Guide For Mentors

Job Duties: The mentor is to familiarize themselves with the general process mentoring entails during the next year.  Review website and check lists for a general understanding of what new employee will need to have access to within the first month.

Connect: Meet with the department leadership/supervisor to discuss duties and expectations.  Send a welcome email to the new employee and schedule a meeting if not the first day, sometime in the first week, as either leadership/supervisor, or mentor, will need to orient new employee to campus and provide a tour.

Objective: The new employee experiences Kettering College as a welcoming work environment with informed colleagues and a fully equipped workspace. This conveys caring and builds excitement about joining the team. The mentor can reduce anxiety by letting them know what to expect, where to be, how to get there, and who can answer questions. The mentor is a peer who works in the same department as the new employee. The mentor has worked for the college for a minimum of one year and feels comfortable sharing knowledge and expertise with the new employee.

Start Day:

• Plan to meet the mentee on the first day, providing schedules allows
• Either the mentor or the leadership/supervisor should provide a tour of the college campus and areas specific to the department
• During the tour, ensure badges work for location where access is needed
• Introduce the new employee to the faculty and staff during the tour

Technology: Aid mentee in navigating how to:

• Log onto Outlook
• One Drive
• HealthStreams
• MyHR
• Observe if the employee has a network email or is experiencing visible frustration with technology
• Encourage them to reach out, and offer contact information of key people who can help, with the process

First Week Meeting with New Hire:

• Set up a meeting sometime within the first week,
• Exchange contact information if not already completed
• Discuss communication styles and the best mode to connect.
  • Examples are texting verses emailing or calling
• During this meeting, the mentor should also discuss
  • Kettering Health culture
  • How Kettering College fits into the Kettering Health picture
  • The history of the college and what programs it offers
• Perhaps explain the organizational chart and how departments work with each other and administration
• The new employee might have multiple questions related to daily activities, access, and classroom practices

• Connect weekly and check on the mentee
  • Some mentors prefer to meet over a meal/lunch while others might opt to meet via Zoom or Teams
• The mentor should be familiar with all the checklists used by the leadership/supervisor and be available for questions—it should be expected that the new employee has many questions—the mentor should offer to give another tour of the college and perhaps Kettering Health Main Campus

• Connect every two weeks or as often as needed with the mentee
• During the second and third month, the mentor should start asking questions about the process
  • How is the new employee adapting?
  • How is he or she feeling about KC organizational culture/structure?
  • How are the mentee’s interactions with students and other peers?
  • What are the things the employee feels confident about and what are some areas of improvement?

• Connecting monthly is appropriate during the second trimester; the employee should feel comfortable being the one reaching out to the mentor
• At this time, the employee should: (as applicable)
  • Have met most of the other staff and faculty members at the college
  • Be somewhat familiar with classroom teaching
  • Have become somewhat proficient at using the learning management platforms
  • Be proficient with other systems at the college
  • Start discussing student advising and committee membership
  • Connect with various committee chairs for informational meetings in consideration towards joining a committee
• Most interactions should be positive as the mentor is not only a colleague, but also a friend to the mentee

Connect only as needed, if needed. The employee should be fully integrated into the KC family. The employee will most likely continue to have a close relationship with the mentor.