Reverse mentoring program. Reverse mentor and mentee.

Ryszard Skarbek
Apr 16
8 min read

Reverse mentoring is key to retaining top talent

Many organizations struggle with high employee attrition and turnover rates among younger employees. Millennials are the demographic most likely to leave their jobs. It's no wonder, then, that many employers struggle to retain millennial talent.

Senior leaders often struggle to connect with young people's concerns, needs, and desires. This applies to both their employees and their clients.

In reverse mentoring, a younger colleague mentors an older one, or a specialist mentors a manager. Mentors are often young external technology experts, as well as mature managers or business owners who want to broaden their horizons and gain knowledge about using the latest technologies.

The goal of this initiative is to support older colleagues in developing new skills and connecting with the younger generation. This helps them open up to innovative ideas and creative solutions, and make better decisions thanks to new perspectives.

For younger employees, participating in a mentoring program is a great opportunity to gain knowledge and skills and build relationships with senior managers. This builds self-confidence, and the added perspective of seeing things through the eyes of the older generation can be invaluable for their future work and careers.

Let's take a look at why reverse mentoring matters and how to set up an effective reverse mentoring program.

What is reverse mentoring?

In reverse mentoring, a senior employee develops a professional friendship with a junior colleague. This helps senior employees develop mutually beneficial technological and social skills. For example, a leader might want to learn online business tools while gaining a fresh perspective on their business or industry.

Mentoring also involves mutual benefits. Younger team members benefit from the knowledge and experience of their older mentees. This collaboration also helps them develop leadership skills.

In a traditional mentoring relationship, an older and more experienced person serves as the mentor. In this case, the person with more professional experience serves as the mentee and is supported by the mentor, who typically possesses knowledge in a unique area, such as cutting-edge technology.

It's important to remember that reverse mentoring isn't always based solely on age. Management level is also an important factor.

Who invented reverse mentoring?

Reverse mentoring was started in 1999 by Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric. Its goal was to help senior executives learn about the internet by working with younger mentors.

Mentoring helps companies address skills gaps. It also supports efforts to upskill staff. This can help organizations remain competitive in a constantly evolving global marketplace.

Why is reverse mentoring important?

Now let's look at seven reasons why reverse mentoring matters to both your employees and your organization.

1. It helps reduce generational bias

Generational biases can be a barrier to effective collaboration. Older colleagues may perceive millennials as spoiled and entitled, while younger team members may believe baby boomers are resistant to change. As Generation Z enters the workforce, additional stereotypes may emerge.

Reverse mentoring can help break down these stereotypes and bridge the generational gap. Each generation offers a different perspective. Embracing the ideas of people of all ages can make your company stronger and more resilient.

2. Promotes inclusivity and diversity

Despite efforts to promote diversity, leadership positions are still dominated by white men. In 2020, 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs were white men. And globally, only 1 in 5 CEOs is a woman.

Companies that promote diversity benefit from a wider range of talent and perspectives than those that don't. This can help them meet their customers' needs and increase their competitiveness.

At the same time, it creates a more inclusive work environment that attracts and retains top talent. Reverse mentoring programs can help diversify boardrooms. They also raise awareness of the challenges and concerns minorities face in the workplace.

3. Creates an atmosphere of trust and cooperation

The trust of your team members is crucial to your business's success. Trust improves the employee experience and can help reduce employee turnover. In fact, millennials say they are 22 times more likely to work for an organization with a culture of trust.

Reverse mentoring creates an atmosphere of trust and respect. This can contribute to a stronger culture of collaboration and mutual support within the company.

4. Helps develop leadership

This type of collaboration benefits not only older employees but can also accelerate the career development of younger employees by helping them develop leadership skills.

By becoming a mentor, they can develop confidence in their own leadership abilities. They can also benefit from their mentees' workplace experience.

Sometimes, a senior team member can act as a trainer and coach. They may do this by helping a junior colleague solve current problems or develop skills that will positively impact their career.

5. Increases retention of younger employees

In 2019, 49% of millennials said they would leave their jobs within the next two years if given the chance. However, mentoring programs can help companies solve the employee retention conundrum.

One prime example is Pershings, a wealth management firm owned by BNY Mellon. After launching a reverse mentoring program in 2013, they achieved a 96% retention rate among Generation Y employees.

6. Improves the digital skills of older workers

Digital skills are among the most in-demand skills in today's workplace. They can also pose the greatest challenge for some older workers who entered the workplace before the digital age.

Developing coding or social media skills can benefit the company and open up new opportunities for older colleagues.

7. Increases employee engagement

Research on reverse mentoring indicates its positive impact on employee engagement. Higher employee engagement is associated with several benefits for organizations, including:

Greater productivity.
Reduced absenteeism.
Lower employee turnover.
Less stress.
Lower risk of burnout.

What are the business benefits of reverse mentoring?

Reverse mentoring achieves its best results when implemented within a formal program. It can also complement other employee development initiatives.

Reverse mentoring programs can also be beneficial for virtual teams. They can help strengthen trust and improve communication and collaboration among remote team members.

