The old way of mentoring is gone. A few one-on-one meetings and a couple of coffee dates are no longer the mentoring norm. Nowadays, mentoring is so much more personal because the competition in almost every industry is fierce and the younger generation wants more guidance than ever when navigating through the perils of the workforce. Let’s take a look at a few ways this younger generation needs to be mentored.

Get the Big Dogs Involved

I’m talking the C-suite, senior level and business leaders. Younger workers have big goals and aspirations and want to contribute and understand the big picture more quickly than older generations, which means they really want input and mentorship from those who are in the positions they are looking to be in one day.

Use Technology

Sometimes managers and executives can’t dedicate a lot of time to mentoring, but not all of the younger workers are seeking regular meetings. Utilize technology such as videos and podcasts to give advice and mentoring tips that can be hosted on your company’s intranet or distributed via email campaigns. This way, these workers can learn on their own time.

External Opportunities

A lot of the younger generation like to network outside of their companies, meaning you should provide and help facilitate these mentoring opportunities so that these workers can form mentorship groups outside of the office walls. Whether it be a fun happy hour, external program or anything of the sorts, this can provide career guidance and future job opportunities for the younger workforce.

Take it Step by Step

If you are new to mentoring, you may want to try to give the mentee all of the information possible to help them, but break out these lessons into different categories so that the info can be absorbed easily. The more information you overload them with, the harder it will be for them to process the material. Use a step-by-step process to make sure that you are helping your mentee in the best way possible to help them advance their career.

Accept Challenges to Your Ideas

The younger generation wants to learn, but they also want to be heard. Don’t be afraid to accept when they challenge your ideas and thoughts. The mentee should not feel pressured to take your word as the end all be all. When a mentee analyzes and challenges what you are saying, you may end up learning a few things yourself.

As a younger generation enters the workforce, it is important that as an established mentor, you are providing them with the guidance and information they need to one day be as successful as you are. But remember, that things are not like they used to be – today’s workforce is full of people willing to challenge the old ways and who are looking to grow and learn quickly and efficiently. These tips will help you mentor this generation in a way that fits their wants and needs and will also help you learn along the way.