Our industry does a lot of hand-wringing about how we're facinga talent drain. McKinsey says 20% of the current insurance industryworkforce is near retirement, and the number will be up to 25% by2018.

Conventional wisdom says that insurance is a dull field thatbright young people shun. But a recent article I read by blogger Eric Barkermoved me to think about this in a totally different way—from theyoung person's perspective.

If we want young people to become successful in an industry rifewith possibilities, we can't do it with another cut-and-driedprogram: We need to be mentors.

Mentors aren't just empty suits in the corner office, phoning itin. They are teachers, leaders and confidantes, and theirrelationships with their protégé's are personal.

Barker approached the subject by starting backward: looking atthe background of some of the most successful people in the world.In spite of their differences, virtually all of these movers andshakers have had an important mentor in their lives by the timethey were college-aged—whether it was a teacher, a coach or ahigher-up at a job.

Barker boils down a mentor's job to three requirements:

1. He or she gives objective career guidance, including suggestionson assignments or an advantageous career path.

2. The mentor provide emotional support when times get tough, suchas recommendations on work/life balance or how to deal with adifficult boss.

3. He or she acts as an effective role model, demonstratingappropriate behaviors for different situations.

Young people in today's workforce are a lot more challenged thanwe ever were. Jobs are at a premium, with roughly three applicantsfor every open position. Many new employees are carrying heavystudent loans. If they're ambitious and excited about advancing inour industry, we owe young people more than a rubber-stampedtraining and mentoring experience. After all, these are the peoplewho ideally will one day be running your business.

Think back to your own career. Did you have someone at one ofyour earliest jobs who encouraged you, took an interest in you,showed you the ropes? You probably did.

Now it's time to return the favor. And don't think fobbing themoff on a formal “mentoring program” set up at your agency or one ofyour insurers is enough.

Barker had this to say: “Unfortunately, recent research hasrevealed that those in formal mentoring programs often fail todeliver on their rosy promises, and the participants may be lefthelpless and disillusioned. Possible reasons for this include ashoddy formal mentoring program structure, a matchmaking systemthat mimics blind dates from hell, or simply inadequate resourcesor rewards to support these programs.”

Barker encourages young people to directly approach those theylook up to as mentors. Ideally, mentors should fit the protégé'scareer goals, be someone who “scares you a little,” who lovesteaching fundamentals and someone older who has seen it all.

I don't know about you, but I would be flattered as hell if somepromising up-and-comer approached me to be his or her mentor. (Comeon, guys! Bring it on, and extra points if you like dogs, trad jazzand horror movies.)

This isn't meant to denigrate any of the formal sponsorship,mentoring and training programs out there. Your own agency probablyhas such programs, even if it's a simple pairing of compatibleold-timers and newbies. All of us have a stake in perpetuating ourbusiness. Extending a hand to an enthusiastic young person willbenefit both of you.