How to match mentors and protégés for successful mentorship programs: a review of the evidence and recommendations for practitioners

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this qualitative review paper is to identify for practitioners ways of matching mentors and protégés to enhance the effectiveness of formal mentoring programs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper qualitatively reviews the best available evidence of ways to match mentors and protégés to maximize mentorship outcomes.FindingsTwo factors to consider when making mentor–protégé matches emerged from the research literature (1) the matching process (i.e., how matches are made and facilitated by practitioners such as incorporating participant input on matches): and (2) individual characteristics (i.e., individual differences that may serve as matching criteria such as experiential, surface-level, and deep-level characteristics). This qualitative review resulted in three practical recommendations to practitioners interested in matching mentors and protégés using evidence-based methods: (1) match based on deep-level similarities, (2) consider developmental-needs of protégés during matching, and (3) seek mentors' and protégés’ input before finalizing matches.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the research reviewed are highlighted: measures of perceived similarity, relative effectiveness of matching-related factors, limited research investigating the role of dissimilarity on mentoring outcomes, and linear relationship assumptions between matching-related factors and mentoring outcomes.Practical implicationsThe authors’ recommendations suggested greater use of valid psychometric assessments to facilitate matching based on actual assessed data rather than program administrators' personal knowledge of mentors and protégés.Originality/valueThe literature on mentor–protégé matching is missing practical guidance on how to apply the research. This highlights a need for a qualitative review of the literature to identify what matching processes and criteria are most effective, providing a “one-stop-shop” for practitioners seeking advice on how to construct effective mentor–protégé matches in formal mentorship programs.

Finding fit in friction: the value of contrast in mentoring for leadership development

“…Third, we offer an empirical study of mentees' and mentors' experiences of such encounters and contend that mentoring for leadership development programmes may benefit from a dialectical approach and design. At least 2 decades of research demonstrate that the alignment of deep-level dimensions facilitates developmental mentoring relationships in contexts of career advancement (Harrison et al, 1998;Hale, 2000;Deng et al, 2022). Our findings, however, extend this idea by suggesting that leadership development programmes incorporate a more dialectical perspective into their design-that is, so that mentors' and mentees' needs do not necessarily align.…”

“…Researchers have also examined connections between various matching (or choosing) strategies and successful mentoring outcomes (see Deng et al, 2022 for a review). Ullrich et al (2020), for instance, studied a mentoring programme in a general surgery residency in which prospective mentors and mentees were matched according to their own assessments of their strengths, weaknesses and professional interests.…”

“…Research examining matching strategies and positive (and negative) mentoring outcomes propounds that in the early stages of their relationship, mentors and mentees may perceive similarities in one another regarding surface-level qualities, [1] which generate a sense of liking between them (Lankau et al, 2005, p. 253). However, high-quality mentoring relationships develop over time, as members of a pair learn to recognize deeperlevel dimensions that they share, such as value orientations and attitudes (Barth, 1969;Ensher and Murphy, 1997;Harrison et al, 1998;Hale, 2000;Lankau et al, 2005;Murphy, 2011;Deng et al, 2022). Additionally, differences in surface-level dimensions-which can manifest as an initial sense of not liking each other, and thus hinder new mentoring relationshipssometimes dissipate, as members uncover the deeper-level dimensions that they share (Turban et al, 2002;Weinberg and Lankau, 2011).…”

“…Many of these discussions cite the career and psycho-social supports identified by Kram (1983Kram ( , 1985 in her formative works on mentorship. For example, mentoring can help mentees articulate and attain their career and/or life goals via coaching, sponsorship and increased visibility in an organization, while further supporting these outcomes with ongoing counselling, friendship and processes that foster self-identification and psychological safety (Forret et al, 1996;Clutterbuck, 2012;Ragins, 2016;Deng et al, 2022). Accordingly, myriad studies have aimed to determine best practices for facilitating successful and satisfying mentoring relationships in both formal and informal contexts (Lankau et al, 2005;Murphy, 2011;Weinberg and Lankau, 2011;Deng et al, 2022).…”

“…For example, mentoring can help mentees articulate and attain their career and/or life goals via coaching, sponsorship and increased visibility in an organization, while further supporting these outcomes with ongoing counselling, friendship and processes that foster self-identification and psychological safety (Forret et al, 1996;Clutterbuck, 2012;Ragins, 2016;Deng et al, 2022). Accordingly, myriad studies have aimed to determine best practices for facilitating successful and satisfying mentoring relationships in both formal and informal contexts (Lankau et al, 2005;Murphy, 2011;Weinberg and Lankau, 2011;Deng et al, 2022). With this aim-as well as the goal of helping students, employees and organizations enjoy these benefits-researchers have examined specific behaviours, identified by members of mentoring pairs, as contributing to either successful or problematic mentoring experiences (Eby, 2007;Hamlin and Sage, 2011;Weinberg and Lankau, 2011;Cho et al, 2011;Kraiger et al, 2019).…”