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Running a mentoring program manually is hard work and impossible to run well when you're dealing with hundreds of employees.
You need to make perfect mentor-mentee matches, make sure the pairings meet regularly, and report on metrics like skills development and employee retention to prove the ROI of your program.
As an L&D leader, a mentoring program is just one of the many initiatives you’re responsible for, making it difficult, if not impossible, to devote time to run a program well. Mentoring software can solve this problem. The right mentoring software will take care of laborious tasks and intelligently match mentors and mentees while keeping you in the driver’s seat.
But, we know that there are many different factors to consider when choosing an online mentoring platform for your company:
- Your unique business goals and objectives
- The budget you have for a mentoring program
- The scalability of the mentoring software you choose
🚨 If you want to jump straight to choosing a mentoring software, just click on Table of Contents on the left. But if you'd like to learn more about how mentoring platforms and mentoring programs work, stay with us. We promise it's worth it!
What is a mentoring platform?
A mentoring platform helps organizations to manage their mentorship programs. It enables mentors and mentees to exchange knowledge, advice, and support. These platforms usually offer a variety of features to facilitate the mentoring relationship, such as video conferencing, task tracking, scheduling, and session agendas.
Companies use mentoring platforms to support their employees' development or individuals seeking advice and guidance from more experienced professionals. There are many benefits to using a mentoring platform, such as:
- Having all your participant information in one place;
- Automating the matching process;
- Reporting on outcomes and keeping track of relationships.
What is a mentoring program?
The purpose of pairing a mentor with a less experienced employee, the mentee, is to promote growth and development. The mentor helps the mentee develop skills, knowledge, and experience to advance their career and professional development in the workplace.
A formal mentoring program, then, is when the organization makes it easy for the mentee and mentor to connect.
To start an effective mentoring program, these few things must be in place:
- Identifying the purpose of mentoring and the vision for the program in your organization.
- Understanding your potential mentors and mentees.
- Consistent communication and promotion to build a mentoring culture and encourage mentoring longevity.
When executed properly, an online mentoring program in an organization can be fun and rewarding to everyone involved.
How does an online mentoring platform work?
An online mentoring platform takes care of the grunt work involved in running a mentoring program, like registration, pairing, and reminders.
Mentoring platforms make pairing mentors and mentees much easier. Mentors and mentees are typically matched based on their areas of expertise and interests. This ensures that they share valuable insights and perspectives.
When you automate matching, it’s much easier to scale your mentoring program.
Streamlines the process of pairing employees
Pairing employees is a critical part of any mentoring program. Online mentoring platforms make it easy to find mentors and mentees who share similar interests and expertise. The platform enables coordinators to track the progress of each pairing and ensure that the program goals are met.
To learn more about matching, read: Mentor matching: how to make career-changing pairings
Manages registration and keeps participant information in one place
Managing a mentoring program can be challenging, as it requires keeping track of participant information and scheduling meetups. These platforms make it easy to manage registration and keep participant information in one place.
This way, it is easy to track who participates in the program and how they progress. By using online mentoring platforms, program coordinators save time and reduce the risk of errors.
To learn more about the registration process, see our Templated mentorship registration questions
Collects feedback and reports on results
Mentoring software collects feedback and measures the program's success. Feedback can be collected through surveys, which help administrators understand what's working well and what needs to be improved.
Reports help organizations identify areas where mentors and mentees need more support. It can also be used to assess the impact of mentoring on an organization's objectives. Show how many people have participated in the program, how often they meet, and other important data points.
To learn more about evaluating your mentoring program, read: How to measure, track and evaluate your mentoring program
Empowers multiple types of mentoring programs
Most online mentoring platforms are designed to support multiple types of mentoring programs. Organizations can use the same platform to manage one-on-one, group, and peer mentoring relationships. Each type of program has its benefits and can be tailored to your organization's needs.
To learn more about the different types of mentoring programs, read: The 5 mentoring models
How does an online mentoring program work?
Finding the right mentor for every mentee can be overwhelming, especially when done manually. Thanks to technology, we now have online mentorship.
