​ Overcoming the Challenges of Mentoring

Track: Agile
Skill Level: Intermediate
Room: Room A314
Time Slot: Thu 2/23, 5:30 PM
Tags: n/a
Presentation Link
Abstract

Successful mentoring doesn’t just happen, it’s planned. Let’s talk about what mentoring is, what it is not, and what makes for an effective mentorship. ​

There is an ongoing mantra within the developer community: that there are far more jobs available then programmers to fill them. Which should be an indication as to the wonderful potential for both business and those learning to code. Yet what often follows such statements are not words of joy but rather a list of frustrations related to the difficulty in finding and retaining enough skilled developers to fill these positions.
The challenge is not in the number of newbies entering the field but the number who leave because they are not able to bridge the divide between bootcamps, online tutorials, books, videos, etc. to an employable developer who is able to contribute to the team.

Kim has years of experience working with learners of various ages in helping them develop the skills they needed to be successful at whatever their chosen goal. She understands that for businesses to be successful, they must develop more effective and efficient ways of recruiting and retaining developers in order to meet organizational benchmarks.
The developer community is a overwhelmingly generous one and a well designed mentoring or apprenticeship program could be one answer that business leaders and newbies are looking for.

  • The business costs associated with corporate hiring managers inability to recruit and retain skilled workers to fill current and future entry-level positions are increasing (Queen, 2014).
  • 89 percent of organizational leaders stated that they are having difficulties filling open positions, which is causing them to either turn down orders, miss key deliverable deadlines or hire individuals from outside of the United States (Aho, 2015).

Aho, K. (2015). The robotics industry: creating jobs, closing the skills gap. Techniques, (7), 22. Retrieved from https://www.acteonline.org/techniques/#.VpMcQq6rR0s

Queen, J. (2014). Hire power: to close the skills gap, states are teaming up with industries that need, but can’t find, qualified workers. State Legislatures, (8), 16. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/bookstore/state-legislatures-magazine.aspx

Kim Crayton

Being able to effectively communicate your ideas, desires, and intentions to others is a skill that is valued everywhere. The world’s economies move forward because businesses are able to create, market, and sell products and services that solve problems.

Kim Crayton has years of experience creating process plans in the education, sales, marketing, and technology industries. She is known for her skills as a problem solver and strategy developer. She possesses a unique ability of being able to see the BIG picture while still managing the details. 

Whether in the role of Project Manager, Process Manager or Learner Support Strategist, Kim uses her knowledge and skills for developing meaningful and effective processes for helping businesses to create exceptional customer experiences. Providing clear and consistent steps for how customers enter and move through a business’s product or service pipeline is important to ensuring that each customer walks away satisfied and willing to advocate on a businesses behalf. It also means that organizational leaders are better positioned to use resources to work “on the business” rather than “in the business”.

When you hire Kim, you are getting more than just someone who can develop effective processes, policies, and procedures. You are gaining a new team member who will take the time to understand your needs and work to translate them into an experience that you and your customers will enjoy and benefit from.