Choosing the right mentors starts with choosing the right mentees. Learn how to select, assess, and match mentors effectively to build a strong mentoring program.

If you’re running a mentoring program, one of the trickiest parts is choosing the right mentors. It affects everything: retention, engagement, leadership development, and whether your mentees actually grow.

Most organisations jump straight to “Who should our mentors be?”

That’s not where you start.

First, you need to understand your mentees.

TL;DR

If you want strong mentoring outcomes, don’t start with your mentors. Start with your mentees. Understand who they are, the challenges they bring, and whether they have capacity.

Then select mentors who have motivation, availability, and alignment with your program goals. Build a simple selection process, match intentionally, and you’ll create a mentoring program that’s impactful, measurable, and sustainable.

Table of Contents

• Start With Your Mentees (Not Your Mentors)
  • Identify the right mentees
  • Check mentee capacity
• Who Should Your Mentors Be? It Depends on Your Program Goals
  • Consider what your organisation needs
  • Types of mentors to consider
• The Qualities of a Great Mentor
  • Motivation
  • Commitment
  • Opt-in willingness (or a simple tap on the shoulder)
• Create a Mentor Selection Process That Works
  • What your selection process should include
• Matching Mentors and Mentees
  • The criteria that strengthen matching outcomes
• Conclusion: Get the Foundations Right
• Frequently Asked Questions

Start With Your Mentees (Not Your Mentors)

Before selecting mentors, you need a clear understanding of who your mentees are and why they are in the program. Identify:

• Who your mentees should be
• What challenges they bring
• Whether they can actually commit

This gives you the clarity to choose mentors who actually align with their needs.

Identify the right mentees

Your first step is to look at the people challenges your organisation is trying to solve. These challenges guide who should join as mentees.

Common challenges include:

• Low engagement or morale
• Retention risks
• Skills gaps in early or mid-career staff
• A shaky leadership pipeline
• Silos between teams
• Underrepresentation in leadership

Your mentee cohort should be chosen with these goals in mind.

Check mentee capacity

Once you know who could benefit, you also need to check their capacity. This prevents selecting mentees who are already stretched too thin.

Look out for mentees who:

• Are already in multiple programs
• Have no time or bandwidth
• Work in roles where consistent meetings are unrealistic

A strong mentee is someone who wants development and has the capacity to show up.

Once you know who your mentees are and why they’re in the program, choosing mentors becomes far easier.

Who Should Your Mentors Be? It Depends on Your Program Goals

There is no single type of mentor that works for every mentoring program. The right mentor profile depends on the goals you want the program to achieve. 

Consider what your organisation needs

Before identifying your mentor group, consider the organisational goals driving the program. This helps you decide what kind of mentors will support the outcomes you need.

Key considerations include:

• Capability gaps across teams
• Seniority of your mentees
• Whether leadership development or knowledge sharing is a priority
• Whether cross-functional exposure will help
• Diversity and inclusion needs

Types of mentors to consider

• Senior internal mentors: Great for developing future leaders, succession planning, or accelerating high-potential talent.
• Peer mentors: Helpful for onboarding, early-career development, or building belonging.
• Cross-functional mentors: Useful for breaking down silos and helping people understand the wider organisation.
• External mentors: A solid option when you don’t have enough senior staff, technical specialists, or diverse role models in-house.

The Qualities of a Great Mentor (What Really Predicts Success)

Mentoring doesn’t fall apart because someone lacks expertise. It falls apart when they lack motivation or capacity. 

Successful mentoring is less about technical expertise and more about motivation, commitment, and willingness to participate. These qualities heavily influence whether a mentoring program succeeds.

While each mentor brings their own strengths, there are three qualities that consistently predict success in any mentoring program.

Motivation

The best mentors genuinely want to be there. They’re motivated by things like:

• Helping others grow
• Giving back
• Developing their own leadership ability
• Enjoying the mentoring process
• Being curious learners themselves
  
  

Commitment

A mentor must be willing to commit enough time to the program. Most mentoring programs work well when mentors can commit to:

• One hour per month for the catch-up
• One hour per month for prep and follow-up
• Staying involved for 6–10 months

Non-negotiable.

Opt-in willingness (or a simple tap on the shoulder)

Not all strong mentors volunteer themselves. Some might need:

• A nudge from a senior leader
• Encouragement to join
• Clarity on expectations
• Recognition that their experience is valuable

If you rely on volunteers alone, you’ll miss highly capable mentors who simply wouldn’t put their hand up without being asked.

Create a Mentor Selection Process That Works

A consistent and transparent mentor selection process improves mentor quality and avoids mismatches.

What your selection process should include

A simple mentor selection process ensures that everyone understands expectations and responsibilities before joining the mentoring program.

Useful components include:

• An expression-of-interest form
• Screening questions to check motivation and availability
• Confirmation that mentors align with program goals
• A commitments overview outlining time expectations

A structured process avoids the “first in, best dressed approach” as these leads to common problems such as:  

• Mentors who don’t match mentee needs
• Overloaded leaders saying yes out of obligation
• Gaps in key teams
• Poor matches
  
  

Being deliberate in your mentor selection will always lead to better outcomes.

Matching Mentors and Mentees: Where the Real Impact Happens

Once you have selected your mentees and mentors, the next step is matching. Good matching builds trust, accelerates learning, and drives measurable growth.

The criteria that strengthen matching outcomes

Matching should consider more than job titles. A well-rounded approach increases the chance that both people will find the relationship valuable.

Useful matching criteria include:

• Mentor experience
• Functional background
• Leadership capability
• Personality and values
• Mentee development goals
• Current skills and development gaps
• Cross-team or cross-functional opportunities
• Diversity and inclusion needs

The stronger your mentor and mentee selection process, the more accurate and effective your matches will be.

Conclusion: Get the Foundations Right and Your Program Will Thrive

Choosing the right mentors isn’t about popularity or job titles. It’s about motivation, capacity, alignment with your goals, and matching them well with the right mentees.

Start with your mentees.

Choose mentors intentionally.

Match with purpose.

Get those steps right and your program becomes impactful, measurable, and sustainable.

If you want to make mentor selection and matching easier, faster, and more accurate, Brancher’s mentoring software takes the guesswork out of the process. With our platform, you can identify, screen, and pair mentors with mentees in minutes (not weeks) while tracking program outcomes and engagement.

Book a demo today and see how Brancher can help your mentoring program succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose the right mentors for a mentoring program?

Start by identifying your mentees and your program goals. Then choose mentors who are motivated, capable, and aligned with the mentees’ needs. Opt-in mentors or leader-recommended mentors usually perform best.

What qualities make a good mentor?

Motivation, availability, consistency, willingness to help others, and relevant experience. Strong communication and emotional intelligence also help.

Do mentors need to be senior leaders?

Not always. Good mentors can be peers, cross-functional experts, or external mentors. It depends on your goals.

How much time should a mentor commit?

Around one hour per month for the session and one hour for follow-up. Most programs run for 6–10 months.

How do organisations find enough mentors?

Combine opt-in recruitment, leader recommendations, tap-on-the-shoulder invitations, and external mentors if needed.

Why do you identify mentees first?

Because mentee needs determine the mentor profile. It ensures alignment instead of guesswork.

Can mentors come from outside the organisation?

Yes. External mentors can fill capability gaps or provide diverse and objective viewpoints.