Landwards Spring 2021
Profession The importance or mentoring
Stuart Goodinson
Nurture people to unleash their potential Investing in career progression of employees is the key to reduced staff turnover and greater contribution from a team according to Stuart Goodinson, managing director of De Lacy Executive. “When candidates approach us to help them find a new position, more often than not the reason they give for seeking a new job is lack of progression in their current role,” he comments. “It’s worth thinking about this for a minute. Good people are moving on because the current company isn’t investing in them. This is incredibly short-sighted by the employer.” Mr Goodinson suggests that investment in coaching and mentoring can deliver real benefits 26
for minimal cost. He says people respond well to being shown they are valued; that there is clear progression as well as the opportunity to develop and grow. In the current job market, people are looking especially for security and are prepared to devote more energy to their role if they believe it will help their career. “When you compare the cost of training and mentoring with the costs of replacing a team member, it should be an easy decision.
In our experience, the cost of losing someone is equivalent to a minimum of four months of their contribution to the business. “When an existing person becomes disillusioned, productivity will drop. You will be short-staffed while you find and train up a replacement and there are costs of recruitment as well. If that same person could be motivated to do more, to be more productive and to stay, the benefits to the business could be substantial.”
