1. Developing Effective Mentoring Programs
Ardavan A. Shahroodi
Northeastern University
HRM 6040---Performance Human Resource Systems and Development
Professor Elaine M. Walker
Friday July 26, 2013

2. Introduction
Effective mentoring programs are valuable organizational tools that provide support,
nurturing, direction and encouragement to mentees. Through discussions, goal setting,
observations and feedback mentors assist in the growth and development of mentees as
individuals and as colleagues. Simultaneously, mentors also enrich their personhood and careers
by helping others and developing their own leadership skills. Furthermore, organizations also
reap the benefits of maintaining effective mentoring programs that facilitate the improvement of
employee morale, productivity, diversity, retention and engagement rates in addition to other
factors/metrics that are indispensable in the workplace environment.
Definition
Mentoring is an extended relationship whereby knowledge and information are
transferred from a more seasoned/experienced member (mentor) to newly hired or less
experienced member/s (mentee/protégé) of an organization. The role of mentors in mentoring is
to show the mentees “the ropes and serve as sounding boards, cheerleaders, gurus and even
confidants” (Poe, 2002, para. 10). Mentoring may also be viewed as a “career development
method” (The Mentoring Program, 2008, p. 4) through which leaders are groomed and
developed and “succession planning” (Ibid) is implemented.
Effective organizational mentoring programs are created with the goal of enhancing the
positive image of “employer brand” (Lockwood, Mentoring Series Part I, 2004, para. 1),
increasing “employee loyalty…retention” (Ibid) and the “promotion/advancement of
underrepresented [and/or] talented individuals” (Ibid). Successful mentoring programs must also
assist new employees to familiarize themselves “to job and company culture more quickly” (The

3. Mentoring Program, 2008, p. 7) expediting their organizational and job/work related “learning
curve” (Ibid). In addition, it must be recognized that the collective effect of mentoring programs
must be to improve “organizational performance…employee productivity/morale/creativity” (p.
7). Furthermore, mentoring programs must develop for both mentors and mentees “a greater
sense of involvement in their company and career” (p. 7) simultaneously promoting an
“innovative work” (Ibid) atmosphere and creating a “cooperative, productive and service-
oriented environment” (Ibid).
Professor Bella Rose Ragins of University of Wisconsin Milwaukee argues that
“individuals who have mentors are more likely to have greater job satisfaction and career
satisfaction” (as cited in Hastings, 2007, para. 3). She contends that as much as it is beneficial
for all to experience a mentoring relationship “it’s even more important for people from non-
dominant groups who face barriers to advancement” (para. 3). Ragins also observes that
“mentoring is the chisel that breaks through the glass ceiling; it’s one of the most critical
passports for advancement and career and life satisfaction…mentors do more than help people
advance; they help them figure out how to survive in settings that may not be hospitable to them”
(para. 4).
A distinction must be made between coaching and mentoring. Coaching is usually
performed by a colleague or trainer and is geared towards “technical support focused on the
development of techniques that employees must know and practice, and it is often focused on
learning job-related skills” (Building the Leadership Pipeline, 2008, para. 5). The
responsibilities of a coach are similar to a “tutor” (para. 5) and the relationship is “more
structured…impartial…not such deep involvement…performance [oriented]…focused on
achieving specific goals” (para. 7). As an example coaching may be utilized “by a manager to

4. develop a direct report” (The Mentoring Program, 2008, p. 5). On the other hand, mentoring “is
the larger context of employee development and include the breadth of professional (technical
and non-technical) and personal skills needed for success” (Building the Leadership Pipeline,
2008, para. 6). A potential mentor is similar to a “counselor” (para. 6) offering “advice” (Ibid)
and “biased in the mentee’s favor” (para. 7) with “deep involvement…focus on mentee’s
potential and performance” (Ibid).
The Design of a Mentoring Program
Prior to launching a formal mentoring program it is imperative to embark on a number of
initial steps. First, The HR Department together with executive management and other leaders
must evaluate organizational “goals and needs” (Lockwood, Mentoring Series Part II, 2004, para.
5) and assess the areas where a mentoring program is intended to address such as employee
productivity, retention, engagement and morale or strengthening institutional diversity. The
purpose of this exercise is to concentrate the energy and direction of the mentoring program in
alignment with other organizational priorities. Second, a determination must be made regarding
the level of commitment, enthusiasm and support of the organization for possessing a “formal
mentoring program” (para. 5). This is of outmost importance since the implementation of a
formal mentoring program requires a significant dedication of organizational/personal time and
energy.
Next, HR must form a committee/team that in conjunction with the said department
operate/”coordinate” (para. 5) the mentoring program. The members of the mentoring
committee must be individuals who are known to “care about the growth and development of
others” (para. 5) and are skilled in “counseling, communicating with appropriate assertiveness,
negotiating and giving feedback” (Ibid). The committee in coordination with HR will

