A mentor is someone who is able and willing to share their knowledge and experience with a less knowledgeable or experienced person. This may be enough on its own to select mentors for industry placements. However, organisations sometimes use other criteria – and anyone interested in mentoring students should ask themselves what they would bring to the role before taking it on.
How organisations think about who can be a mentor
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How organisations select mentors
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What you would bring to the role of mentor
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What kind of a mentor you might be
These views are from four different organisations which run mentoring programmes for new employees:
1. ‘Anyone can be a mentor if they have something to pass on and the skills, time and commitment to do it.’
2. ‘Practically anyone can become a mentor, from recent apprentices to people working in any part of the organisation … We’re always looking for people from different backgrounds – all you need is the desire to share your own experience.’
3. ‘The work-based mentor should be someone other than the staff member’s line manager but of an equivalent or higher level of seniority and be in the same department.’
4. ‘Mentors are expected to have practiced within the [healthcare] profession for at least two years, have undertaken regular updating of their knowledge and skills and can demonstrate a positive commitment to developing others.’
How do these four views of mentoring differ from each other?
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Why do you think differences like these exist?
The first two organisations leave the door relatively wide open for who can be a mentor, as long as they meet a few general criteria: experience to share, something to pass on, time and commitment. The third and fourth are more prescriptive, with mentors required to meet specific criteria such as being in a more senior position, having spent a minimum amount of time in the role, and staying up to date with developments in the profession.
It’s no accident that the fourth point of view comes from an organisation in the healthcare sector, where mentoring is an important and well-established method for developing the skills needed to meet regulations and maintain high professional standards. Stricter criteria may be necessary in this situation, since who becomes a mentor could be just as important as who becomes a supervisor or manager.
There’s no single right way to select mentors for industry placements. Organisations can make up their own minds about who can become a mentor and what selection process they use, if any. It could be as simple as asking who’s interested and taking it from there. Or the organisation can start with general criteria and add specific ones to fit particular situations or priorities.
To illustrate the range of possibilities, the table below shows five different types of mentoring programme down the side. Each one has a slightly different purpose. The column to the right briefly describes the mentoring relationship in each case.
| Focus of mentoring programme | Mentoring relationship |
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Career development |
Mentor with considerable career experience works with someone earlier in their career seeking development |
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Transition and socialisation |
Person starting a new position and/or joining the organisation works with a mentor who has experience of the position and the organisation |
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Skill development |
Mentor who has expertise skills and capabilities in specific aspects of a job works with someone seeking to learn them |
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Intergenerational |
Mentor from an older generation works with someone younger and starting out in their career/job |
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Diversity |
Person from a specific demographic group is supported in their career/job by a mentor with more experience from the same demographic group |
The criteria for selecting mentors in these examples include experience, expertise, age and demographics.
Some organisations keep tight control of selecting mentors and pairing them up with students. Others prefer a more informal approach. People are sometimes asked to become a mentor without having put themselves forward. Using resources such as this site should help anyone who feels apprehensive about the mentoring role to learn more about it and become more confident in their own ability to be an effective mentor.
How formal or informal is your organisation’s approach to the question of who can be a mentor for industry placement students?
Organisations with a formal approach are likely to have an application and selection process with clear criteria and assessment methods, which may include interviews and trials. Only people who are registered through this process are allowed to be mentors. Specialist software may be used to draw up profiles and create shortlists for pairing mentors with students. There may be a requirement for mentors to gain accredited qualifications, such as coaching awards.
Organisations preferring a more informal approach may not have a formal selection process. They should still have some controls though, even if they are very small. For example, keeping students safe is an important aspect of hosting industry placement students, and the organisation must be confident that mentors have had the necessary checks and are suited to the role.
The organisation’s approach is one thing, and it’s important. So are you – and it’s important to know how you would approach being a mentor and what you would bring to the role.
Here’s a simple exercise to check the basics.
| Yes | No | ||
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1 |
Are you interested in your job and experienced at it? |
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2 |
Are you respected by your colleagues? |
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3 |
Do you have time and energy to invest in being a mentor? |
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4 |
Do you know who to ask if someone at work asks a question you can’t figure out yourself? |
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5 |
Do other people see you as someone with integrity? |
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6 |
Do you cope well with disagreements and conflict? |
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7 |
Can you give feedback and constructive criticism? |
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8 |
Do you have good professional networks and networking skills? |
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9 |
Do you have a genuine interest in helping people develop? |
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10 |
Are you good at building relationships? |
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If the answers are mainly ‘yes’, you’ve got what it takes to be a good mentor. If they are mainly ‘no’, maybe you’re not quite ready for the mentoring role yet.
