LESSONS FROM THE FRONTLINES OF BUILDING MENTORING PROGRAMS

A 5-Step GuideTo Start A Mentoring Program
(Plus a Free Checklist)

Most HR and L&D professionals agree that a mentoring program improves organizational performance and boosts employee development. In fact, Harvard Business Review states that mentoring programs are so beneficial for organizational growth that they should be mandatory

But not just any mentoring program will do. The key is to start a mentoring program that is easy-to-use, engaging, and efficient.

A majority of Fortune 500 companies in the US have mentoring programs. However, not all mentoring programs drive real impact. Many start off with good intentions, only to fizzle out. 

Not surprisingly, at Together, we get this question a lot:

“I want to start a mentorship program, but I’m not sure where to start.”

At Together, we’ve helped hundreds of organizations launch successful mentoring programs using our mentorship platform

We simplified the process into a 5-step guide below that you can download as a “sparknotes version” or read on. The best part? This guide is a compilation of steps from experts who are successfully running their own mentorship programs.

eBook Planning a Mentoring Program? Leverage Our Template!

Top tips from mentoring program managers to kickstart your program

The best advice on starting a mentoring program comes from experts who’ve, well, started a mentoring program. From top tips to best practices, you get it all in 5 steps.


Step 1

Establish the goal of the mentoring program

Before you start to put together a mentorship program, take a step back and think through why you are setting up your program and what you hope to achieve. This will help you build a mentoring program proposal for decision-makers at your organization. 

In other words, a key step in starting a mentorship program is establishing the program's goal. Consider why you want a mentorship program and what you hope to achieve. 

What are your objectives for your mentoring program?

This helps you articulate your program strategy with an objective statement and corresponding KPIs.

Examples of program goals

For example, your objective could be to “improve employee retention,” and your KPI could be the difference in retention rates between employees in the mentorship program versus those who are not in the program.

Retention rates are just one example. Your program's exact objective and KPIs can vary based on the context in which you are setting up your mentorship program. It is also possible to have multiple objectives and KPIs, like attract top talent or build leadership skills.

Regardless of your goals, you must document them and hold your team accountable for them.

Questions to ask to refine your goals

Once you have defined your strategy, lay out how you will achieve it. To do this, answer the following questions:

  • Who will be involved? That is, what are the eligibility criteria for recruiting mentors and mentees?
  • Will the program be mentor or mentee-led?
  • How many mentors will each mentee have?
  • How many mentees will each mentor have?
  • What will be the criteria for matching mentors and mentees?
  • How often will mentors and mentees meet?
  • Will sessions be 1-on-1 or group?
  • How long will relationships last?
  • What will you name your mentoring program?

There are no right or wrong answers for any of the above questions.

Dr. Wendy Axelrod, author of 10 Steps to Successful Mentoring drives home the importance of determining the purpose of your mentorship program before you start building it out:

“Know what the purpose is and then build the program to that purpose… when you've determined where that need is and how you plan to support it, make sure you have support from the organization: people willing to talk it up, to participate, to be speakers.”

“Know what the purpose is and then build the program to that purpose…when you've determined where that need is and how you plan to support it, make sure you have support from the organization: people willing to talk it up, to participate, to be speakers.”

Dr. Axelrod has a lot of great advise for successful mentoring programs. Watch the full conversation between Dr. Axelrod and our CEO Matthew Reeves where they discuss what separates successful mentoring programs from those that flop.

Want to learn more?


Step 2

Choose the type of mentorship program you need

The traditional depiction of mentoring includes a more experienced individual passing down their wisdom to a less experienced person through informal conversations and guidance. While informal mentoring has its benefits, a formal mentoring program helps you maximize the benefits. There are different types of mentoring programs so pick the one that best serves your organizational needs.

What are the different mentoring models?

  • Traditional 1-on-1 mentoring
  • Group mentoring
  • Peer-to-peer learning
  • Reverse mentoring
  • Employee resource groups
  • Flash or speed mentoring

Let's take a closer look at each of these:

Traditional 1-on-1 mentoring

Traditional 1-on-1 mentoring is the most common mentoring model and what most people think of when they hear the word "mentoring." 

In this program, each mentee is paired with a mentor – usually a more senior employee or expert – who they will meet with regularly to discuss their career goals, receive advice, and build a relationship. 

The key to this program’s success is finding mentors willing to commit to meeting regularly with their mentees and providing them with honest feedback and guidance.

