3 ways to involve members in your mentoring programme

Create a programme with a strong image

When launching your very first programme, take time to communicate in phases. For example, introduce the programme first and then go on to recruit mentors. Once you have a list of mentors, developing a profile of them will make it very easy to recruit your mentees later on. Now you’re ready to go! Your programme is ready to be launched.

If this is not your first mentoring programme, it is always useful to recruit more members. To make the case for your mentoring programme, it should be seen by your members as simple, effective and caring. The best way to present it in these aspects is to share testimonials. Testimonials from former pairs are a good way to get your members to see themselves in a mentoring relationship. For Anne Meunier, General Delegate of the ESC Clermont Alumni Association: “Demonstration is much better than a speech, so we plan to publish videos presenting the testimonies of pairs that have worked well.”

Demonstrate that your programme is beneficial to all stakeholders

Both mentees and mentors can benefit from your mentoring programme. Highlight the skills they will be able to develop through your programme as well as the benefits. For Sibylle Auboyneau, General Delegate at Dauphine alumni, “students are very demanding in terms of skills from their elders.

The mentors decide at first to get involved as a “service”, but after the programme they say they have “finally learned as much as the students. Curious and creative students push the mentor to the limit and that’s what alumni like,” she adds.

Express gratitude to them

Once they are involved in the programme, your members become involved and give their time to your association. Pamper them and listen to them. If a pairing is not working, find solutions and form new pairs. If a pairing has ended earlier than expected, ask the mentor if he or she wants to start a new relationship. Don’t hesitate to organise events to make your members’ network flourish or to promote their work to the community through articles for example. Thanks to you, your members continue to progress and at the same time, they help your association to shine.

Do you want to go further? Here are our articles that will interest you:

• Why create a mentoring programme and how to make it successful?
• 7 conseils pour dynamiser son réseau Alumni!
• How Mentoring helps students make career choices