Starting with a new company or new position within a company can be daunting.  We are thrust into a new environment with a whole host of new policies and procedures, and often, the team we join is already harried.  Not only have they been a person down while trying to find the right hire, but now they also have an additional job of training someone new!  This scenario is rife with challenges, and I think Bell Partners’ “Bell Buddies” program is a wonderful addition to help ease that transition.

I was lucky to hear Cindy Clare speak at NAA’s Apartmentalize Conference a few weeks back discussing “How to Recruit and Retain Talent in Today’s Competitive Market” where she briefly touched upon their Bell Buddies program.  After the conference, she was nice enough to provide more details.

The Bell Buddies program allows seasoned professionals in the same line of work guide a new hire or recently promoted associate through the onboarding process and with understanding policies and procedures.  The program lasts 90 days, and importantly, it starts within the first week of hire or promotion.  The mentor can also guide the mentee through finding company resources, as well as explaining Bell’s culture.  The Bell Buddy is weaved together with introductory courses through the LMS, providing a multi-touch onboarding process.

There are several aspects I love about this mentoring concept:  (These also include my own observations, not necessarily showcased by Bell)

1)      Before becoming a Bell Buddy, individuals are trained in what it means to be a Bell Buddy and how the program works.  For people who don’t have experience as being a mentor, this is an absolutely crucial step.  It’s one thing to understand the processes and be empathetic, while a whole other skill set to effectively mentor someone.  Bell also provides a roadmap for the Bell Buddy and mentee to follow during the program so it has some semblance of structure rather than the mentor and mentee both confused about how to proceed.

2)      By providing a Bell Buddy for new hires, it provides a safe environment to ask questions without sounding dumb or worrying about making a bad impression.  Joining a new company, nobody wants to look stupid in front of their boss, so a mentor gives that person an outlet for all questions big and small.  Even for skilled hires, different companies tend to have different terminology, acronyms, and other distinct elements which can make it a bit of a tricky transition.

3)      We all tend to have our on-site “family”, and it is great that a mentor can help expand relationships outside of the property in a much quicker way.

4)      One of my favorite aspects was that it isn’t just for new hires – it also includes newly promoted associates, as well.  Our industry as a whole struggles with training the transition, especially from assistant manager to manager.  We may feel that the person is ready to make the jump, but giving them the tools to actually do so can be a challenge, so providing a mentor in this situation is incredibly smart.

To build upon the theme of mentoring in multifamily, later in the conference I attended a session with Kara Rice and Steve Matre, and they introduced an interesting idea of mentoring not simply based upon seasoned professional plus green professional, but rather by subject matter.  So for example, one person who becomes a subject matter expert on a certain topic or process within the organization could become a mentor on that topic to several others at the same time, therefore changing the dynamic based upon the skill needing improvement rather than simple experience.

Considering a very small minority of those in multifamily reported having a mentor, programs like Bell Buddies is a great way to extend knowledge, build a company culture, and promote employee satisfaction.  Have a company-sponsored mentoring program?  Please share the details below!