This kind of connection can result in:

  • More personalized attention.
  • A strong, trusting relationship.
  • Tailored advice and mentorship that is specific to the mentee's goals and experiences.
  • Real accountability

Want to implement a 1-on-1 mentorship program? Check out our guide on 1-on-1 mentoring. 

Group mentoring

In a group mentoring program, mentees are placed in small groups (usually 3-5 people) with a mentor who leads discussions and activities around a specific topic. 

This type of program is beneficial because:

  • It gives each mentee the chance to share their experiences with others facing similar challenges. 
  • It provides an opportunity for multiple mentors to get involved in the program. 
  • It can be less time-consuming for mentors since they are working with a group of mentees at once. 
  • It can be less daunting for mentees since they are in a group setting. 

It can also be easier to maintain and monitor from a business perspective, making it a great option for organizations who want to start an enterprise mentoring program but don’t have the bandwidth to support a large number of 1-on-1 relationships.

Read our guide on group mentoring to learn about group mentoring and how to set one up in your workplace.

Peer-to-peer learning

Peer-to-peer learning (also called social learning) is an effective way to share knowledge and best practices within an organization. 

In this type of mentorship program, employees are paired with someone in a similar role. Together, they work on projects, shadow each other, and provide feedback to help the mentee learn more about their role. 

Peer-to-peer learning is beneficial because it: 

  • Is less formal than other types of mentorship programs, making it more accessible for employees. 
  • Encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing between employees. 
  • Can be adapted to different learning styles. 
  • Is a great way to onboard new employees, especially in large organizations where employees often feel siloed. 

There's also real value in creating equal relationships among your employees, and peer-to-peer learning is a great way to do that. 

Interested in starting a peer-to-peer learning program at your organization? Check out our guide on peer mentorship.

Reverse mentoring

Ever heard of the saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear?" 

Reverse mentoring is based on this idea. In a reverse mentoring program, a more experienced employee is paired with a less experienced employee who can give them a fresh perspective. 

For example, an older employee may be paired with a younger hire to learn about social media marketing, or a senior executive may be paired with an entry-level employee to learn about the company's day-to-day operations. 

Reverse mentoring can help organizations in a few different ways: 

  • It helps close the generation gap by fostering collaboration and understanding between employees of different ages. 
  • It allows employees to share their knowledge and expertise with others. 
  • It provides an opportunity for senior leaders to develop new skills and gain new perspectives. 

It supports your diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Thinking about starting a reverse mentoring program? Get our top tips here.

Employee resource groups

An employee resource group (ERG) isn’t a mentorship program, but mentorship is often part of the group. 

For example, an ERG for women in the tech industry or in engineering may provide mentorship and support for female employees who work in male-dominated industries. Or, an ERG for first-generation college students may provide guidance and resources for employees who are the first in their families to receive post-secondary education. 

ERGs can benefit both the employees who participate in them and the organizations where they work. 

Some of the benefits of ERGs are: 

  • Providing support for employees who may feel isolated or marginalized in the workplace.
  • Helping to attract and retain top talent.
  • Increasing employee engagement and satisfaction.
  • Building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Check out our comprehensive guide to determine whether ERGs are the right path for your business.

Flash or speed mentoring

Flash or speed mentoring is a type of mentorship program that pairs mentors and mentees for brief, focused sessions. 

Flash mentoring sessions are typically between 15 and 30 minutes long and can take place in person or virtually. The key is that they are shorter and more focused than traditional 1-on-1 mentoring relationships, where the conversation can sometimes lack any real direction.

One of the benefits of flash mentoring is that it can be less time-consuming for both mentors and mentees. This can be helpful for employees who are already busy with work and other commitments. 

Another benefit is that it can help connect employees with various people, leading to a more diverse range of perspectives and experiences. Sometimes, a mentor may seem like a good fit only because the employee has never experienced the relationship.

Want to start a flash mentoring program at your organization? Check out our guide to flash mentoring for all the details.


Step 3

Invite employees to be mentors or mentees

To promote your mentoring program we’re going to draw from the advice of MentorStrat, a mentorship program consulting firm. We interviewed Mary and Jodi from their team to understand what first-time mentorship program managers need to know to be successful

During that conversation, we covered a lot and summarized 14 things managers can do to attract more mentors. The overarching advice is to develop and execute an effective communication strategy for the program.

