Best Practices for Implementing a Mentoring Program for Diverse Employees
In the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), initiatives and efforts can often feel like two steps forward and one step back as organizations struggle to find the right strategy to build more inclusive workplaces.
To ensure your mentoring program is built for success, follow these best practices to reach and engage under-represented employees.
Determine Your Audience and Purpose
Mentoring for the sake of mentoring can leave your organization (and sometimes your employees) wondering what they’re getting out of it. Give yourself direction from the get-go. Understand what you’re looking to improve within your organization when it comes to DEI.
Recruit People
When it comes to successful mentoring programs, the if you build it, they will come approach will not deliver the results you want. To get people to enroll and engage in mentoring, you need to reach out and invite them to participate.
Don’t Make Diverse Employees Do All the Work
Similarly, don’t rely on diverse employees to do all the work to get the program off the ground. Solicit buy-in and input from these employees to make the program more grounded in the truth of your organization, its employee structure, and the existing culture.
Match the Right Mentors and Mentees
Some companies prefer to match diverse employees with employees of a different background or demographic to build greater organizational empathy while expanding networks. For some organizations, mentees may want to be matched with a person of a similar background (mentors with the same identity) to find and establish community within an organization.
Train Participants
Give your mentors and mentees a structure to follow when it comes to setting up meetings, creating goals, and setting up communication preferences. It’s also important to train people about stereotypes and unconscious biases. This is how empathy is built, silos are torn down, and long-term value is built in the modern workforce.
Seek Feedback
The journey to a more DE&I-centric organization is not a quick or finite one. It will require trial and error, small wins, and some missteps along the way. Accept this and actively seek the feedback and commentary necessary to know how the mentoring program and the ensuing relationships are progressing.