As part of a working group looking at new ways of running our internal and external mentoring groups, I began to research modern ways of mentoring that move away from the traditional concept of one-on-one support over a period of time. Traditionally, our mentors assisted candidates who had moved into a new sector, those wanting to broaden their HR network, or those who we playing a key role in establishing new HR functions in growing businesses. Sometimes, they just wanted some reassurance in the first few months. Many of these relationships lasted for several years. Katie was one of our first mentees and is still in touch with her mentor, Adrian.
Modern-day mentoring within organisations and the HR community is a key strategy to ensuring employees feel supported in their careers but also in terms of being in touch with their peers and how they are approaching a specific area within their organisation, such as employee well-being. Below are the different types of mentoring I came across in my research. It also utilises technology to reach a wider audience.
Group Mentoring
Modern day group mentoring occurs in an open environment that allows employees to support others and be supported at the same time. It helps mentees connect with each other on different levels, educational as well as emotional. The group will have aligned goals but will also pay individual attention to each member. At Oakleaf, we have always utilised this form of mentoring via our programmes, such as the OP Academy, which targets HR professionals who are earlier in their career.
Micro Mentoring
Micro mentoring takes place one-to-one or sometimes in very small groups and usually done over social media. This makes the mentoring process easier because you get several types of mentoring options on different social media platforms, such as LinkedIn. Individuals can seek expert guidance and build networks. Micro mentoring can also take place on a one on one basis but is focused on a certain topic or task.
Reverse Mentoring
Reverse mentoring as the name suggests is a process where “experienced” employees are mentored by “less experienced” employees. This is likely to be around the use of social media, recent trends and types of technology but the process also helps younger employees
