How to build a mentor pool: finding, inviting and keeping the right volunteers

In most mentoring programs, finding mentees is easy; the hard part is finding enough mentors with the right qualities. In research ATD released in 2023, about half (47%) of organizations with mentoring programs cited finding potential mentors as a challenge. This guide explains how to build your pool, from working out how many mentors you need to keeping volunteers in the program.

Work out what you need first

Before you announce anything, know how many mentors you need. A simple calculation is enough:

1. Set the number of mentees. For a pilot, 15–30 mentees is a manageable number.
2. Set capacity per mentor. Give first-time mentors one mentee and experienced mentors no more than two.
3. Add backups. Find roughly 15–20% more mentors than your calculated number. This gives you options in matching and fills the gap if a mentor drops out during the cohort.

Example: for 30 mentees with an average capacity of 1.5, you need 20 mentors, or 23–24 including backups.

Beyond the number, look at diversity too. Mentors from different units, regions and areas of expertise make matching easier.

What makes a good mentor?

The highest performer isn’t always the best mentor. In a 2018 article in TD Magazine, experts point out that mentors are usually chosen because they’re good at their jobs, while mentoring is a separate skill. When evaluating candidates, look for these qualities:

• Willing to listen. Asks questions more than they talk.
• Has time. Their calendar genuinely allows a few hours a month.
• Trustworthy. Doesn’t pass on what they hear.
• Open to their own growth. Accepts that they can learn something from the mentee, too.
• Isn’t the mentee’s manager. A reporting relationship makes open conversation harder.

There’s data from Türkiye as well. A study by Özgen, Thatchenkery and Rowell, published in 2018, was conducted with 175 people from six companies belonging to two Turkish holding groups. According to the study, employees with high self-efficacy who expect benefits from mentoring are more willing to become mentors. The authors also note that these expectations need to be met; otherwise, willingness may not turn into effective mentoring.

What motivates mentors?

Volunteering doesn’t run on goodwill alone. In your invitation, say clearly what mentors will gain for themselves.

• Career. In research by Van Emmerik, Baugh and Euwema in 2005 with 262 managers at a bank in the Netherlands, willingness to mentor was linked to career goals. Emotional commitment to the organization was not a deciding factor.
• Job satisfaction and performance. A 2013 meta-analysis by Ghosh and Reio shows that people who mentor report more positive outcomes in job satisfaction, organizational commitment and career success.
• Learning. Mentees bring the mentor the perspective of a different generation and a different unit.
• Meaning. Many leaders remember a time when someone helped them and want to give that back.

How to make the invitation

A general email alone isn’t enough. Roll out the announcement in a few steps:

1. State the time commitment clearly. ATD’s advice on recruiting mentors gives, as an example for a one-on-one program, a one-hour session roughly every two weeks over 9–12 months. Spell out your own program’s commitment just as clearly: session frequency, preparation session, total length.
2. Hold a short briefing. In 30 minutes, explain the program’s purpose, the schedule and what’s expected of mentors.
3. Offer a readiness survey. ATD recommends a 5–10-minute survey candidates can use to assess themselves. The survey informs them and lets those who aren’t a fit step back on their own.
4. Invite people personally. Call the people you think would make good mentors directly. Many candidates are waiting to be asked.
5. Don’t forget former mentees. From the second cohort on, previous mentees are the most natural mentor candidates.

A short sample text for a personal invitation:

Hi Ayşe, we’d like you to consider being a mentor in our mentoring program starting in February. The program runs for six months, with two one-hour sessions a month and a three-hour preparation session at the start. Colleagues who have just moved into regional management in particular could learn a lot from your experience. Could we talk through your questions and concerns in a 15-minute call this week?

The text does three things: it says why this person was chosen, it states the time commitment, and it leaves room to think. A general announcement doesn’t have that personal connection.

Selection and screening

Collect applications with a short form. Include areas of expertise, how many mentees they can take, available time each month, previous mentoring experience and a single open-ended question: “Why do you want to be a mentor?”

Criterion	Why it matters	How to check
Time	Postponed sessions end relationships	Monthly available hours on the form, manager approval
Attending the preparation session	Role and boundaries are clarified here	Those who don’t attend aren’t matched
No reporting relationship	Essential for the mentee to speak openly	Cross-check with the org chart
Motivation	Those who join only for visibility drop out early	Open-ended question, a 15-minute conversation if needed
Confidentiality	If trust breaks, the program suffers	References, what HR knows

Briefly and kindly explain your reasons to candidates you don’t accept. Use the words “this cohort” and invite them to the next one.

Get managers’ support

If a mentor’s own manager doesn’t know about the program, mentoring sessions become the first meetings canceled in the first busy week. To prevent this:

• Get written approval. Have the mentor’s manager approve the time commitment up front.
• Reflect it in goals. Make mentoring visible in annual development goals or performance conversations.
• Recognize it. In ATD’s 2023 research, 46% of organizations reward or recognize participants. The two most common methods are considering mentoring in promotion decisions and non-monetary rewards; each is used by 25% of organizations.
• Lead by example from the top. A few executive committee members serving as mentors shows the program is taken seriously.

For non-monetary recognition, an end-of-cohort thank-you letter, mentor stories in internal communications and development sessions just for mentors work well.

Protect popular mentors

Every organization has a few people everyone wants as a mentor. Without safeguards, they burn out while other mentors sit idle.

• Hold the capacity limit firmly. A mentor whose slots are full shouldn’t appear on the list.
• Narrow the mentee’s choice. Show mentees three suggested candidates, not the whole pool.
• Offer alternative formats. For senior leaders in high demand, set up group mentoring or one-off expert sessions.
• Check the load mid-cohort. Send mentors a short pulse survey; step in early if someone is struggling.

Carry mentors into the next cohort

A good mentor pool isn’t rebuilt from scratch every cohort. At the end of the cohort, ask mentors three questions: What worked? What did you find challenging? Would you continue for another cohort? Mark those who continue as experienced mentors in the next cohort and offer to raise their capacity to two. Don’t pressure those who want a break, and invite them again for the following cohort. With their permission, share the names of contributing mentors in internal communications.

For matching criteria and the capacity rule, see the matching guide.

Sources

• ATD Research: More Organizations Support Mentoring Programs for Employee Growth and Development — 2023 data on the difficulty of finding mentors (47%) and recognition practices
• How to Recruit People for Your Mentoring Program (ATD) — advice on stating the time commitment clearly, readiness surveys and turning former mentees into mentors
• Minting Your Mentors (TD Magazine, 2018) — why job success doesn’t equal mentoring skill
• Exploring the Determinants of Becoming a Mentor in Turkish Organizations — factors behind willingness to mentor in Turkish companies
• Who wants to be a mentor? (Career Development International, 2005) — the link between career goals and willingness to mentor
• Career benefits for mentors (ScienceForWork summary of Ghosh and Reio, 2013) — the job and career benefits mentoring brings to mentors