5. subsequently embark in the process of nominating and selecting potential mentors and mentees.
Here, one of the most crucial features of an effective mentoring program is the very voluntary
nature of the endeavor. In a sense, the level of commitment that defines a successful mentoring
relationship demands the selection of individuals who are enthusiastically willing and able to
apply such dedication to the mentoring process. In regards to mentors, “a genuine interest in
helping others (including…time commitment)” (Lockwood, Mentoring Series Part I, 2004, para.
8) must be exhibited in addition to “strong interpersonal skills…organizational
knowledge…resources inside and outside the organization…exemplary supervisory
skills…technical competence…power/charisma…patience…status/prestige…knowledge about
the profession…ability to share credit…emotional maturity…willingness to be responsible for
someone else’s growth and advancement” (para. 8).
Protégés/mentees may enter the mentoring program at “different stages of their career”
(para. 19) and may include “underrepresented demographic groups…new recruits…recent
grads…promising employees…interoffice/interdepartmental transferees…off-site
employees…employees working abroad” (Ibid) and indeed others within the organization that
may feel the need of receiving advice from a mentor in pursuit of developing their career. Most
importantly, protégés must be prepared to exude a “commitment to learning…active listening
skills…receptiveness to receiving feedback” (para. 20).
In relation to selecting mentees, it is essential that all members of the organization be
afforded an opportunity to participate in the formal mentoring program. As Professor Ragins
argues in choosing mentees “allow everyone but particularly encourage non-dominant group
members to participate…make sure you don’t close any doors you don’t have to close” (as cited
in Hastings, 2007, para. 17). This may result in a disproportionately high number of mentee

6. applicants and a lack of availability of a sufficient number of mentors in the program. There are
a number of solutions that may be utilized in order to rectify this mentor scarcity challenge.
First, the program may request that mentors work with more than one mentee at any given
period. Second, mentee candidates may be encouraged to seek out intra-organizational mentors
that are willing and able to engage in informal mentoring arrangements that will be sanctioned
by the HR department. Third, the creation of a non-biased mentee waiting list will gradually
facilitate the entering of candidates into the formal mentoring program (The emphasis on
avoiding bias is highlighted by Professor Ragins as cited in Hastings, 2007, para. 17). Fourth, on
the basis of organizational needs a specific time period of six months to a year may be allotted
for the duration of the formal mentoring arrangement allowing other candidates to also enter the
program in the future.
Once the corresponding pools of organizational mentors and mentees have been created,
both groups must be educated regarding “their respective roles” (Lockwood, Mentoring Series
Part II, 2004, para. 7). This is a most crucial stage whereby “time commitments, types of
activities…relationship with the protégé’s manager and reporting requirements” (para. 7) will be
established. As a critical ingredient of this stage of the process “a written drafted plan that the
mentor and protégé discuss and agree upon” (para. 7) must be drawn and adopted. With respect
to the confidentiality aspect of a mentoring relationship, agreement must reached in between the
mentor and the mentee concerning the parameters and “level” (Code of Ethics, 2008, p. 3) of
disclosure unless “there is convincing evidence of serious danger” (Ibid). Furthermore, both
mentors and mentees must always “act within applicable law and not encourage, assist or collude
with others engaged in conduct which is dishonest, unlawful, unprofessional or discriminatory”
(Code of Ethics, 2008, p. 3).

