Mentor Recruitment and Selection


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The recruitment and selection of mentors are critical pieces in starting up the program.  The initial group of mentors in a new program sets the stage for the program’s ethos and shapes the experiences of the mentees as well as the mentors.

Programs often have a stable group of mentors.  The group meets regularly, shares insights and receives training.  In the recruitment and selection phases of the program, the program is not only tasked with finding the right mentors, but also with communicating program goals and expectations clearly in order to avoid assumptions and pitfalls at the onset, and to develop a shared mental model for what mentoring under the auspices of the program will look like and aims to achieve. 

Mentors expend their time, energy and attention to the mentees.  Successful mentors are able to build relationships and to broker relationships for the mentees with others.  They are capable or willing to learn skills to enhance their mentoring so that it meets the needs of new generations whose life histories, experiences and motivations are likely different from their own.  The program’s clarity regarding the expectations from the mentors signals respect for the mentors’ commitment and sets them up for success.

This section provides steps in recruitment and selection of mentors.

Mentor Recruitment

Mentor Selection