Several years ago after members of the Greater Ann Arbor Society for Human Resource Management (GAASHRM) created a mentoring program for the association, HR professionals who belong to the chapter began asking for more information – they wanted to build mentoring programs in their own workplaces and businesses.

Association members then began talking to Michigan organizations with successful mentoring programs about their best practices. As a result, GAASHRM decided to start honoring organizations with the “Best Practices in Mentoring Award.”

Now in its second year, this year's event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on May 20 at Weber's Inn in Ann Arbor, said Michele Ruppal, mentoring committee chairwoman for GAASHRM and president of Plymouth-based HR Strategies and Solutions, a training, consulting, and coaching services firm. Attendees at the luncheon will have the opportunity to hear from the award winner about that organization's mentoring program, as well as tips and best practices they can use to build their own.

To qualify for the award, organizations of 50 or more employees in southeast and mid-Michigan were invited to apply online, she said. After GAASHRM narrowed down the field of candidates, association members then interviewed mentors and protégés at selected organizations to find out more about the individual programs. This year's winner and runner-up were chosen from about nine organizations.

Originally, when the association began looking for more information about mentoring programs, GAASHRM members found that while many organizations were interested, few had such programs in place. So the annual awards program helps bring more awareness to the importance of mentoring, Ruppal said.

“We saw there was a need in the industry for it,” she said.

Now, with baby boomers leaving the workplace in large numbers and corporations transitioning work overseas, mentoring programs are more important than ever before, Ruppal said. Organizations need to provide a way for baby boomers to pass along their knowledge, and mentoring programs are one way to do that.

At GAASHRM, the chapter sponsors a committee that supplies student SHRM chapter members and HR professionals with mentors, she said. The program, which also provides remote or electronic mentoring options, allows participants to select a mentor from the association's mentoring committee.

Those who participate in the program often are students who want to enter the profession, Ruppal said. Many HR professionals also take advantage of the program when they're changing jobs within the profession, preparing for certification, or wanting to enhance leadership or other skills.

“We understand the need of mentoring in an organization,” she said.

To register for next week's event, visit GAASHRM online. Cost to attend is $20 for members, $10 for students, and $40 for non-members. Those who would like to attend the luncheon are encouraged to register today to reserve a seat.

Written by Jenny Cromie, certified human resources specialist (CHRS)