Recommended Steps in a Phased Mentor Selection & Matching Process

by Barry Sweeny, 2003

Best Practice Summarized

Both the selection and matching of mentors should ideally be conducted as one continuous but phased process with ìgatesî or decision points at several places in that process. Each of the several stages in the process should have their own set of criteria. The end result is that there is not just at one ìdo or dieî point in the process, but rather a sequence of choices made by representatives of the various stake holders in the mentoring process, and where realistic, by both the program and the mentor candidate.

The goal of such a phased approach is to keep as open and as inclusive a process as possible.

To ensure that people who become mentors can be successful in that role, there is a phased sequence of:

• Providing more and more information
• Meeting more and more specific criteria, and ...
• Several opportunities for the poorer candidates to decide they may not be successful and that they should not continue in their mentor candidacy.

Selection and matching criteria are needed for:

• Phase One - To attend a mentoring information meeting and consider applying to be a mentor
  • E.g. Interest in learning about what mentoring is all about, the process of becoming a mentor, and about the requirements.
• Phase Two - To attend the initial mentor training - These criteria should be rather uncontroversial and accepted measures of professional quality. These criteria are often called the ìthresholdî criteria, and typically include items like:
  • 5 years in the organization
  • Standard certification (if such is professionally required)
  • Masters degree (if that is typical of the profession)
  • One job or salary grade above the level of persons the mentor will likely support (optional, but worth considering)
  • An ìExcellentî rating on the employee's most recent performance appraisal
  • The candidate's manager signature (acknowledging only an awareness of candidate's application)
  • Process:
    • Done by the Mentor Committee who...
    • Review the mentor candidate's application
    • Decide if meets criteria at this stage

• Phase Three - To be called ìMentorî and enter the mentor ìpool"
  • E.g. Training Completion Criteria:
    • Completion of mentor training
    • Agreement between candidate and trainer that the candidate is ready to be a mentor.

• Phase Four - To be matched with a protégé
  • E.g. Initial Matching Criteria
    • Has recent experience in an assignment similar to the protégé's
    • Lives and/or works in close proximity to the protégé
    • Has the professional and personal strengths which would complement the professional needs and strengths of the potential protégé
    • Has attended all mentor staff development & support group meetings held since becoming a mentor
    • Agreement among the mentor program coordinator, the supervisor (and mentoring committee - optional)

• Phase Five - Mismatch checked for at one month
  • E.g. Criteria to remain matched with the protégé:
    • Agreement on the continuance of the match includes the mentor, protégé, and program coordinator (at least)
    • Mentoring Time and Activity Log shows concerted effort by the pair to meet and work together

• Phase Six - To work a 2nd year with the same protégé
  • E.g. attended all mentor staff development & support groups
  • Agreement on the continuance of the match includes the mentor, protégé, and program coordinator (at least)
  • Mentoring Time and Activity Log shows concerted effort by the pair to meet and work together
  • Mentor worked per their agreement with the Mentor Program Coordinator who served as ìmentor of mentors"

Identify BOTH ìselfî and ìprogramî responsibilities for deciding if the various criteria are met.

A. SELF-SELECTION:

• What's needed for success at each stage is clearly defined.
• Candidates are counseled & guided through self- assessment against the criteria at each stage.
• Clarify what it means to move to the next stage of the selection & matching process
• ìAskî if the candidate feels that he/she can succeed at the next stage.
• Make decisions a matter of timing, so that a ìNoî allows for future involvement. (Maybe now isn't the right time to be a mentor.)

B. PROGRAM SELECTION:

• Manager has unique info & needs input opportunity during selection and matching processes.
• Mentor Trainer/Coordinator/Committee each have a unique set of info about the mentor & should have input too.
• Use language which honors each candidate and protégé & which does not suggest that a person has made mistakes or is not ìgood enoughî.
  • e.g. ìYour strengths are not what this novice needs.î
• When dealing with a mismatch, the PROGRAM should assume as much of the fault as possible.
  • e.g. ìWe had inadequate information when we had to do the initial match back in July. Now we know better what is needed.î
  • ìIt's not fair to mentors to keep them matched to novices who do not need what the mentor has to offer.î

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