Mentors really do help

Having a long-term mentor really is good for your career.

A newly released study by Flinders University has measured the relative success of junior female academic staff who joined a mentoring program against colleagues who did not. The study found that the women with mentors achieved more in terms of significant publications, won more research funding and had a higher rate of promotion. They were also more confident in their work.

Making a Difference, the evaluation report on Flinders University's mentoring scheme for early career women researchers, was launched recently during a ceremony at Flinders. The guest speaker was Dr Fiona Wood, plastic surgeon and 2005 Australian of the Year.

Flinders Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Chris Marlin, said that the University's staff mentoring scheme had been a resounding success on two fronts.

"Not only has it provided effective support to 70 women as they have built their research careers, but it has also formed the basis of a unique longitudinal study of the effectiveness of such mentoring schemes," he said.

Ms Maria Gardiner, the report's author, said that the seven-year study is the first of its kind in Australia, if not the world. She said that because the benefits of mentoring had never been properly quantified, they were often dismissed as being at the "warm and fuzzy" end of the spectrum.

"This study provides the evidence that the benefits of mentoring to performance are real and substantial, not only for the mentored individuals but also for the institution in which they work," Ms Gardiner said.

"The women who were mentored have a higher rate of promotion, produce one and a half times the number of high quality publications, and receive over four times the grant income of those not in the scheme.

"These women have been very productive, and have brought in a lot of income for the University and for themselves."

Ms Gardiner said that much of the success of the Flinders scheme can be attributed to the care taken to make it intensive and sustained: by contrast, mentoring schemes that are more casual and short-lived are likely to be much less useful.

Ms Gardiner said the Flinders scheme placed great emphasis on an appropriate matching-up process and on making support available to the paired colleagues.

"The mentors were hand-picked to suit each of the junior women's needs," Ms Gardiner said. "To succeed, a mentoring scheme can't take a one-size-fits-all approach."

Ms Gardiner said that some women researchers, particularly those with young children, were interested in finding the balance necessary to keep their research profile afloat, while others were keen to know how to maximise and fast-track their research effort.

There was also considerable variation in approach between the pairs of junior academics and mentors, with some opting for short, informal chats, while other scheduled longer, more intensive meetings. Sustaining the process is also crucial, Ms Gardiner said.

"What we know from the research, and from this study in particular, is that the real benefits only start to appear at the end of the first year."

"So while these results do not apply to every type of mentoring scheme, they show the value of schemes that are intensive and sustained."

Ms Gardiner said that the study showed that institutions or large companies that took the trouble to set up similar schemes could expect a good return on their investment.

"This is the first time that there is an evidence base to show that mentoring is worthwhile."