Mentoring in the USDA Forest Service: A Survey of Aquatic Professionals

Mentoring is suggested as an important strategy to promote workplace inclusivity and is shown to be positively associated with high employee morale, yet mentee needs and experiences may not be universal. To evaluate mentoring impacts from the perspective of USDA Forest Service employees, we conducted an online survey of 251 aquatic professionals, including managers and scientists. 70% of respondents had mentors, and mentorship status did not vary across demographic characteristics. Previous mentoring relationships were most frequently identified as “informal” rather than “formal”; female employees were more likely to desire formal mentoring. Mentored respondents found their work more challenging, fulfilling, and valuable than unmentored respondents. Mentees looked for mentors who could provide constructive feedback, speak candidly, use active listening skills, and who cared about their careers. Overall, respondents were satisfied with their mentors’ skills. Despite strong demand for mentoring, access to mentors among aquatic professionals appears low across all categories. Study Implications: Mentored employees convey greater job satisfaction and sense of being valued, challenged, and fulfilled. Strong demand for mentorship exists among aquatic professionals in the USDA Forest Service, yet awareness of and access to mentoring opportunities appear to be uneven. Skills employees found most useful and satisfactory in informal mentoring can serve as a basis for future design of agency mentoring programs. Effectively communicating mentorship opportunities to employees is important for increasing participation rates in mentoring. By encouraging employees to participate in mentoring, organizations can reap tangible and intangible benefits through employee development, such as increased organizational productivity and employee retention.