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Circles vs Group Mentoring
Two ways to mentor more than one person at a time, and how to choose.
7 min read
What is the difference between a mentoring circle and group mentoring?
A mentoring circle is a peer group with no designated mentor, so members learn from each other. Group mentoring is one mentor working with several mentees at once. In a circle, a facilitator keeps sessions on track. In a group, the mentor leads. The choice depends on whether you have a mentor to spare.
How do circles and group mentoring compare?
| Circle | Group mentoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Designated mentor | No | Yes, one |
| Who leads sessions | Members, or a facilitator | The mentor |
| Size in MentorStack | 2 to 20 members | One mentor, with up to 8 mentees by default (admins can set 2 to 50) |
| Goals | Shared messaging and meeting scheduling; no goal-linking to a single mentor relationship | Each mentee keeps their own individual goals |
| Needs a senior mentor | No | Yes |
| Good fit | Peer learning, communities, resource groups | Spreading one expert's time across several people |
These facts come from the MentorStack matching formats help article and the mentoring formats page.
When should you run a circle?
Run a circle when the people share a situation and you do not have enough mentors. Examples: new managers, an employee resource group, or colleagues from different functions with one shared topic. A circle can have a facilitator. The role can stay fixed, pass by hand, or rotate weekly, biweekly or monthly. Read the peer mentoring guide for how to set one up.
When should you run group mentoring?
Run group mentoring when one person has knowledge that several people need. Examples: a skill that many staff want to learn, or a cohort of new hires with the same questions. Set the group size to match the mentor's time. Keep one-to-one check-ins for topics a person does not want to raise in front of others.
How long should a circle or group run?
Set an end date before you start. Cohort length and pair term can differ. The cohort is the program's time box, and the agreement a pair signs sets its own term. Choose the cohort length for the intake and the group together. The cohort-based mentoring programs post explains the cohort model.
Can you mix circles, groups and pairs?
Yes. Most programs do not need to choose one format. A program can run one-to-one pairs for some people, groups for a new-hire intake, and circles for a resource group. Each format needs its own agreement and its own end date. Use the mentor and mentee agreement as a base for each.
How does MentorStack support both?
An admin creates a circle or a group from the Matches page. Both formats include shared messaging and meeting scheduling. All four formats are included on every plan, and a Free Pilot supports up to 10 participants. See pricing for plans.
Common questions
- What is the difference between a mentoring circle and group mentoring?
- A circle is a peer group with no designated mentor. Group mentoring has one mentor who works with several mentees. In a circle, members learn from each other. In group mentoring, mentees learn from the mentor and from each other.
- How many people can be in a circle or a group in MentorStack?
- A MentorStack circle supports 2 to 20 members and has no designated mentor. A group has one mentor and a configurable mentee limit. The default maximum is 8 mentees, and an administrator can set it between 2 and 50. Choose a smaller size when the conversation requires more individual time.
- Can a program run circles and groups together?
- Yes. One MentorStack program can run one-to-one, group, circle, and reverse mentoring at the same time. Administrators create separate cohorts for each format while using program-wide reporting across them. Define the purpose and membership of each cohort so participants understand which structure and expectations apply.
Keep going
- The Complete Guide to Running an Employee Mentorship Program
Seven chapters on every decision a People team has to make: failure modes, format selection, matching, engagement design, ROI measurement, scaling, and tooling. Free, no email required.
- MentorStack Program in a Box
A ready-made playbook to launch a structured mentorship program in 30 days: launch timeline, matching criteria, meeting agendas, email templates for every touchpoint, and a metrics checklist. Free, no email required.
- Peer Mentoring: How to Run It at Work
What peer mentoring is, when to choose it over one-to-one mentoring, and how to set up peer pairs or peer circles with a clear start, cadence and end date.
- Mentoring vs Coaching: The Difference at Work
How mentoring and coaching differ in purpose, relationship, length and who leads. Includes a comparison table and a way to choose for your program.
- Mentorship program templates
Ten ready-to-use documents: proposal, matching questionnaire, agreement, agendas, and surveys.