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Seven steps to setting up a successful mentoring scheme

Sue Weekes
Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:42 PM

Mentors can have a massive impact

on a managers’ career – but how do
you make sure they’re getting set up
with the right ones? Sue Weekes has
the seven steps you need to set up a
successful scheme at work – and see
it through
1. Define your aims
Mentoring can present a great developmental
opportunity for employees but it can also
deliver benefits such as increased employee
retention and job satisfaction. Organisations
need to establish specific aims for their
scheme and shouldn’t just see mentoring as a
“good thing” to do says Susy Roberts,
managing director at people development
specialist, Hunter Roberts. “This also helps
with the focus for selecting mentors and
mentees, who’s right for the role and can best contribute to the overall aims,” she says. “It’s not right for everyone, so come up
with a clear eligibility criteria you can refer back to.” Rosie Bailey, co-founder and principal consultant at people development
firm, OnTrack International, says before committing to a programme employers should consider carefully if there are other
ways they could achieve their aim such as coaching or training: “Ensure there is a specific and achievable objective for having
the mentoring scheme.”

2. Assess resources
Typically, mentoring makes use of individuals already working for the company and relies on mentees and mentors organising
themselves to see each other. This doesn’t mean that a scheme runs itself though and it still needs to be properly resourced.
Bailey says that a manual should be produced to detail exactly how the scheme will work. Also identify who will look after the
scheme on a day-to-day basis and monitor how it is progressing. “Consider how long the scheme will last: an indefinite period
or will it work to a specific time frame?” she says. “How will mentees and mentors be paired together? Ideally mentees should
commit to an action plan and a learning contract and who will ensure this happens?”

3. Secure top-level buy-in

Having established why and how, ensure the top tier of management buys-in to the programme by establishing a sound
business case. There can be some scepticism about what mentoring can bring to the business beyond the benefits to the
individual. Clearly demonstrate that the aims of the programme are aligned with the organisation’s mission and future plans
and arm yourself with figures and evidence to back-up any claims you make. Try to secure a senior-level champion or sponsor
who will play a key part in the communication campaign which ensures their senior colleagues, mentors and potential
mentees understand the purpose and benefits of the mentoring. They should also encourage their senior colleagues to take
an active part in the programme. “When high potentials are mentored by a senior leader, they can also help mentees explore
career opportunities within the organisation,” says Roberts.

4. Decide who will be eligible

It is neither practical nor appropriate to offer mentoring to everyone in the organisation all of the time. Roberts believes
mentoring needs to be focused on the personal development of high potential individuals or people that have a particular
development area which is holding them back. “There has to be an eligibility criteria,” she says. “The most effective forms of
mentoring are where a member of staff is enabled to make better use of their skills and talents. That includes using skills
outside as well as inside work; anything that helps them to grow.” And while typically mentoring is a one-to-one relationship,
group mentoring can also work well if a number of individuals in the organisation need development in a specific area. This
can be a more economical and effective than sending them on a training course because it can be done in the workplace but
is also directly linked to what is happening in the business.

5. Consider reverse mentoring

The most common mentoring relationships see an older, experienced person act as a sounding board to a more junior
individual. It can work in reverse though. Many organisations have realised the benefits of younger employees mentoring
senior colleagues in areas such as social media skills and helping them to understand and apply technological developments.
The principles of setting the mentoring programme are the same but bear in mind that pride and other preconceptions may get
in the way of the relationship if the older person doesn’t fully understand or appreciate the benefits the relationship will bring.
Communication around why the scheme is being set up and its benefits to the individual and organisation is vital.

6. Ensure the right match

A mentoring scheme will stand or fall by the quality of the relationships. As well as ensuring that the mentor has the right skills
and experience, it is vital that chemistry exists between them and the mentor. Roberts explains that most typically the mentor
might be a role model 'leader' with particular strengths where another individual would benefit from working with them. “But
not necessarily, it depends on what you want to achieve,” she says. “It may just be a member of staff who can bring a new
perspective, or challenge. But mentors shouldn't ever be the line manager of the mentee. It’s the kind of relationship where
too much of the day-to-day will interfere.” Bailey adds that mentors must have good social and communication skills but don’t
overlook the need for ongoing development opportunities to hone their mentoring skills. “The mentors will need to have
training and regular support to ensure they are equipped to do the job,” she says. “Done well this can give the mentors a huge
amount of personal satisfaction.”

7. Measure the impact

Like any learning and development (L&D) intervention, the impact of the mentoring programme must be monitored. If clear
objectives have been set at the outset, it will be easier to measure its success and produce evidence for continuing the
scheme and extending it to other groups of people in the organisation where appropriate. Managers and L&D professionals
must put a mechanism in place for evaluation. “Ideally a designated person needs to be selected to carry out the evaluation
process. Measurements should be done on productivity and measurable skill improvements,” says Bailey and she adds that
evaluations can be done by the mentees as well as the mentors. It is important to make changes if a pairing isn’t working and
is proving to be a bad fit as continuing isn’t in anyone’s interest. Bailey concludes: “Ideally, if the mentoring scheme is
successful the mentees may even become mentors themselves.”
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