Don't worry, we're not letting the month of May end before letting you in our best secret for engagement!
Mentorly has hosted a number of mentorship programs, and we've learned a thing or two about what works - and what doesn't work.
This month is all about flexible mentorship, setting goals, and knowing why Mentorly is the best fit for mentorship.
Flexible mentorship is best
On Mentorly, there are two ways for sessions to be booked: from activated matches or general browsing, and each of these ways have their own benefits and limitations.
When mentees are only offered the option to book via general browsing on the Mentors page, it offers them the most flexibility and choice in who they get to meet with. However, depending on the size of the program, this can be very overwhelming for a mentee as too many choices or options make it difficult to focus.
When mentees are matched with a mentor, it allows for a more direct and immediate connection, while at the same time restricting their access to more mentorship opportunities.
By having a flexible program that offers both matches and general browsing, you get the best of both worlds! Matches will guide the mentee on who their most compatible mentor may be, while general browsing still gives them the freedom to book with whoever they want.
If you’re interested in enabling matching for your program, here are the following steps you’ll need to take:
Work with your MSA or the Mentorly Support Team to set up a matching questionnaire.
This matching questionnaire will determine the best compatible matches in your program. Any customization options are determined by your program’s Mentorly Plan.
Estimated time: 10-15 minutes to review and finalize.Allow program members to fill out the questionnaire.
Estimated time: roughly 1-2 weeks (suggested).Review and activate matches based on compatibility scores.
Estimated time: For smaller-sized programs, this can be 5-10 minutes, and for larger-sized programs, this can be 15-30 minutes or more.
If you want to have general browsing enabled for your program, all it takes is two quick and easy steps!
Go to your Members tab and view by Mentors.
Select all mentors and from the dropdown menu, select 'Approve all mentors'
Estimated time: 1-3 minutes.
When a mentor is approved, it means they're approved to have a public profile on the Mentors page. However, it's important to note that a mentor must be fully onboarded (profile complete and matching questionnaire complete) in order to be visible.
A Success Story 🌠
One of the programs hosted on Mentorly was operating under an ‘general browsing’ system for 9 months out of the year.
Wanting to boost the number of sessions being held in the program, the program manager opted to enable matching. Since doing so, they’ve seen their session numbers grow by 100% and still counting! 🙌
Want to learn more about Smart Matching before choosing it for your program? Check out this article.
Set your goals! 🚦
At Mentorly, we love goals: it's what helps us stay on track and the best way to gauge our progress. We're not talking one big goal either - we're talking baby steps! We know that the best way to accomplish one big goal is to break it up into small, more achievable goals.
Your mentorship program is no different! If you're hoping to increase your program's engagement, we recommend setting monthly goals.
Your goals should be aligned with the needs of your mentorship program - consider focusing on total number of sessions: aim high and double the count, or aim for consistency (it's key!).
Need help in setting goals for your program? Talk with your MSA or reach out to Mentorly's support team to find one that suits your needs.
Mentorly: The best fit for mentorship
We have everything you need for mentorship, all in one place! Find out why Mentorly is integral to a mentorship experience.
Beginning this month, our Customer Success team is excited to start sharing our best tips and advice about mentorship for mentors and mentees!
Once a month we'll share our mentorship expertise about how to set up an agenda for a session, what are the best questions to ask, general tips - and of course, reminders for members to book sessions.
Want to talk more engagement strategies for your program? Check out last month's engagement tips or contact your MSA to set up a meeting! We're here for your success.