How to Start a Mentorship Program

Mentorship programs give your skilled people the chance to share their expertise and develop their skills in a positive, structured way.

It’s also a huge benefit for new hires or more junior team members, as they have someone to turn to for advice and support as they grow in their career.

If you’ve considered introducing a mentorship program to your training and development plan, then read on for tips on how to set up your own, what it should include and how it can benefit your workforce and business.

What Is a Mentorship Training Program?

A mentorship training program is a way for more experienced employees to pass skills and perspectives on to newer or less-experienced hires.

In a BambooHR survey, the vast majority of new hires said they want guidance and look to the company to help them create relationships:

• 93% of new hires want to shadow a colleague.
• 87% hope to make a friend at work.
• 86% appreciate support from an onboarding buddy.

To be successful, your mentorship program needs to include training before people begin, so everyone understands what’s expected of them, how best to communicate with each other, and how to set effective goals.

That way, you’re creating a program that benefits mentors, mentees, and the business overall.

What Are Examples of Mentoring Activities?

Mentoring is about empowering your people to grow, and that may look different for everyone.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Regular one-on-one check-ins to discuss career aspirations
• Hands-on skills workshop or on-the-job training
• Working together on projects
• Job shadowing and cross-training
• Industry events and conferences
• Group mentoring sessions where mentees can learn from each other
• Internship opportunities

These don’t have to be mutually exclusive; you can do a combination of activities or focus on one. The key is to personalize the mentoring journey, tailoring activities to everyone’s unique goals and development needs.

Why Mentors Need Mentorship Training Before They Start

Mentors may have career experience, but that doesn’t mean they know how to share that with someone else.

As you train and prepare your mentors, they’ll gain a deeper understanding of their roles, learn communication best practices, and discover how to cultivate a productive learning environment where employees can thrive.

Here’s a list of topics and activities to help prepare your mentors for their new responsibilities.

What Are the Benefits of a Mentorship Training Program?

Mentorship programs aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re a powerful tool for building a thriving workplace. Here are some of the top benefits:

• Increased employee engagement and retention: Engaged staff are less likely to look elsewhere, adding their new skills and confidence to their role.
• Boost skills development and knowledge transfer: Mentorship training is all about knowledge sharing between team members, providing valuable upskilling while distributing expertise.
• Tangible improvements in overall performance: With more capable leaders and workers, your team can deliver top-notch results and ramp up productivity. Expect to see customer satisfaction soar, and, of course, your profits follow suit.

Mentorship programs, when done right, encourage a more inclusive and supportive culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to grow.

Things to Consider When Starting a Mentorship Program

Before you dive in, let’s look at some common challenges you might face along the way. Being aware of these potential hurdles can help you proactively address them, ensuring your mentorship program thrives and delivers impactful results for your people.

It’s also important to celebrate the successes of your program throughout its duration and when people have completed it. This could be celebrating the excellent support provided by the mentors and the progress made by mentees on their goals.

What Can Get in the Way of Starting a Mentorship Program?

Lack of Clear Targets

Define clear, measurable goals from the start that provide structure to the overall program. These should include your program’s main success metrics, e.g., participant satisfaction, completion rates, time to promotion, etc.

Insufficient Planning or Buy-In

Rushing the process can lead to problems down the line. Get feedback from your leadership team on what they want to see in the program, and spend some time scoping out a plan that aligns with their needs and suggestions.

Not Training Mentors

Mentoring might be a new concept for some people in your business. Before a program gets underway, offer training to make sure mentors feel confident and have the right purpose in mind.

Incompatible Mentor and Mentee Pairings

Make sure you pair mentors and mentees along clearly defined criteria, like a specific skill the mentee wants to learn. If a pairing isn’t working out despite your best efforts, it’s better to start over than to let bad feelings fester.

Other solutions: give people the freedom to choose, or do trial mentorships.

Lack of Commitment from Those Taking Part

This isn’t something you can fully control, but you’ll need to carefully vet applicants. Mentees that aren’t committed to learning or trying new things and mentors that are too busy or won’t find the time to check in regularly can lead to hurdles further down the line. Everyone should be on board to ensure the program succeeds.

No Check-Ins

Schedule time to review how the program is going with the people involved. Check in with mentors and mentees directly, review progress on the goals they’ve set, and make sure what they’re working on aligns with the overall focus of the program.

If priorities shift in terms of training requirements, you’ll be better prepared to adapt the program as needed.

Not Listening to Feedback

Keep improving the program for future employees by getting feedback from those involved both during check-ins and after they’ve completed the program.

Budget and Time Restrictions

Last but certainly not least! Do you have the budget and capacity for all this training? If you’re having to start your program with not much of either, think about what you already have in-house, like employees with previous training as mentors, or start on a more informal scale by organizing events where different teams and roles can interact or cross-train.

How to Start a Mentorship Program in 6 Steps

Launching a membership training program can feel like a mammoth task, but it doesn’t have to be. Once set up, you can adapt and fine-tune it to reflect the current business climate and your company’s—as well as meeting your employees’ expectations.

Follow these steps on how to create a mentorship program to benefit your business and your workforce.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

First, you’ll need to decide what the end goal is of your mentorship training program:

• Are you creating it to give your employees the tools they need to progress in their careers?
• Is it there to upskill junior and new hires to improve working relationships and enhance results?
• Do you want to offer your senior team members an opportunity to share their knowledge and experience to save money on external training costs?
• All of the above?

Great! Set and define the goals of your program, so you know what you’re aiming to achieve from the very start.

Step 2: Decide Who Can Participate in the Program

Your goals determine who the mentorship program is for. You may create one to support junior team members reach their career development goals, or you could be setting up a program to support underrepresented genders or ethnicities’ progress through your company.

Consider who’ll benefit from your program and promote it accordingly.

Step 3: Design Your Program

When crafting your program, consider its structure, duration, and format.

• Will it be a short-term boost or a long-term strategy woven into the fabric of your organization?
• Should it feel like a formal initiative or a natural extension of your existing culture?

Look at your team, listen to their needs, and choose a path that truly empowers them to do their best work.

Step 4: Select Your Candidates

A successful mentorship is a two-way street. Look for mentors and mentees who are genuinely enthusiastic about the program and bring the necessary qualities to the table—mentors should have the qualifications or experience to offer valuable insights, and mentees should have specific interests or goals in mind.

To set everyone up for success, clearly outline the program’s expectations and time commitment from the get-go by training both mentors and mentees.

Step 5: Match Your Mentors and Mentees

You can either let people choose or do the pairing for them, but either way, compatibility is crucial. Craft thoughtful pairings that consider the unique blend of skills, experience, and shared interests.

Here are a few ways to set mentorship pairings up for success:

• Allow mentors and mentees to do a short trial rather than jump into a longer commitment.
• Organize an event or meeting, so everyone can get to know each other before they start their mentorship.
• Check in with each mentor and mentee individually to make sure the partnership is working.
• Survey mentors and mentees before you pair them, and make a list of their qualifications, experience, goals, availability, and preferences, so you can better understand how to best match participants.

Step 6: Provide Ongoing Support and Training

Offer regular check-ins to see how mentors and mentees are progressing, provide helpful resources to guide their interactions, and host workshops that equip them with valuable skills and insights.

This hands-on approach ensures your program thrives, empowering your people to learn, grow, and achieve great things together.