A formal program can ensure the success of a mentoring relationship. It allows HR professionals to match pairs based on skills and interests. They can also monitor the success of the relationship and identify ways to improve the program.

If older employees are reluctant to participate in a reverse mentoring program, highlight the benefits it can bring them. These include:

Promoting a company learning culture.
Leading by example.
Learning new skills.
Closing the skills gap.
Increasing employee engagement.
Reducing employee turnover, especially among younger employees.

What might be the obstacles to implementing mentoring programs?

Before you start your initiative, it's important to be aware of some of the barriers you may face.

1. Resistance from senior team members.

Your older employees have been around the block. Many of them have decades of experience and are experts in their field. And while they may still be open to learning, they may doubt whether the younger generation has anything valuable to teach them.

Help them see the value of such an initiative by asking where they feel they are lacking in skills and knowledge. Then explain how their younger colleagues can help fill those gaps.

2. Lack of time commitment.

People are busy, making them reluctant to devote their valuable time to extra activities. A mentoring relationship can only work when both parties are fully committed.

If you want your employees to fully engage, help them understand the benefits. You can cite a competitor's success with its reverse mentoring program. You can also explain how developing modern skills can help older colleagues become better leaders.

3. Reverse mentoring may not apply to all employees.

Reverse mentoring has been proven effective in areas such as:

Business.
Education.
Technology.
Medical education.
Health Sciences.

It can help senior leaders better understand their younger colleagues. It also helps them get into the minds of younger consumers and customers.

But when designing such a program, ensure it's appropriate for the intended participant population. Select participants based on their needs:

Develop the desired technical skills.
Choose the right technologies.
Pay attention to the practicality of new knowledge.

6 tips for designing an exceptional mentoring program.

If you're ready to start designing your program, follow these tips to ensure its success.

1. Match the Mentors - Mentees pairs well.

Start by gathering a list of employees interested in participating. You can select mentors and mentees based on a combination of age and management level.

Then prepare a short survey for each mentee about their:

Goals.
Skills they would like to develop.
Interests.

Create another survey for mentors about their:

Areas of specialization.
Interests.
Professional aspirations.

After completing the questionnaires, match potential pairs so that the mentor can best support the mentee. If possible, try to find common interests. This will help break the ice in initial conversations.

Create a shortlist of three potential partners for each participant. Try to promote diversity in your pairings. Finally, allow your mentees to choose their mentor.

2. Establish communication channels.

Generational differences often influence communication preferences. For example, Generation Z and Millennial employees may prefer instant messaging or virtual meetings. However, older colleagues may prefer traditional face-to-face meetings or phone calls.

The solution is to help each couple determine the communication method that works best for them. This could be a mix of methods, for example, weekly face-to-face meetings with instant messaging in between.

If your student wants to develop their skills in using new technologies, encourage them to try new communication technologies.

3. Set clear program goals.

Each couple's needs will be different. Use the SMART method to help each couple establish a partnership and a timeframe for achieving it.

For example, over the course of six weeks, a mentee might want to learn how to use three different social media platforms (such as Instagram) to grow their business.

4. Set a schedule for your mentoring program.

Help each couple decide how often they will meet and for how long. For example, once a week for 3 months or every two weeks for 6 months.

Then help them decide if they will have any touchpoints between meetings, such as a weekly email to monitor progress.

Make sure both participants have blocked time on their calendars.

5. Encourage effective communication.

Effective communication is essential to a successful mentor-mentee relationship. Help them develop effective communication skills, e.g., active listening or providing constructive feedback. If necessary, provide skill-building training in these areas before the project begins, or hire external coaches and mentors.

6. Monitor and evaluate progress and results.

Evaluate the success of your program by asking participants for feedback. Knowing what worked and what didn't will help you improve it in the future.

Real-world examples of reverse mentor-mentee relationships.

Ready to start your mentoring program? Here are two real-world examples of successful projects to inspire you.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

PwC launched its reverse mentoring program in 2014 to improve diversity and inclusion. Gen Z and millennial mentors met with their mentees, who are partners and directors at the firm, once a month.

Additionally, they held monthly mentor-only meetings to discuss issues. The program was well received by both junior and senior colleagues, as a way to empower young talent while simultaneously building niche skills for seniors.

Deloitte.

Deloitte launched a pilot of its reverse mentoring program in 2018. Like PwC, their goal was to support women and ethnic minorities in their workforce. By pairing junior mentors with senior employees, leaders gained new perspectives and insights into how to achieve diversity goals.

The program received positive feedback from both mentors and mentees. In 2019, Deloitte rolled it out to LGBTQ+ employees to further enhance its impact.

Retain younger talent with reverse mentoring.

Reverse mentoring offers many benefits. It allows junior employees to develop confidence and leadership skills while also helping senior management develop new skill sets.

Leaders who are open to learning from their younger colleagues will benefit from their skills and knowledge. And companies that embrace reverse mentoring are likely to be more diverse and resilient.