A corporate sponsorship is the practice of assigning a sponsor to a new arrival to facilitate integration and speed up adaptation to the new working environment. Much more than a simple welcome, this arrangement plays an essential role in the “onboarding” of new employees and helps to reduce employee turnover.
What is corporate sponsorship?
Origins and development of sponsorship in the workplace
Inspired by mentoring and pairing practices, corporate sponsorship is based on a supportive relationship between an experienced employee and a new recruit. Unlike mentoring, which often focuses on long-term professional development, the aim of sponsorship is to enable the new arrival to integrate quickly and smoothly.
The difference between mentoring, tutoring and the buddy system
- Mentoring : Long-term support to help employees develop their skills.
- Tutoring : Direct supervision, often present on work-study contracts.
- Le buddy system : A more informal approach where a buddy accompanies a new employee for a short period.
The benefits of corporate sponsorship
For the company
- Reduced staff turnover : A well-received employee is an employee who stays with a high level of commitment!
- Improved onboarding : mentoring provides a guide to understanding the company culture.
- Strengthening links and team spirit : It encourages cohesion within teams and the creation of lasting links.
For new arrivals
A point of reference on arrival to ask questions without embarrassment, an immediate feeling of belonging to the team, and a better understanding of expectations and tasks to be carried out: these are all essential elements for a successful integration. By creating a friendly and relaxed environment, new arrivals quickly feel at ease, thus promoting their commitment and efficiency within the company.
For the sponsor
Mentoring offers many advantages, both for new arrivals and for existing employees. It helps to develop essential soft skills such as listening, empathy and teaching, thereby strengthening internal communication. It is also a way of enhancing the role of employees by giving them a key role in the integration of new recruits. Finally, it creates a unique opportunity to network and interact with different departments, fostering better collaboration and a more global vision of the company.
How does an effective sponsorship work ?
A sponsorship system must be structured and tailored to the needs of the company and its employees. It includes several key elements:
Selection criteria for sponsors
A good mentor plays a key role in the integration of new arrivals. They need to be willing and motivated, so that they can pass on their enthusiasm and experience in a natural way. A good knowledge of the company and its values is essential to guide the new recruit effectively. Finally, interpersonal and pedagogical skills are needed to provide sympathetic support, ensuring that exchanges flow smoothly and promoting successful integration.
Monitoring and assessment stages
Before arrival: Presentation of the programme and training of sponsors.
D-Day: Meeting between the sponsor and the new employee.
First few weeks: Regular meetings to discuss and review the integration process.
End of the mentoring period: Evaluation and adjustments to the scheme.
The keys to successfully integrating a sponsorship programme
For a successful sponsorship programme, it is essential to :
Define clear objectives: What is the desired impact on integration and productivity?
Train sponsors: Offer specific training in HR tools and sponsorship management.
Organise regular meetings: breakfasts, informal meetings and other opportunities for exchange.
Ensure regular monitoring and measure the benefits: Gather feedback to adjust actions.
Mistakes to avoid
When sponsoring colleagues in a company, there are several mistakes to avoid:
Forcing sponsorship: The motivation of the employees and the sponsor must be natural to guarantee effective integration of the employee.
Failing to supervise the scheme: Without a clear framework and appropriate monitoring, this practice risks losing its effectiveness, which can be detrimental to the recruits and employees concerned.
Neglecting feedback: Gathering feedback from sponsors and new recruits helps to improve the system and ensure a better experience within the company.
The role of the human resources manager
The human resources manager plays a key role in setting up and managing the company's mentoring system. The aim of this scheme is to facilitate the integration of new employees and reduce staff turnover by providing a favourable environment for them to take up their new posts. It is based on the appointment of a sponsor, who assists the new recruit in his or her first few days.
During induction, this method addresses the new employee's concerns and gives them a guide to how the company works. Mentoring strengthens links between colleagues, fostering commitment and a corporate culture. Thanks to a structured programme, HR actions include training sponsors, optimising the onboarding process and monitoring the new arrival.
This system is an effective solution for improving the quality of recruits' experience by helping them to get to know their workplace, their hierarchy and their tasks better. It also encourages the transfer of skills, thereby boosting team productivity. The manager, as a partner in human resources, also participates in this process to ensure that the new recruit gets to grips with the job.
Lastly, this mentoring programme meets the needs of companies wishing to retain their talent and improve recruitment management by offering an effective integration tool tailored to the people joining the company.
Conclusion
Corporate mentoring is a powerful tool for successfully integrating and retaining talent. Setting up a structured and effective system requires organisation, but the benefits are considerable for both the company and its employees.
FAQ
How do you set up a company sponsorship scheme?
Setting up a company mentoring scheme involves defining objectives (integration, commitment, reducing staff turnover), choosing mentors and providing appropriate tools. Good HR monitoring and a structured framework ensure the effectiveness of the scheme and the support provided to new employees.
What are the principles of mentoring?
Mentoring is based on passing on knowledge, helping new recruits to take up their jobs and creating links between employees. This onboarding scheme facilitates integration, reduces recruits' anxieties and improves the corporate culture.
What are the benefits of sponsorship?
Sponsorship is a rewarding practice that strengthens the skills of sponsors and their role within the company. Some companies offer benefits such as dedicated time, bonuses or HR recognition to encourage employee commitment.
What is a sponsorship kit?
A mentoring kit is a guide containing the essential information needed to structure the induction of a new arrival: missions, internal tools, pairing with a buddy, HR processes and best practices. It makes it easier to manage the programme and integrate new recruits.
What types of sponsorship are there?
Companies adopt different methods depending on their needs: classic mentoring (a mentor guides a recruit), buddy system (a more informal relationship between colleagues), or cross-sponsoring to encourage learning between departments. This process optimises the experience of new employees and strengthens team cohesion.