The form that your communication strategy will vary slightly depending on the context of your program. However, there are a few rules of thumb:

Build excitement
This could come in the form of an email campaign before the launch or having senior leaders discuss it at organizational events.
Host a launch event
Have a dedicated launch event or have the launch coincide with another event where it makes sense (for example, some professional associations have annual conferences, which is a great time to launch a mentorship program.)

Follow up with participants

Your employees are busy, and it may require one or two additional touch points to get them to register.

In terms of a response rate that you can expect, it depends on the context of the program. However, as a rule of thumb for voluntary programs, you can expect participation rates in the range of 25 – 45% of your organization for initial sign-up. 

Be prepared. More often than not, we find that program administrators get a higher response rate than they expected. Take diversity mentorship programs, for example:


Step 4

Match mentors and mentees and support their relationship

Once mentors and mentees are paired, your job as the program manager isn’t over. Mentoring programs run anywhere from 6-12 months so there’s plenty of time for program managers to help mentors and mentees develop meaningful relationships

Here are three things program managers can do to set up their pairings for success:

  1. Provide learning resources
  2. Send tips to mentors and mentees
  3. Follow up with pairs
The above employees should absolutely have mentors in their careers.

Provide learning resources

It can be awkward to start a mentoring relationship. Program managers can help mentees and mentors kick it off by providing session agendas or discussion topics or tips on being a great mentor or mentee. 

Together’s mentoring platform provides program managers with several session guides on goal setting, problem-solving, job shadowing, networking, and more to keep conversations on track and fruitful.

Likewise, Together has a mentor handbook and mentee handbook that gives participants handy tips for building strong mentoring relationships.

Establish relationship guidelines

One of the first steps for mentors and mentees is establishing clear guidelines about how the relationship will work. 

The mentor and mentee expectations may not always be clear, but some basic guidelines can help move the mentoring relationship forward. It’s acceptable for the mentor to share information about themselves, including their background, skills, and expertise. 

This gives the mentor a starting point to consider how they can enhance the mentee’s experience in the workplace.

Follow up with pairs

You can't just let the program function without constantly monitoring it. Ask both sides of the relationship for feedback regularly, at least once every two weeks. This will help you adjust the program as needed and identify any issues that may arise.

Conducting check-ins also allows program managers to hear about the successes of their mentoring relationships. These stories can be used to encourage other participants or even shared externally to promote the benefits of the mentorship program.

At Together, we've built the feedback function directly into the platform by making it incredibly easy to send out a survey follow-up. The feedback process is streamlined and effortless with templates to choose from or a custom builder to design your own.



Step 5

Evaluate and report on program success

An important requirement for all mentoring programs is the ability to measure success. By implementing a standardized tracking system, you can keep track of several key metrics.

Signups

The first metric you should track is the number of signups for your program. This will give you a good idea of how much interest there is from potential mentors and mentees. Importantly, it will also allow you to make sure that you have a balance of participants.If you find that you have significantly more mentors than mentees, consider running a second signup period or actively recruiting mentees. Alternatively, if you have more mentees than mentors, you may want to look into ways of encouraging employees to become mentors.You could also transition to a different program format, using group mentoring or peer-to-peer learning in the absence of qualified mentors.

Goals

A mentorship program is only effective if it helps employees to achieve their goals. As such, you should track the progress of both mentors and mentees against their goals. In addition to tracking individual progress, it’s also useful to look at the program as a whole and quantify success with key performance indicators like:
  • The number of employees who have completed their goals
  • The average time it takes to complete a goal
  • The percentage of employees who reach their goals.
This may not be an easy thing to monitor at all times, as employees can be protective of their goals and privacy. However, it’s important to at least attempt to track progress so that you can make changes to the program where necessary.

Anecdotal feedback

Keeping your finger on the pulse of the mentorship program through regular, anecdotal feedback can give you some great insights. 

This could be in the form of:

  • One-on-one conversations with mentors and mentees
  • Group discussions with all participants
  • An anonymous survey sent to all employees who have participated in the program

Anecdotal feedback should always be taken with a grain of salt but can help to uncover any issues that aren’t being picked up by more formal methods of evaluation. For example, an employee may not feel comfortable writing down their feelings about a particular mentor but would open up in a one-on-one conversation. 

