Your participant experience includes all the program elements that serve your mentors and mentees. Matching is an important part of this, but it includes more elements. It is critical that your participants have a good experience in your program. If they are not satisfied, the program cannot succeed no matter how good your intended goals or outcomes are.
You will need to develop a plan or resources for each of these elements:
- Recruitment and Screening: Set clear criteria for who is eligible to be a mentee or mentor will help you recruit participants. Also, consider what venues or partners are good resources for recruiting mentors and mentees.
- Set Expectations: Provide a handout or resource that clearly outlines expectations and roles for mentors, mentees, and program administrators. When they know what to expect, participants will be more engaged and satisfied.
- Orientation and Training: Provide participants with training and resources so they feel prepared for the program.
- Resources and Support: Do you have tools, resources, information, or advisors to provide additional information to participants when they need more information? This website has basic information for both mentors and mentees that can support your program participants.
- Recognition and Benefits: It is good practice to have a method to thank mentors for their efforts in the program. You should also check with mentors to make sure that the participants gain the benefits they hoped to gain, whether it is recognition, education, or connection.
Want to know more? All these elements are discussed in more depth here in our Resources for Mentorship Programs.