With a structured mentoring programme, utilities can enrich the working lives of employees and pass on hard-won experience to the next generation.

Nurturing staff should be a priority for any business in a climate where retention rates can be low, skill sets are often rare, and newer, shinier opportunities are abundant. Particularly in the utilities space, where there is commonly a negativity despite the exciting innovation occurring, companies should be helping their employees thrive.

Salary increases, ongoing training and progression opportunities fall into the more traditional ways of keeping a prosperous workforce, however one of the more overlooked yet beneficial options is mentoring. For participants, mentoring can help develop a toolbox of skills and aid development in a plethora of ways such as confidence building, interpersonal skills and self-growth as well as providing a window to the future.

Within an industry as dynamic, if not turbulent, as utilities, the need to develop prospective leaders is increasingly important. It is no secret that the energy industry in particular has suffered a number of knocks in recent years and slim profit margins plague even the most operationally lean of suppliers.

As a result there has to be a reality that the industry may not as openly attract the “big hitters” from industries with deeper pockets such as finance and IT and thus companies often thrive on the incestuous nature of utilities, where people are inclined to move between similar businesses or stay and become “lifers” in their own. This is in no way a bad thing, however, because it means the industry has the opportunity to breed a generation of highly skilled, well-rounded leaders; by incentivising your staff to remain in your business or sparking their interest in the industry more widely using personal development in the form of mentoring, we can shape a brighter future.

Societal shifts in recent years have meant that managers are being held more accountable to the need to endorse a healthy workforce, both physically and mentally, and management styles should be adapting accordingly. Emotional intelligence is now one of the most important attributes because it dictates ability to pragmatically approach situations with colleagues and stakeholders.

This considered and thoughtful leadership can manifest in many ways, from being able to trust an employee to work from home when required through to identifying when people are struggling to cope.

Thankfully, it is being recognised increasingly that awareness of these things helps develop a more productive working environment and a happier workforce. As time passes, the skills that make a good leader are naturally evolving with it and mentoring can provide insight into these success-making traits as people learn from both tribulations and triumphs of their predecessors. That accessibility to the experience of others who have trodden the path before you is truly invaluable.

Mentoring is proven to be mutually rewarding for both mentor and mentee in innumerable ways through the sharing of knowledge, advice and experiences. A good participant of mentoring will need the foundation attributes of having the ability to commit, to listen and to be receptive. It is imperative that the right match is made between mentor and mentee so they can both benefit.

Larger companies are often more capable of offering mentoring schemes because they can dedicate the resources to making these careful matches and ensuring the commitment is being upheld by both parties. For the situation where either a company cannot support its own scheme, or both mentor and mentee would benefit more from external perspective, there are solutions at hand. One of which is the Future Leaders – Utilities Mentoring Network.

Future Leaders – The Utilities Mentoring Network

The network is a growing mentoring scheme for energy and utilities professionals across the UK. Founder, Ian Parry, has a wealth of experience within the utilities space and has joined forces with Consult Energy Recruitment (energy and utilities recruitment specialists) to set up the scheme. The purpose of the network is to allow industry professionals to advance their careers both personally and professionally, as a mentor or a mentee. Having spent a number of years sourcing specialist candidates for the utilities space, Consult Energy has seen the benefits firsthand of companies that nurture their staff and thus have supported the scheme from the outset.