Mentoring isn’t on the radar for most chief financial officers in Canada, according to a recent survey by Robert Half Management Resources.
The survey, which polled 270 chief financial officers, found that 61 per cent of respondents have never served as a mentor, formally or informally, at any point in their career.
On the other hand, a third (33 per cent) of respondents said they’ve acted as a mentor in some capacity. Among those respondents, 32 per cent said the greatest benefit of being a mentor is the internal satisfaction gained from helping others, while 27 per cent cited the opportunity to improve leadership skills. In addition, 23 per cent of respondents said it helped in developing a professional network and 17 per cent said it kept them up to date on trends in the industry.
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“For tenured professionals, serving as mentor can be an opportunity to sharpen their leadership and networking skills, while gaining fresh insight into their industry or company,” said David King, Canadian president of Robert Half Management Resources, in a press release. “In helping others navigate their careers, managers remain engaged with evolving market trends and stay on top of new innovations that help keep their business competitive.”
When looking to become a mentor, executives should be clear about the type of help and advice they can offer to younger employees, according to Robert Half. It also suggests executives should be clear about the type of person they want to mentor, such as a student who’s new to the field or a manger looking to move up in the organization.
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