Here’s another exercise which goes more deeply into what kind of a mentor you might be. Imagining yourself in a mentoring situation, give each of these 25 statements a score from 1-5.
The totals will appear in the boxes at the bottom so you can see your score against each of five mentoring styles.
1 Strongly disagree
2 Disagree
3 Neither agree nor disagree
4 Agree
5 Strongly agree
| Score | ||
|---|---|---|
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1 |
I don’t like to know about other people’s problems |
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2 |
When I see that someone is worried about something, I take time to go into it with them |
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3 |
I’m happy to make suggestions to other people but I expect them to choose for themselves what to do |
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4 |
I’m quite prepared to give solutions to other people about their problems, because I think they don’t always know what to do |
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5 |
I’m happy to try and solve problems with someone else, but only on the basis that we are equal partners |
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6 |
I wait and see how people solve their problems for themselves |
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7 |
I give people space to talk about their problems and don’t give my opinions |
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8 |
I see myself as someone who gives suggestions so people can then make a choice themselves |
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9 |
From my experience I feel entitled to suggest how problems can be solved in the most efficient way |
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10 |
I’m happy to work through other people’s problems as long as we share our contributions equally |
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11 |
I stay calm if someone is having a bad time because I think problems often resolve themselves |
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12 |
I am open minded to solutions from other people even if I don’t think much of their ideas at first |
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13 |
If someone is really in trouble and can’t think straight, it’s better that I do the work of problem solving |
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14 |
Good solutions are hard to find so I often insist that people follow my advice |
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15 |
I’m constantly searching for solutions that can be acceptable for me and the other person |
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16 |
I think it’s better for people to solve problems themselves or with the help of other friends and colleagues, rather than me |
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17 |
When listening to other people, I don’t give my opinion |
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18 |
A good adviser suggests solutions to help the other person think and reflect |
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19 |
I can analyse problems quickly using my experience and expertise, then point people at the right solutions |
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20 |
I am open and clear about my points of view and I expect others to be the same |
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21 |
I would send someone with personal problems to an expert in that field |
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22 |
I often take the position of a ‘sounding board’ |
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23 |
Mentoring for me would mostly be a matter of giving ideas that lead to problem solving |
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24 |
In mentoring conversations I would mostly talk about how to handle problems in an effective way |
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25 |
The best solutions come from considering different points of view |
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Total |
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The columns A to E correspond to five different mentoring styles:
A = the ‘Letting Go’ style: You give time to let things develop and wait for them to happen in a natural way. You avoid an over-emotional approach, rush and pressure.
B = the ‘Active Listening’ style. You ask questions when things are unclear and check by summarising. You’re reserved in giving your own opinion, giving space to the other person and showing that you understand them.
C = the ‘Advisory’ style. You give suggestions for good problem solving as an objective outsider. You provide alternatives so that the other person can make a choice, giving advice based on your expertise.
D = the ‘Prescribing’ style. You take responsibility for solving problems, offering instructions on how to handle them. You’re convincing and persuasive. You require improvement from the other person and are not afraid to hold out the prospect of consequences if necessary.
E = the ‘Co-operative’ style. You strive for a joint vision by involving the other person in problem-solving. You give space to their opinion, appreciate equality in contributions and focus on cooperation.
How do your scores relate to what you thought your mentoring style might be? What conclusions do you draw about being a mentor?
There’s no right answer to this question. Everyone uses a mix of styles in relationships. You may find yourself wanting to use all of these styles in your role as a mentor for industry placement students. The exact combination will depend as much on the student and the situation as on your personal preferences. Having completed the exercise, you may have further thoughts on how you can develop your personal style to incorporate even more of your strengths.
How organisations think about who can be a mentor
—
How organisations select mentors
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What you would bring to the role of mentor
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What kind of a mentor you might be
Characteristics of a quality mentor
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Mentoring styles self assessment
T-level employer support package:
Roles and responsibilities
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Effective mentoring for industry placements
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