Session feedback

This is the more formal feedback that you’ll get from each mentoring session. A simple form can be sent to each participant at the end, and data can be collected on a program-wide basis for future improvement. This data helps to:

  • Determine the effectiveness of the matching process
  • Identify which topics are being covered in sessions
  • Decide whether the format or frequency of sessions needs to change. 

Without feedback, it is difficult to make necessary changes to the program as you would be guessing what needs to be changed based on individual, anecdotal evidence that can be misleading. 

Business outcomes

While a mentorship program is mostly about employee growth, it also needs to be justified to senior leadership or other decision-makers in terms of business outcomes. This is why it’s important to track data that links the mentorship program to business results. 

Some examples of this could be:

  • An increase in sales for mentees who are in sales roles
  • A decrease in turnover for employees who have been through the program
  • An increase in productivity for all employees who have participated. 

This type of data is essential for getting buy-in from key stakeholders who may be skeptical about the value of a mentorship program. It also helps to show the return on investment (ROI) of the program and can be used to secure funding for future initiatives. 

Monitor metrics regularly

It is not enough to just collect this data. You need to establish a system for monitoring it regularly and reporting on progress. This will help you make necessary adjustments to the program and ensure that it remains relevant and valuable. 

Evaluate the metrics to determine whether they accurately measure the program's success. This step is crucial for ensuring that your program can demonstrate real, lasting results.

Additional tips for creating your workplace mentorship program

In addition to the above, you can apply best practices that we have curated from our own experience and from talking to successful mentorship program admins.

Get leadership on board to start a mentoring program 

Depending on how your mentorship program idea originated, it may be required to get leadership buy-in on the business case for mentorship. If the initiative to start a mentorship program came from the top, that’s great, and you may be able to skip this step. 

If it didn’t, then you’ll need to put some additional work in to ensure your program has the support from leadership it needs to succeed.

Mary Schlegal, L&D leader, shared how she got buy-in for her mentoring program.

“How do we get buy-in from leaders? Well, what do the leaders care about and let's start from there...So, we looked at our organization's five strategic goals and said, “Okay, if we know that we are trying to achieve these in the next couple of years, what we can do through mentoring to help us get to those goals?”

“How do we get buy-in from leaders? Well, what do the leaders care about and let's start from there...So, we looked at our organizations five strategic goals and said 'okay, if we know that we are trying to achieve these in the next couple of years, what we can do through mentoring to help us get to those goals?”

Buy-in from the top is critical for several reasons.

  • First, in most cases, your mentors will come from the senior ranks of your organization. There must be a positive message around the mentorship program so that you can recruit these mentors as participants.
  • Second, most mentorship programs at least require some business resources. At the very least, this could be the dedicated time of an employee to administer the program, but in many cases, it may require some budget to support things such as learning materials or mentorship software.

Put together a business case

To get the buy-in, you’ll need to put together a business case to present to leadership. Don’t worry; you have already completed much of what you need from the previous step. Rather, what’s required now is packaging your plan into a compelling story that:

  • Communicates the impact your program will have on your business or organization.
  • What resources will it require.

Calculate the impact with a forecast

In creating your business case it is important to focus on the impact that your program will have. While this will vary from program to program, it should tie back directly to your objectives and KPIs. Moreover, it is important to quantify the impact whenever possible.

You can use our online calculators to quantify the ROI of mentoring programs. As an example, you can calculate how much you'll save on employee turnover below.

Calculate how much mentorship can save you in turnover costs

Identify the value a mentorship program can have on your organization by increasing retention rates.

Number of participants (mentors + mentees)

Average employee salary

Average annual employee turnover rate

Turnover rates vary widely company to company but the average benchmark for US companies over the last two years is about 20% according to Gartner and Mercer data.

Cost of employee turnover (% of salary)

The costs of employee turnover vary depending on their seniority. For this calculation, we’ve set the default to 75% of the employees salary as that’s the average replacement cost for professional employees.

Reduction in turnover from mentoring

A study by Sun Microsystems found that several years after running a mentorship program, retention rates were an average of 70% versus 49% of those who didn't participate in the program. Therefore, we’ve set the default value to 30% as a benchmark to expect from your mentoring program.