An online mentoring program enables participants to connect virtually. Unlike the conventional face-to-face mentoring program, an online mentoring program only requires a laptop and an internet connection. The program takes place over the conferencing and email tools they’re already familiar with.
An online mentoring program often follows this pattern:
- The administrators or HRs create the program and determine its criteria, goals, and objectives.
- They promote the program and invite employees to join.
- Participants register with their details and expectations to make pairing easy.
- Pairing takes place among participants, then meetings and sessions.
- The program progresses and spans for a set duration.
- Lastly, evaluation and assessment follow. While the program manager prepares for the next program.
At Together, the ease of pairing is one of its many excellent features that make the platform exceptional. It helps reduce the administrative workload by automatically matching potential mentors and mentees.
Besides, different pairing methods are available for administrators, such as Mentee-led match, Admin-led pairing, and Auto- matching.
To learn more about mentor-mentee pairing, read: How mentor matching software works.
What should you look for in an online mentoring platform?
The best mentoring platforms have each of the above qualities—In addition, here are five essential things to look for in an online mentoring platform:
Ease of use: You can't achieve a successful mentoring program if the platform isn't easy to use for mentors and mentees. Therefore, using a mentoring platform that has a user-friendly interface and is intuitive to navigate not only makes the mentoring experience seamless but also enhances your organization's aim to build a mentoring culture.
Ability to scale: As your mentorship program grows, you'll need a platform that accommodates more users. Ensure your chosen platform easily scales up to meet your needs.
Active customer support: If you have questions or encounter problems, you should be able to reach customer support easily.
Affordable: Of course, you'll also want to consider the cost of the platform. Ensure it fits within your budget and offers good value for money.
How much does a mentoring platform cost?
While mentoring platforms vary in price, most charge on a per-user basis. So, the cost will depend on how many employees you have enrolled in the program. It's best to refer to a pricing page to determine which plan is best suited for your needs.
10 best online mentoring programs for organizations building a mentoring culture
The best mentoring platform is the one that helps you achieve your program goal, whether it’s upskilling employees, developing high-potential individuals, or improving employee retention. In addition, a great platform helps you build a mentoring culture and a continuous learning cycle for all your employees.
Here are the 10 best online mentoring platforms for organizations ready to launch world-class mentoring programs.
1. Together mentoring platform
Together is the best online mentoring platform for large organizations aiming to build a mentoring culture and strengthen employee connections. Mentoring programs run on the Together platform report multiple benefits:
- High employee engagement
- Increased employee retention
- Stronger diversity and inclusion
- Fast and efficient onboarding
- Improved job satisfaction
Plus, Together is easy to use! In fact, we’ve been voted No. 1 by users for 6 straight quarters. 🏆
Read on to learn more about our core features and the features that sets Together apart from other mentoring platforms.
Core Features
- Registration
Registering on Together’s mentoring platform is fast and easy. Once you’ve chosen a program template or created a custom program, send tailored invitations to specific employee groups over email, Slack or Teams. With our software, you can register as many mentors and mentees as you like.
And, at the click of a button, employees can start the registration process by filling out a questionnaire.
Together makes it easy to collect information. Our platform integrates with your HRIS to leverage employee data and make perfect mentor- mentee matches.
- Pairing
With Together, it’s easy to make perfect matches. In fact, we have a 98% match success rate. We use information from registrations and employee data to create the best matches based on goals, experience, and skill set.
Together’s pairing algorithm lets you opt for mentee-led automatching, where a mentee gets suggestions for mentors and they can approve or decline it. Or, you can choose admin-led automatching, where you get the pairing suggestions and the mentor has the option to decline.
- Scheduling
Together integrates seamlessly with everyday tools like emails, calendar, GSuite and Outlooks.
Our mentoring system is hassle-free with single-sign-on, Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Core HR systems (HRIS). Check out the rest of the tools Together integrates with.
Features unique to Together
- Together for Teams
The Together platform offers a seamless integration with Microsoft Teams, which means mentors and mentees can dive straight into their sessions without having to switch between apps. Participants and admins can choose to get mentoring alerts in their DMs or emails so that they never miss out on key updates.
