Boosting Engagement this National Mentoring Day Through Guider

For this year’s UK National Mentoring Day, we, the team at Guider, wanted to go the extra mile. We wanted to thank mentors for their dedication, allow their mentees to thank them too, whilst encouraging engagement in the mentoring programme. Because, as we know, higher mentorship engagement leads to significant positive impacts in organisations. 

Our initiative was simple: 

Start a conversation, send a coffee.

When mentees booked a session through the Guider platform, we sent their mentors a free coffee. Stakeholders were also in on the initiative to inspire more meaningful conversations between mentors and mentees.

We know that starting the process or making time for a session can be hard, in the hustle of daily tasks, finding a slot for mentor-mentee interaction can often take a back seat. Aiming to kickstart these vital conversations, this simple, yet effective, promotion encouraged mentors and mentees to take out time from their busy schedules and engage with the programme – resulting an increase in sessions booked by 280%. 

What effects will these conversations have?

Individuals with mentors are 5 times more likely to be promoted.

For mentees, instigating the session over a coffee chat can bring a level of familiarity and candour to exchange ideas and experiences. Allowing them to open up and feel confident in their session provides a conducive environment for open discussions, guidance, and feedback. Mentees will progess on their path toward their professional goals, accelerating career growth as those with a mentor are 5 times more likely to be promoted. 

93% of mentors praise improvements in their leadership skills and 88% report a boost in self-confidence.

Pardun the pun, but the mentors too, walk away with more than just a caffeine buzz. Engaging in mentorship not only enhances self-esteem but also sharpens their leadership skills. The act of guiding others, sharing insights, and solving problems together contributes significantly to the mentor’s own personal and professional development.

Improving diversity in leadership teams leads to a 25% higher performance.

An effective programme will provide a cascade of benefits in the entire organisation. Take DE&I programmes; employees upskill through mentorship, knowledge is shared internally and leadership becomes more diverse. Businesses with diverse teams see a 25% improvement in performance over their non-diverse counterparts. 

83% of mentees are likely to become mentors.

In a recent Guider survey, 83% of mentees that had concluded their programme scored likely or highly likely to become a mentor themselves. It’s clear that peer-to-peer learning perpetuates a pay-it-forward attitude, creating a steady, sustainable process for knowledge sharing within enterprise organisations, promoting a culture of continuous growth and learning.

Not only did this give our mentees the opportunity to thank their mentors, it sparked the opportunity for their relationship to progress. So, if you want to increase user engagement – and get a nod from your stakeholders – take inspiration from us at Guider, use initiatives that inspire conversations, knowledge sharing and commitments to mutual growth.

Additional Resources 

• Benefits of Mentoring 
• Why DIY Mentoring Programmes Aren’t Worth the Effort
• Mentoring Statistics: The Research You Need to Know in 2023