Step 1: Define your purpose and goals

The first step for any organisation is to specify the purpose and goals of the programme. Whether the objective is to boost employee retention or to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, there are many valid purposes—you just need the one that fits your organisation.

When establishing goals, understand the needs and wants of the mentors and mentees taking part. Introduce a programme that benefits both the organisation and participants.

Set straightforward, measurable and attainable goals so mentees have clear targets, while leadership can see the impact mentoring brings.

Questions to consider:

• What outcomes are you looking to achieve from this mentoring programme?
• What organisational objective does it support?
• What problems is the organisation facing and how can mentoring help solve them?
• Where are mentors and mentees in their professional journeys?
• Are there developmental needs the programme will address?
• What are your employees looking for?
• What does success look like for participants and for the organisation?
• What value do we want to add as an organisation?

Step 2: Design the programme

With clear purpose and goals, plan the programme design. Effective programmes are both structured and flexible, so they can serve varied mentoring needs across the organisation.

Tip: Clearly define the type(s) of mentoring that will take place—e.g., group mentoring, reverse mentoring, or peer mentoring—based on participant needs.

Design questions to answer:

• How long will mentoring relationships last?
• How will participants sign up?
• What are the eligibility or participation requirements?
• How many mentors and mentees will there be?
• How will mentoring relationships be constructed (matching approach)?
• Is the programme open or closed?
• Which mentoring type(s) will you use?
• How will you promote the programme?
• What resources do you require?
• What is expected from mentors and mentees?
• Are there any KPIs you want to achieve?
• How will you measure success?
• What policies and procedures will support the programme?
• Who will manage the programme?

Step 3: Attract and onboard participants

Without promotion, onboarding and training, even the best‑designed programmes can stall. Initial enthusiasm doesn’t always translate into sustained engagement.

To maximise effectiveness, make the value clear and the process easy. Participants should feel confident mentoring is worth their time and effort. Three practical focus areas:

1) Training and resources

Provide informative, educational and engaging resources for all participants. Many will be new to formal mentoring and need clarity on programme goals, role expectations, best practices and how to get the most from the experience. High‑quality resources increase enthusiasm, commitment and sign‑ups.

2) Communicate the importance and benefits

Mentoring is highly advantageous for personal and professional development, but don’t assume participants know the benefits. Clearly articulate the value to participants and stakeholders so it’s visible across the organisation.

3) Reward and recognise your participants

Understand factors that affect participation and address barriers early.

• Are participants constrained by time?
• Do some feel more comfortable in group formats?

When people feel heard and supported—and their efforts are recognised—engagement rises and word‑of‑mouth attracts new participants.

Step 4: Pair mentors and mentees

Pairing is critical and can be challenging because participants bring diverse needs, backgrounds, experiences and skills. Your planning in Step 1 should guide the matching approach you’ll use.

Different ways to pair participants

Common approaches include self‑matching and admin‑matching. What works for one group may not fit another, so stay flexible.

Make matching exciting, not daunting

Matching should feel like an exciting moment where relationships begin to form. If you plan to match manually, factor in the time and complexity required—especially at scale.

Use software to simplify the process

Mentoring software (e.g., PushFar) can streamline matching using algorithms that pair participants in seconds, reducing admin effort and improving fit.

Step 5: Train participants

Mentoring doesn’t “just happen.” Most participants will need guidance before launch.

Set clear expectations from the start

Train mentors and mentees on role expectations, programme objectives, mentoring best practices and how to support their counterpart.

Make training an ongoing process

Reinforce learning throughout the programme—send organisation‑wide tips, host training sessions and involve leaders to amplify good practices.

Support with accessible training resources

Knowing what and when to train can be hard. Consider regular workshops or monthly sessions covering topics like what to expect from mentoring, goal setting and career development.

Step 6: Measure programme success

Finally, assess outcomes against the goals set at the start. The aim is a programme that benefits participants and the organisation. Four measurement areas to prioritise:

1) Engagement rates

• Number of relationships formed
• Active participants
• Hours spent mentoring
• Assignments created or completed
• Messages sent

2) Employee satisfaction

Collect qualitative and quantitative feedback through surveys, focus groups or feedback sessions. Create a safe space for honest input; use the insights to iterate and improve.

3) Participant progress

Encourage goal setting within each mentoring relationship and track progress:

• Number of goals set
• Goals achieved
• Participant feedback
• Time to goal completion

4) Organisational outcomes

Tie results to your original objectives. While goals vary by organisation, useful KPIs include:

• Employee retention
• Employee engagement
• Participation rates
• Promotion rates
• Employee satisfaction

Final thoughts

There are many ways to run mentoring programmes across organisations and for individual development. If you're learning how to start an online mentoring programme, follow the right steps, stay organised and put people first. Implementing a programme takes effort, but the long‑term benefits far outweigh the initial investment.

Ready to take the next step?

If you want to learn more about how mentoring can be a powerful asset within your organisation, book a free demonstration with PushFar.

Working with hundreds of organisations across the globe—and over 65,000 members on our open network—we know how to build mentoring relationships that transform people and organisations.