When esteemed American poet Maya Angelou passed, she was remembered fondly by many — and, notably, by her passionate mentee, Oprah Winfrey.
“‘When you learn, teach. When you get, give’ is one of my best lessons from her,” Winfrey shared.
The relationship between these two influential voices exemplifies the best elements of a mentor-mentee exchange. Passing on lessons to a junior colleague opens the door to growth opportunities for both parties and lays the foundation for a positive professional relationship. In the case of Angelou and Winfrey, their relationship offered Winfrey a confidant and remarkable “mentor-mother-sister-friend.”
In tech spaces, businesses that provide mentorship programs see increased overall employee retention, according to Forbes.
Featured below are two companies currently hiring — OTR Solutions and Invoice Home — that provide mentorship programs as part of their overall benefits and culture. Built In spoke with leaders from both companies to hear more about the opportunities they offer to prospective candidates on the market today.
OTR Solutions provides a suite of factoring, fuel and business management solutions for the transportation industry.
What types of skill-building support does OTR Solutions offer? Are there mentorship or training opportunities for greener employees?
At OTR, we have a variety of opportunities for employees to expand their professional and personal skills. We train all our employees from the ground up with a hands-on approach. We offer continued corporate training to fuel productivity and knowledge throughout the organization.
For employees new to the workplace, we have a mentorship program to provide support and guidance from experienced leaders at the company. For example, last year we had a summer training series where each department hosted sessions for employees companywide to showcase their processes, updates and current initiatives. This is a way to keep employees informed and foster inter-department collaboration and information sharing.
How do you stay competitive with your salary and benefit offerings? Are there any new perks or benefits you're offering as a result of employee feedback?
Retention and recruiting are always top of mind for us, and it is important that we stay competitive to attract top talent and keep our rock stars. We conduct annual benefits surveys and ensure we keep a pulse on what's important — and inclusive — to our people. We have a wide range of offerings including standard health benefits like medical, dental, vision, short-term disability and life insurance. On top of those benefits, we have a generous 401(k) program, paid maternity and parental leave, paid volunteer days, pet insurance, an employee assistance program, free gym memberships, catered lunches and travel bonuses based on tenure.
“Retention and recruiting are always top of mind for us — it’s important we stay competitive to attract top talent and keep our rock stars.”
We are also very proud of our “Impact Programs” — employee groups dedicated to making a positive impact within OTR and our surrounding community and industry.
Do you have any DEI, sustainability, or equitable practices that OTR Solutions is proud of?
We host three internal impact groups: Diversity in Logistics, Women in Logistics and OTR Cares. Our internal impact groups exist to support our employees, clients, industry partners and community. DIL aims to create initiatives and strategies that support our diverse employee population. WIL’s goal is to foster a supportive community that empowers women to develop as leaders within the company, promoting their professional growth and individual success. OTR Cares aims to provide ample opportunities for employees at all levels of the organization to volunteer and give back to the community, our industry and our employees. These groups work tirelessly to make OTR and the community around us the best it can be.
Invoice Home is a billing and invoicing services provider for small businesses and freelancers.
What types of skill-building support does Invoice Home offer? Are there mentorship or training opportunities for greener employees?
Our company places a major emphasis on personal development and learning for our employees. We pair greener employees with more seasoned team members with similar specialties and interests who serve as mentors, providing guidance, advice and support. We support continuous learning by providing access to online courses for any skill set our employees wish to develop. Our goal is to equip them with the tools and foundation they need to excel in their role and at the company.
“Our goal is to equip them with the tools and foundation they need to excel in their role and at the company.”
We also encourage our employees to join the projects and functions of their choosing within the marketing team — because we believe restricting them to one isolates them from expanding their knowledge and experience overall. This in turn empowers them to take their growth with the company into their own hands and in whichever direction they want.
How do you stay competitive with your salary and benefit offerings? Are there any new perks or benefits you're offering as a result of employee feedback?
We frequently check the market within our field and expertise to confirm that our salaries and benefits measure up to the industry standard. Every six months, we conduct performance reviews to check in with our employees and confirm they are on the right track.
Maintaining this open line of communication has allowed us to stay competitive and motivates employees to push themselves to the next level in their achievements. As a result of these conversations, we have recently expanded our company benefits to include a Health Savings Account monthly contribution and 401(k) company match.
Do you have any DEI, sustainability, or equitable practices that Invoice Home is proud of?
We recognize and value the importance of building a team that reflects the diverse perspectives and experiences of our global customer base and the world. You can see this in our recruitment efforts, where we have implemented a structured interview process to eliminate bias and ensure that all candidates are evaluated based on their skills, qualifications and the potential impact they could make as members of the team.
As an online invoicing software, we're proud to say that we offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper-based invoicing methods, which further promotes sustainability by reducing paper usage, energy consumption and resource depletion.