- Develop
Together’s Health Monitor tool notifies the program manager when matches need support or check-in and those who are not meeting expectations. The program is developed to quickly resolve a mismatch among participants.
Likewise, every pair has mentor and mentee handbooks to assist them on their mentoring journey. Every user has access to tons of resources and insightful articles.
Together also provides session agendas so mentors and mentees can have impactful conversations and stay on track. These agendas are easily customizable to suit each participant’s unique needs and goals.
- Reporting
Together’s software formulates reports based on the user's participation rates, pairing compatibility, and set goal completions, among other things. To make the HR or program manager's job even easier, there's an option to create a customizable dashboard that extracts data tailored to your organization's needs.
- Measure
Getting feedback from employees on the program helps the admins uncover strengths and weaknesses. Together not only assists in collecting feedback but also deciphers the feedback through the survey platform.
The software formulates reports based on the user's participation rates, pairing compatibility, and set goal completions, among other things.
Price
- Together offers Free, Professional and Enterprise pricing plans.
- Together offers all-employee pricing, where you pay for all employees to participate in the mentoring program and active-user pricing, where the dormant participants can stay on the platform without charges for as long as they want.
🤝 It’s best to book a 15-minute demo with our sales team to find a plan that’s well-suited for your needs.
Customers
UNICEF, Heineken, New York Life, and Randstad, among hundreds of other companies.
Pros
- Together is easy to use, intuitive and integrates with most third-party tools.
- Together is fully customizable – from URL and branding to pairing algorithm and reporting dashboard, you can stay on brand.
- Together has an extensive resource library that covers sessions agendas to guide on how to be a great mentor.
- Together makes mentorship programs scalable with unlimited pairings.
- Together is the only mentoring platform that offers a free plan.
Cons
- The free version doesn’t offer reporting features.
Reviews (as posted on G2 and Capterra)
"The customer service for the platform is incredible! I've never worked with such a receptive and flexible team. They are open to suggestions, which means that our needs are heard and integrated incredibly quickly. This has allowed us to create an experience that is best suited for our organizational needs, and one that will continue to evolve with us."
"The system was quite easy to use, and it helped me to keep things goal oriented and guide conversations."
"Set-up is easy. Customer service is FABULOUS. Our Together representative made everything so simple for us, and was very responsive whenever we did have questions."
2. Chronus
G2: 4.7/5
Capterra: 4.8/5
Chronus gives organizations the tools to deliver mentoring programs. With Chronus MatchIQ Technology, you create mentoring relationships, ensuring that your employees are prepared for the challenges ahead. Its MatchIQ Technology creates good pairings that enable self-matches or matching by the program coordinator.
Core Features
- Enroll
The onboarding process is straightforward, thanks to the pre-built templates. For rapid program enrollment, the collaboration tools and HRIS integrations come in handy.
- Match
Chronus comes with tons of matching styles ranging from a bulk match, self match, hybrid match, and admin match. The unique MatchIQ algorithm helps to link employees and employers with accuracy.
- Guide
At every stage of the program, some steps guide the mentees in the right direction. The push-up message stimulates the participants into action.
- Measure
The platform leverages the dashboard to help organizations evaluate the program's progress.
- Grow
The software is designed to meet the current and future needs of the company. Plus, it provides DEI capacities and expertise.
Price
Not listed on the platform.
Customers
McGraw Hill, MetLife, Mercedes Benz
Pros
- Easily accessible
- The MatchIQ algorithm simplifies the pairing process
Cons
- The users are unable to change between the mentor and mentee positions
Reviews
"Reporting, matching and the customizable algorithm."
"easy to use, innovative, fun, and makes the administrative burden of mentoring no longer an issue."
"There aren't many downsides to the software. If I had to give it one criticism, I wish it would retain the metrics on users who we ultimately remove to open up seats for new users."
3. Mentorcliq
G2: 4.8/5
Capterra: 4.9/5
Mentorcliq is an online mentoring service designed for enterprise employees. The platform helps businesses excel by providing expert mentoring and guidance. With a focus on enterprise employees, they understand your workforce's challenges and needs. It was developed with retention and engagement in mind. This mentoring platform is well-known for one on one mentoring. Mentorcliq is accessible via web browser and mobile app, making it easier for users to use the platform.