Cost of employee turnover (annual)

The cost of employee turnover is calculated by first multiplying the number of employees by the avg employee turnover percentage to estimate the number of employees that will leave each year. Secondly, you multiply that by the cost of employee turnover (% of salary) to get the total cost.
$18,000,000

Value of mentorship (annual)

The value of mentorship is calculated by multiplying the reduction of turnover from mentoring (as a %) by the cost of employee turnover.
$5,400,000

Employee Turnover Cost Calculator

Find out how much mentorship can impact your bottomline. Use our calculator to estimate how much mentorship can save your organization.
Mentorship Value Calculator
Cost of employee turnover (annual) $3,750,000
Value of mentorship (annual) $375,000

Be upfront about the resources you need

In your business case, you will also want to be clear about what resources you need to make the program successful. If you do plan to use software, you may want to involve IT so that you can properly budget for their time in your business case. ​

You should also think of presenting an ROI for the program by dividing the impact by the cost of the program. For businesses, this usually means presenting a monetary ROI. 

However, the ROI doesn’t always have to be communicated as a financial return. For example, you could communicate the number of mentees you will support getting into university per dollar invested in the program.

12 common program mistakes to avoid

Mentoring is not something you can drop into every business and guarantee success. It requires thoughtful consideration, design, and execution to deliver the benefits you’re looking for. 

When done poorly, mentoring can create more problems than it solves. Some common mistakes organizations make with mentorship programs can cause them to fail.

  • Not defining the purpose or outcomes of the program: A mentorship program without a defined purpose is like a boat without a rudder—it will flounder and eventually fail. You need to know what you want to achieve with your program before you can design it or measure its success.
  • Poor screening of mentors and mentees: Not all employees will make good mentors or mentees. It’s important to screen participants for qualities that will make them successful in the program, like emotional intelligence, communication skills, and willingness to learn.
  • Inadequate training: A mentorship program is only as good as the mentors and mentees involved. If they don’t have the skills or knowledge to be successful, the program will suffer. Make sure to provide training on how to be a good mentor or mentee, as well as specific topics related to your organization or industry.
  • Not enough support: You can't just let your participants try to figure it out themselves. They need support from you and each other. Provide resources, like a mentorship manual or online forum, and make yourself available to answer questions.
  • Wrong pairings: A mentorship relationship that isn’t a good fit can be frustrating and unproductive for everyone involved. Be thoughtful about who you pair together and make sure they have complementary skills, interests, and goals.
  • Failure to monitor progress: This is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. You need to check in regularly to see how it’s going and make changes as needed - both to the overall program and the individual pairings.
  • Poor expectation management: If you set the bar too high, your participants will feel like they’re falling short. If you set it too low, the program won’t have the impact you want. Be realistic about what your mentorship program can achieve and manage expectations accordingly.
  • Insufficient feedback: The feedback street goes both ways. Mentors need to give feedback to their mentees and vice versa. But you also need to give feedback to the program participants and provide them with specific, actionable steps to improve.
  • Lack of respect for confidentiality: Everything discussed between a mentor and mentee should be kept confidential. If there’s a breach of trust, it can damage the relationship and discourage others from participating.
  • Insufficient time devoted to the program: Like anything else, a mentorship program takes time to develop and grow. You need to be patient and give it the attention it deserves if you want it to be successful.
  • Absence of an evaluation plan: How will you know if your program is successful? You need to establish metrics and benchmarks ahead of time so you can measure progress and make improvements.
  • No networking: Mentorship is not a static relationship. It should involve networking and regular contact with other mentors and mentees to share ideas, resources, and support. Without it, the program will stagnate.

These are just a few potential pitfalls you need to be aware of when starting a mentorship program. By planning and designing your program carefully, you can avoid these mistakes and set your mentees up for success.

Launch a world class program with Together

Running a mentorship program is arguably the most effective way to strengthen your company's culture and leverage all employees' diverse experiences.

Together’s platform offers several key features to help you along the way.

  • Registration: Instead of sitting down with every potential participant to try and coax out the necessary information, Together quickly collects all relevant data from questionnaires or existing HRIS data. 
  • Pairing: Managers may think they know how to pair people up, but Together’s algorithm makes this task easy, efficient, and scalable by automatically matching complementary candidates. 
  • Scheduling: Setting up connections is a breeze as Together integrates with existing email and calendar software to keep everyone up to date on the next scheduled meeting.
  • Reporting: Quickly view insights and track progress with a customizable dashboard that gives you the most relevant data right away. These detailed reports can also help you make a business case for senior stakeholders.
  • Elevated user experience: With a scalable platform that can grow with your mentorship program, Together offers in-app and email support for all participants, phone support for administrators, and implementation support to get you started.