Think about the sales reps on your team. You are likely surrounded by talented individuals who bring many different skill sets to your organization. Are you doing all you can to develop these sales professionals? When it comes to women especially, many leaders could do more to help them grow in their roles and advance in their careers.

Kalia Simms, a content contributor for Great Place to Work, says that a thoughtful mentorship program—one that helps engage and support women—can help you keep your talented staff members and recruit new sales professionals.

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share what Simms learned from Nancy Wisniewski, a champion for gender equality and the chief operating officer for Standard Chartered Americas, on how companies can craft successful mentorship programs for women.

1. Carefully match mentors and mentees. The first step in any successful mentoring program is making sure the pairing is correct. Different professionals need different things. When you take time to research which mentor may have had similar experiences, you can often help pair mentees with the appropriate person. Once you determine which mentor and mentee could work well together, match them and then step back. Wisniewski says mentoring relationships are just like any other relationship. They take time to develop.

2. Define rules of engagement. Another way you can help build better mentorship programs for women is to make sure everyone is clear about the objectives. Some women sign up for mentorship when they really want a sponsorship. That’s why it’s important for both sides to agree to a set of expectations, says Wisniewski. Some things to determine include how often the pair will meet and for how long.

3. Embrace all the options. Traditional mentorship programs involve pairing senior leaders with junior ones, but there are many different mentor-mentee pairings. Some mentees might benefit more by working with someone closer to their experience level, notes Wisniewski. And some professionals may enjoy a collaborative mentoring circle set-up over a one-on-one relationship. To create the best mentoring opportunities for women on your sales team, be open to what each person wants.

4. Drive a dynamic discussion. Wisniewski points out the importance of designing a mentorship program with a reverse-mentoring aspect to ensure the needs of the mentor are not forgotten. This helps keep all participants engaged. It also helps senior leaders get genuine insights on whether a particular initiative or strategy is landing well. Reverse-mentoring can also help impart new skills to more experienced employees. For example, Wisniewski says many organizations have enlisted the help of their millennial, digital native staff to help upskill their more experienced colleagues. This helps show the workforce that all corners of the talent pool are valued—not just the ones with the longest tenure.

If one of your company’s larger goals is to create a more equitable workplace, consider how you can support women through mentorship programs. Women often face different workplace challenges than men, making strong mentor-mentee relationships even more important.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Kalia Simms is a content contributor for Great Place to Work.