Core features
- Launch
Initiating a mentoring program with Mentorcliq takes only 5 minutes. The participants' profiles are adjustable to suit the different programs available on the software.
- Match
Location is not a barrier when using the Mentorcliq mentoring program. The AI function makes the pairing process easy by helping your employees quickly discover and connect with their mentors.
- Engage
The mentoring goals are clearly stated from the onset, which aids the participants in being in sync with each other.
The resource archive has all the materials needed for the mentoring journey. It includes videos, guides, worksheets,
- Measure
QuickcliQs (the app’s feature) are posted to every employee's inbox monthly to collate meaningful details about their mentoring progress.
Price
The price list is not listed.
Customers
- 21st Century Fox, CardinalHealth, Linkedin, Goodyear, and Huntington.
Pros
- Exceptional customers support team
- It helps businesses tell stronger mentoring stories
Cons
- The search feature needs more improvement.
Reviews
"I have been utilizing MentorcliQ as a mentor and also as an admin for several years. The site is very easy to use, and it also uses science to help calculate a match percentage."
"The software was a great tool that was used when creating the partnership. The questions that were asked really did a wonderful job on pairing me with the perfect mentee."
"Another frustrating aspect (early on) was understanding all of the automation (e.g. backend communications) and how to make it work for us."
4. Qooper
G2: 4.6/5
Capterra: 4.8/5
Qooper started as a software development firm before venturing to build a mentoring platform. They've developed software that has served organizations like Havard and Questex. With Qooper Mentoring Software's automation solutions, program managers can focus on growing and reporting. It connects mentors with potential mentees worldwide from different sectors, including universities, companies, large industries, and small firms.
Core features
- Design
The training manuals are pre-designed for easy access to numerous mentor-mentee resources.
- Develop
Qooper develops coaching, mentorship, and training strategies for companies.
- Match
The algorithm and suggestions feature ensures that the mentee and mentor perfectly match each other.
- Measure
Evaluation has become hassle-free, providing a platform for tracking and pairing progress and program objectives.
Price
No pricing information is listed on their site.
Customers
- US Air Force, Cornell, AMWA.
Pros
- Pre-designed mentoring program
- Automated follow-up conversations
Cons
- The video calling option does not support file sharing
Reviews
"I am amazed by the exceptional customer service, quick turnaround, and ability to customize and tailor the platform to fit our needs."
"It's so important to have mentors that understand you and help you grow in your career, so having the technology to facilitate that has been useful."
"We tried to utilize their in-house mentor training and that did not go well."
5. 10 Thousand Coffees
G2: 4.3/5
Capterra: 4.6/5
10 Thousand Coffees was created to steer career advancement, virtual networking, and onboarding initiatives within organizations. The program lets employees connect through features like Office Hours and Introductions. It also removes the need for people to match mentors and mentees on spreadsheets.
Core features
- Development Program
Resources that are essential for the growth of the company, such as toolkits and discussion guides, to mention a few, are made readily available and accessible to the employees.
- Smart Match Algorithm
This feature saves time by assisting employees in generating the best match for their needs rather than the conventional spreadsheet method.
- Community Hubs And Directories
This program allows mentees to search for mentors they would like to connect with within the company. It segments the users who are offering help from those seeking help based on their career milestones.
- Versatility
This platform not only uses the single sign-on mode but also works with most HRIS systems. It provides real-time data compilation and reporting.
Price
The subscription fee varies depending on the employee's needs.
Customers
- Labatt, BMO, Corus, and Telus.
Pros
- One-on-one smart matching
- It is useful for fresh and young employees
Cons
- There isn’t a free trial available.
Reviews
"As a user, I love the introductions as I have now connected with people that I may not have had the opportunity to connect with otherwise."
"This has been a tremendous asset in growing my network within my organization and beyond with my student network."
"It integrates with Outlook very well, but having to toggle between the two to get something done was odd."
