Mentorship: a successful tool for recruitment, recognition, and advancement.

Mentoring is a valuable tool for recruitment, retention, and staff personal satisfaction in these chaotic times. Effective staffing of health-care laboratories has become increasingly difficult as decreased numbers of qualified medical technologists graduate from medical technology programs. Laboratory managers experience loss of valuable, seasoned employees as those workers pursue fields other than the laboratory. Mentorships to assist young people in making clinical laboratory science career choices can help to expand the number of medical technologists entering the job market. Mentorships to expand the abilities of experienced technologists and to afford opportunities for advancement can enhance job satisfaction and retention.