Businesses need engaged employees. The problem is, there’s no silver bullet for engagement. Only 34% of U.S. employees are engaged, and this figure is going down, not up, according to Gallup. Now more than ever, mentorship has an important role to play. Employees who are mentored don’t just improve performance — they also stick around longer.

Businesses can’t afford to ignore such a powerful tool. That’s why more than 70% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs. This isn’t the end of the story, though. You need your top talent to be paired with the right mentors. So, what does it take to be a successful mentor? And how does mentorship differ from coaching?

Characteristics of a good mentor

There’s no magic formula for effective mentorship. Everyone learns in their own way and faces different challenges in their career. That said, if a mentor is stubborn, never listens and only interacts with their mentee (if they have time for them at all) to criticize, that’s not going to cut it.

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