Mentoring Formats
One platform, four formats
Run 1:1 mentoring, group mentoring, peer circles, and reverse mentoring, in the same program. Mix formats to match your organization's specific needs.
One mentor, one mentee
The classic pairing. A senior employee works with a junior colleague on career development, skills, and navigation. Best for deep development relationships that last 3–12 months.
Best for
- New hire onboarding
- High-potential employee development
- Leadership pipeline programs
One mentor, multiple mentees
A single mentor works with up to 8 mentees simultaneously by default, configurable up to 50. Sessions are group meetings, though one-to-one check-ins are still available. Best when mentor capacity is limited but demand is high.
Best for
- Scaling senior expertise
- Cohort-based onboarding
- Skill-specific bootcamp programs
Peer groups, no designated mentor
A group of peers at similar levels meet regularly with no designated mentor. Assign a facilitator role: fixed, manually passed between members, or automatically rotating weekly, biweekly, or monthly, to keep sessions on track without anyone becoming a de facto mentor. Best for horizontal learning, ERG programs, and building cross-functional relationships.
Best for
- ERG mentoring programs
- Cross-functional peer learning
- Manager development cohorts
Junior mentors senior
A junior employee mentors a senior colleague, typically on emerging skills like social media, new technology, or working styles. Admins can propose the pairing, or a team member can self-nominate and propose themselves as a reverse mentor to a senior colleague, who accepts. Best for senior leaders who want to stay connected to how the organization is changing.
Best for
- Digital and technology upskilling
- Senior leader DEI learning
- Generational knowledge transfer
Mix formats in a single program
Most organizations do not need to choose one format. A typical mid-market program might run 1:1 mentoring for high-potential employees, group mentoring for new-hire cohorts, and Circles for an ERG, all from the same admin interface, with the same reporting.
Admins create separate cohorts for each format, set matching criteria appropriate to each group, and track outcomes independently. Program-wide reporting aggregates across all formats so you can see total program health at a glance.
Common questions
- Which mentoring formats does MentorStack support?
- MentorStack supports four mentoring formats: 1:1, Group, Circles and Reverse. A 1:1 pairs one mentor with one mentee. Group has one mentor with several mentees. Circles are peer groups with no designated mentor. Reverse has a junior colleague mentoring a senior one. All four are included on every plan.
- Can I run more than one format in the same program?
- One organization can run several formats at once. Admins create a separate cohort for each format, set matching criteria that suit each group, and track outcomes independently. Program-wide reporting aggregates across formats, so an admin still sees total program health from one place and the same admin interface.
- How large can a mentoring group be?
- A Group has one mentor and up to 8 mentees by default, configurable up to 50. A Circle holds 2 to 20 participants. A 1:1 or Reverse pairing has 2 participants. Circles can use an optional facilitator role that is fixed, passed manually, or rotated weekly, biweekly or monthly.
- How does reverse mentoring get set up?
- In reverse mentoring a junior employee mentors a senior colleague, often on emerging skills or working styles. An admin can propose the pairing, or a team member can self-nominate as a reverse mentor to a senior colleague, who then accepts. The senior colleague always has to accept before it starts.
Pick the format that fits your program
All four formats included on every plan. Start a Free Pilot with up to 10 participants.
Free for up to 10 participants. No credit card, no sales call. SSO (SAML) on Growth and above.