6. Pushfar
G2: 4.9/5
Capterra: 5.0/5
Pushfar is geared toward supporting large multinational enterprises, public sectors, SMEs, universities, and membership clubs with mentoring programs. The platform is also for Individuals looking for mentors or who hope to become mentors themselves. Pushfar has hosted more than 75,000+ individuals and hundreds of organizations.
Core features
- Mentor Matching
Mentees are automatically or manually assigned to a mentor based on both parties' provided data. The administrator also has complete control over how the program is being run and managed.
- Mentor Management
Integrating Google Calendars, Microsoft teams, and outlooks makes scheduling meetings and tracking progress easier. This platform is secured with two-factor authentication.
- Mentor Reporting
Pushfar points and gamification assist in the recording of participants' growth. This program helps you to stay on top of your career advancement.
- Career Progression
Pushfar recommends various webinars and physical events that boost productivity and help career development. It also includes training videos and organizational conversation feeds.
Price
Not stated
Customers
- Samsung, Nissan, Scholl, Savils, and Sodexo.
Pros
- Built-in voice and video calling
- Allows companies to run multiple programs
Cons
- No online suggestion box
Reviews
"Ease of use and the focus on simplicity. The core model is effective as it allows for quick communication between stakeholders on the platform."
"Over the last month, I've been able to make meaningful connections with other digital marketers. I have a mentor for my business and a mentee who I help with university challenges."
"Lack of particular features that would enhance the overall site."
7. Mentorloop
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.7/5
Imagine if you could get the best and brightest data-driven people to mentor one another. What would that do for your company? Mentorloops offers a platform that helps organizations build a data-driven mentoring program. This cloud-based software helps build momentum using contextual nudges that target individuals based on their needs and interests - this results in a better understanding of how to support them best.
Core features
- Equitable Matching Algorithm
The algorithm helps in assigning different employees to different employers with similar interests. Thanks to the numerous filters and tags that assist in segmenting the various participants.
- Program Management
As the program progresses, Mentees become Mentors. This allows them to transfer all they have learned to others.
- Sentiment Live Dashboard And Personal Advisory Board
This provides real-time feedback by carrying out monthly surveys. It also serves as an advisory board to the company.
Price
Mentorloop charges $299 per month for the Pro plan.
Customers
- Gainsight, HP, Rabobank, Hilton, and Arup.
Pros
- It is available on mobile devices and computers
- Participants have no limits to the number of matches
- Mentees and mentors are allowed to run multiple programs concurrently
Cons
- They don’t offer a way to save documentation about mentoring relationships.
Reviews
"It saves me time and helps with reporting mentor relationship activity."
"Mentorloop has been a brilliant tool to connect staff at Sky, especially during the Covid pandemic."
"Unfortunately, Mentorloop doesn't have a repository for documents, so we had to create one ourselves on Google, which makes the program a bit disjointed."
8. Graduway
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.4/5
Graduway offers online mentoring platforms to non-profit organizations, universities, and schools. It aims to create a mentoring platform to increase alumni and business engagement.
Consider Graduway as your 4-in-1 platforms for enrollment, career advancement, drive engagement, and community fundraising.
Core features
- Built-in video features
This feature enables them to create memorable videos that strengthen bonds. Also, the program allows users to engage in group video chats to increase engagement and collaboration.
- Business promotion page
As an alumni platform, it allows users to advertise their businesses and get support from one another. It also helps them cultivate the habit of donations.
- Event management
Creating, announcing, promoting, and registering for events or alumni get-togethers on the platform during the mentoring program is easy.
- Affinity group spaces
This feature enables alumni to have unlimited access to opportunities and vital information. It also encourages creating premium groups for educational interest and diverse activities.
For more information about Graduway online mentoring programs, click here.
Price
The fee for each program is based on subscription.
Customers
King's College London, Minnehaha Academy, and Brentwood college school.
Pros:
- Users find the software easy to understand and operate
- Good LinkedIn integration and excellent technical support team.
Cons:
- The reporting (GA) feature is not flexible.
