Wikipedia states: “A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice…In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and professional growth of a mentee”. Mentors are wonderful people to have in your life. I have had three. They not only advised me, they encouraged me, celebrated me and gave me great confidence in everything I attempted. Powerful to say the least.


Community Bank of Elmhurst created an employee mentoring program in March of 2021. The idea had come out of a Board of Directors annual “ADVANCE” (never retreat) meeting and had the Board’s full support. A program manual was created, mentors recruited, and the program was offered to all CBE employees as a personal and professional opportunity. Four years later, the program features eight mentors and thirteen mentees…that means over 60% of all our employees are part of the effort.


The program stresses several, key, elements: confidentiality, honesty, direct interactions, frequent contact, positivity, personal and professional topics and freedom to walk away at any time. Both mentors and mentees report high satisfaction and as far as we can determine, CBE is the only bank doing this type of endeavor. It’s viewed as an employee benefit and is included in recruitment and orientation plans within the
Bank.


The mentors meet together twice a year to review the program, gain training and spot any flaws. In year four, the program is doing very well. CBE sees itself as a unique organization, offering, as its Mission Statement states: “superior, personalized banking services, valuing our customers and community first”. That carries over into our caring for our staff in every way we can and giving back in every way we can, including our “4U” accomplishments.


Mentors and Mentees are special people engaged in a special way. At CBE, we are delighted to have those values in our workplace every day.