Successful Mentoring for a Diverse Workplace

A Program for Supervisors to Support the Retention of a Diverse Staff at UCR.

UCR is committed to recruiting, welcoming, supporting and retaining a diverse staff. Evidence collected from the UCR staff climate surveys, focus groups and working groups from 2006 to 2008 demonstrated a desire on the part of staff for increased mentoring and career development.

Research has shown that mentoring has a quantifiable positive impact on the retention of a diverse staff, and that providing mentors with the appropriate skills will increase their mentor proficiency. Mentor training equips supervisors with tools to provide in-depth and effective support to their staff. Our project team proposes the development of a mentoring training program for employees with supervisory responsibilities to support the retention of a diverse staff at UCR.

This proposal has three facets: an in-person training workshop, an online module, and a performance appraisal addendum which would include a section where supervisors would be reviewed on their mentoring skills. We propose that the program elements be formally sponsored by Human Resources. The content, however, could be created by an Advisory Group, including representation and expertise from the Office of Faculty & Staff Affirmative Action as well as members of this project team.

We propose several evaluation measures including surveying supervisors that have participated in the program, finding a method to collect the results from the performance appraisal addendums and correlating staff turnover to participation in the program.

Project Team:

Faye Brock, Director, Instruction Support Unit, UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences

Ann Frenkel, Assistant University Librarian for Research and Instructional Services

Nasser Salomon, Manger of Application and Multimedia Development

(Note: Titles and affiliations are as of 2010 when project was completed)