia Frank, marketing VP and career expert at HR mentoring software company Chronus.
Moreover, as layoffs and hiring freezes ripple across industries, Frank suggested that reverse mentoring specifically is a way to prevent brain drain at a company. “Regardless of what happens with the current economy, there’s going to be a set of employees that [are] staying with your organization — whether you’re still growing, whether you’re planning layoffs, whatever it is,” she said. “The employees that are standing [will be] propelling your business forward and need to continue to feel invested in.”
Reverse mentoring programs can also mitigate intergenerational...
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