7. Pease (2009) recommend a number of behavioral paradigms in a meaningful mentoring
relationship. He argues that parties must understand “the mentoring model of learning requires
participation and shared activity by both parties” (para. 13) where “mentors model, share and
facilitate, while protégés observe, question and explore” (Ibid). Second, Pease contends that
“criticism needs to be positive…with specific examples…mentors must be sensitive to the other
person’s ego…self-confidence must be maintained for people to develop” (para. 18). Third,
Pease (2009) proposes that “the mentor should pose questions to uncover assumptions and then
offer options for the protégé to test his or her analytical and problem solving skills” (para. 19).
Fourth, in a mentoring relationship, “mentors should enter agreements with protégés because
they have the passion and desire to help someone develop and grow” (para. 23) and truly accept
that they must “be constantly assessing their own effectiveness and adjust efforts accordingly”
(para. 24). Pease (2009) also encourages mentors and mentees to “establish a follow-up plan and
discuss the plan at every session…modify the plan as necessary to take advantage of changes and
opportunities” (para. 22).
Once the mentoring program is fully functional, it is imperative that full exposure and
publicity is afforded to its existence so that “everyone knows it exists, how it works and why it’s
important” (DiFlorio, 2013, para. 6). The mentoring program must also be discussed at the
“recruitment and hiring process, (including interviews) and during new-hire
orientation…onboarding” (para. 6). In regards to measuring the effectiveness of the mentoring
program, surveys must be taken inquiring from the participants “to rate the degree to which
mentoring helped them, increase their commitment or helped solve problems or challenges”
(para. 7). These surveys must also include open-ended questions in order “to uncover exactly
how the program helped the new hires” (para. 7). Many other measures may also be evaluated

8. comparing “retention rates, performance evaluations and promotions” (para. 7) of those who
“participate in the mentoring program, vs. those that did not” (Ibid).
Conclusion
Effective mentoring programs provide significant dividends for organizations by helping
to enhance employee productivity, diversity, engagement and retention rates. Mentoring
programs also nurture and prepare future leaders and develop the careers of other organizational
actors. Furthermore, mentoring programs generate passion and enthusiasm for the mission,
vision and goals of the organization. Here, both mentees and mentors are enriched and elevated
through engagement, productive communication, caring and feed-back.

9. References
DiFlorio, L. (2013, May 1). How Do We Build Loyalty in New Employees? Workforce.
Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.workforce.com/articles/how-do-we-build-
loyalty-innew-employees?v=preview
European Mentoring & Coaching Council (2008, December). Code of Ethics. Retrieved July
23, 2013, from http://www.emccouncil.org/src/ultimo/models/Download/4.pdf
Hastings, R. R. (2007, March 1). Mentoring Done Right. Society For Human Resource
Management. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/CMS_020787.aspx
Lockwood, N. R. (2004, August 1). Mentoring Series Part I: The Value of Mentoring. Society
For Human Resource Management. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Pages/Mentoring_20Series_20Part_20I_
20The_20Value_20of_20Mentoring.aspx
Lockwood, N. R. (2004, August 1). Mentoring Series Part II: Formal and Informal Mentoring.
Society For Human Resource Management. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Pages/Mentoring_20Series-
20Part_20II_20Formal_20and_20Informal_20Mentoring.aspx
Pease, D. C. (2009, May 1). Make Mentoring Memorable. HR Magazine, Vol. 54 No. 5.
Society For Human Resource Management. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/Publications/hrmagazine/EditorialContent/Pages/0509pease.aspx

10. Poe, A. C. (2002, February 1). Focus on Training & Development: Establish Positive,
Mentoring Relationships. HR Magazine, Vol. 47 No. 2. Society For Human Resource
Management. Retrieved July 22, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/editorialcontent/pages/0202poe-focus.aspx
Society For Human Resource Management (2008, October 1). Building the Leadership Pipeline
Through Mentoring. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Pages/BuildingtheLeadershipPipeline.as
px
Society For Human Resource Management (2008). The Mentoring Program of [Company name]
Training for Employees. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from
http://www.shrm.org/TemplatesTools/Samples/PowerPoints/Pages/TheMentoringProgra
m.aspx