Reviews
“I like that the system is designed primarily for alumni. I've looked at other platforms that are really geared to students, and alumni were an afterthought, and it shows.”
"Graduway delivers and is honest. Everything they sold us on has been realized. At first, the product seemed overwhelming, and we were concerned about how much time it would take to set up and run the platform from an admin role."
9. Mentorink
G2: 4.5/5
Capterra: 4.7/5
Best for organizations with large-scale mentoring activities, as it helps them start and run their programs easily and efficiently. Mentorink prides itself on its ability to revamp old mentorship programs.
This platform offers mentoring programs for community builders, alumni relations leaders, and career service providers, and EMCC has recognized it as the best coaching platform.
Core features
- Mentoring Context & Regular Sessions
Mentorink comes with a structured framework guiding all its sessions. The program provides clear objectives and guidance to all mentors and mentees.
- Curated Content & Smart Guidance
Every online mentoring program has its own purpose. Therefore, the mentoring content and resources are tailored to meet every employee's needs.
- Onboarding & Smart Matching
The smart matching feature thoroughly analyzes the personality of every mentee before matching them with their mentors. It carries out an in-depth personality check on every participant.
- Smart Feedback & Analysis
This feature enables smart reporting and evaluation of the program. It collates continuous feedback from the mentor and mentor till the end of the program.
To read more about Mentorink online mentoring platforms visit their homepage.
Price
Unavailable
Customers
Nestle, Siemens, Arcelik, and Mapfre.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface.
- The customer support team is always available to help.
Cons:
- Weak camera connection.
Reviews
“I like best their customer relations policy. They are always eager to learn the problem, listen carefully & understand and try to find solutions. They evaluate the problem as general or specific for the organization. They quickly take action if it is a general one. They suggest different solutions for specific ones.”
"As an employee, I like it, but users want it to be simpler. I think this is due to the indolence of the user. Users can sometimes experience problems with video calls. Improvement is needed here. It would be great if the name search engine could come."
10. Mentornity
G2: 5.0/5
Capterra: 4.7/5
Mentornity platform encourages various mentoring styles, including start-up mentoring, women mentoring, employee mentoring, community mentoring, student mentoring, and more. It focuses on different sectors of the economy and does not limit itself to a particular group of people.
Effective mentoring is trackable and measurable. That's why Mentornity enables program coordinators or HR managers to track mentors and mentees based on the number of meetings, age, or any other custom metrics that align with your mentoring goals and objectives.
This platform is mobile enabled and customisable to facilitate meetings, and virtual training.
Core features
- Matching
It enables you to pair mentors and mentees manually or use a custom algorithm to make the pairing process more effective and easier.
- Messages and Video calls
Mentornity simplifies calling and messaging between mentors and mentees by automating the generation of ZOOM and JITSI meeting links.
- Custom mentoring software
Mentornity aims to cater to a broad range of audiences, so the mentoring software can be customized to suit the needs and purposes of various sectors.
- Reports
While you have the flexibility to customize your reports, Mentornity provides visually engaging graphics that offer a clear overview of key metrics.
To learn more about how Mentornity online mentoring program works, click here.
Price
A free trial is available for up to 10 users, and the monthly plan costs start from $249 per 50 users
Customers
Toyota, Accessoxbridge, Unops, and PayU
Pros
- It allows you to see and interact with other users on the platform.
- It has customizable functions.
Cons
- Some pages take longer to load/open.
Reviews
“I actually love it! I'm a fan of using both mobile and desktop (pretty much on mobile browsers), so happy to have it. Booked it, messaged over it, followed, probably I used all the features.”
"Sometimes there may appear some confusion about time zones, but so far nothing occurred as a fatal issue."
"The UX could be improved, and notifications systems only via mail can make you lose a mentee message."
Start building your mentorship program for free today
There are many benefits to having a mentorship program, both for the organization and the employees. By encouraging staff members to mentor each other, you create a more positive work environment and help employees reach their potential. Additionally, studies have shown that mentorship programs increase productivity and engagement.
Building a mentorship program doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. Kickstart your mentorship program today for free with Together. There are many helpful resources available to assist you in building your mentorship program.
