Why mentoring works — and how to measure the intangibles

Most of us have experienced the quiet power of a mentor who helps us see ourselves differently, challenges our thinking, and reminds us of what we are capable of. But when you ask people how effective mentoring is and how they know, you’re often met with silence and blank looks.

a new report The Business Mentors Association’s (ABM) paper on workplace mentoring, “Unlocking Impact,” highlights clear tensions. While 70% of companies say mentoring improves performance and 98% recommend mentoring, 37% admit they struggle to measure results.

that’s one thing feel That guidance is beneficial to us. that’s a completely different thing know and become able to prove Its efficacy. In today’s world where every cost needs to be justified and benefits demonstrated, we need to change our relationship with mentoring, moving from a nice-to-have approach to an approach that delivers clear business benefits.

Almost half (47%) of respondents to the ABM survey cited lack of time and availability as the biggest barrier to implementing mentoring in the workplace. coaching program. The same goes for limited resources, with 38% of respondents saying a lack of resources is a problem. Without clear evidence of impact, mentoring risks being ignored when pressures are high and budgets are tight.

measurement gap

ABM’s report demonstrates that mentoring works, based on a survey of HR professionals and HR managers in medium and large businesses across the UK, as well as focus group conversations with workplace mentors and coaches. However, participants noted challenges in measuring return on investment. Focus group participants I felt stressed This means that mentoring needs to be integrated into an organization’s standard performance measurements and benchmarked accordingly.

We tend to focus on things that can be counted, and while companies clearly aim to demonstrate the impact they believe exists, they often rely on basic metrics such as participation rates and satisfaction surveys. The problem with such measures is that they tend to be short-term, reflecting the impact of mentoring only at the point of engagement, rather than linking mentoring to the long-term. career Progress, achieving key performance indicators, and retaining mentees.

Some of the important results will only be visible rear Because the mentoring relationship has ended, a clear connection to mentoring may be missing.

Two of the three most common metrics companies use to measure the effectiveness of their mentoring programs, employee feedback and surveys (71%) and program completion rates (53%), do not reflect the business priorities most likely to drive senior leaders within the organization.

To close this gap, HR teams and business leaders need to create clear outcomes that companies are looking for to justify investing in mentoring programs, and create impact maps that connect companies to companies. the goal to metrics that can be measured over a period beyond the duration of a single program.

If someone participates in a mentoring program for one year, they should be able to benchmark their progress in areas such as retention, promotion, and benefits against non-participants for at least three to five years.

From numbers to stories

Of course, not all returns can be measured visually and in simple numbers. Some of the most meaningful effects of mentoring resist proper measurement. Mentoring works because it changes the way we do things. look ourselves. confidence, self-efficacyand emotional resilience All of this is the result of real attention and support long before key performance indicators changed.

Many people seek the support of a mentor to improve their presence in meetings, increase their confidence when taking the lead in presentations and important relationships, deepen their belief in their ability to perform at a higher level, or simply explore different perspectives and solutions to challenges.

While many of these outcomes manifest as success or progress in your role within your company, you need to balance such quantifiable metrics with qualitative feedback to provide the full picture.

Capturing people’s benefit stories can also provide valuable resources throughout your organization. One of the common complaints when long-time employees leave a company is accumulated employee dissatisfaction. wisdom And experience the vacation with them. By using simple tools like regular pulse surveys, case studies, and shared learning workshops, you can capture those stories and experiences, keep them within your business, and pass them on to the next generation.

Build mentoring ROI into your culture

Insights about mentoring only become important when people change the way they think – when leaders begin to see mentoring not as a process, but as a relationship that fosters trust and growth. The search for evidence of the value of mentoring should be part of every program from the beginning. Real impact occurs when measurement is a design principle rather than an outcome.

There are some simple steps you can take within your mentoring program to ensure as many positive outcomes as possible.

• Before starting a mentoring relationship, set clear goals and success metrics. Mentor and mentee should agree on what success will look like at regular intervals, such as six months, one year, and three years.
• Create clear feedback surveys for mentors and mentees that go beyond simple satisfaction and participation metrics. Mix and match questions that capture both quantitative and qualitative data. If appropriate, host discussion sessions for mentors and mentees from the same program to share, research, and collect success stories.
• use A.I. Analyze survey data to identify behavioral trends and compare your mentee’s performance to other members of your organization.

ABM concludes the report by recommending certification of workplace mentoring programs, noting that such a move would foster consistency in standards across organizations. This is something they are actively working on developing.

The real challenge and opportunity is to value the intangibles: the confidence, courage, and clarity that ripples long after the coaching session ends. If you can measure that, you’re measuring something that really matters.