Mentoring Circles: What They Are and How to Start One

Imagine if you could improve company culture, encourage social learning, and help employees grow — all with a single initiative. That’s the impact of mentoring circles.

When employees learn from each other, they develop skills faster and feel more connected at work. One source found employees who received mentoring were promoted 5X more often than those who didn’t have mentors. 

With the right structure, mentoring circles can turn everyday conversations into powerful learning experiences. Here, we'll cover what mentoring circles are, how they benefit employees and organizations, and advantages over other types of mentoring. Plus, we’ll give you a simple framework to kick off your own mentorship circle program.

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What is a mentoring circle?

A mentoring circle is a small group of people who meet regularly to support each other’s professional and personal growth. Sessions can take place in person or virtually, and are typically structured around a specific theme, skill, or challenge. Discussions may be led by a mentor or shared among peers. 

Some circles follow a set curriculum, while others take a more flexible approach, allowing members to bring real-time challenges to the group. Similar to group mentoring, circles can have one mentor guiding multiple mentees, or operate as a peer-led group where everyone contributes insights and experiences.

Key characteristics of mentorship circles

• Peer-to-peer learning
• Flexible roles
• Voluntary participation
• Facilitated discussions
• Regular meetings

Group mentoring vs mentoring circle 

While mentoring circles and group mentoring share many similarities, there are a few key differences that set them apart:

1. Facilitator role. Mentoring circles typically have a designated facilitator who manages administrative duties, sets the agenda, and guides discussions. In group mentoring, this role may be less formalized or absent.
2. Structure. Mentor circles tend to be more structured, with regular meetings and specific topics for discussion. Group mentoring can be more flexible in its format and scheduling.
3. Collaborative focus: Mentoring circles emphasize peer learning, with all participants acting as both mentors and mentees. In group mentoring, there's often a clearer distinction between mentor(s) and mentees.
4. Collective goals. Mentoring circles often work towards identifying and achieving collective goals for the group. Group mentoring may focus more on an individual mentee’s long-term career goals within a group setting.
5. Formality. Mentoring circles generally take a more formal approach, with defined processes and expectations. Group mentoring can range from formal to informal arrangements.
6. Size. Mentoring circles typically consist of 6-12 participants, while group mentoring can vary more in size.

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What are the benefits of a mentoring circle?

At least 84% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs — and for good reason. 

When people come together to share knowledge, tackle challenges, and support each other, they experience the power of mentoring circles. Here are just a few of the benefits for both employees and organizations: 

• Holds both mentors and mentees accountable. Regular meetings keep participants engaged, motivated, and on track.
• Brings diverse perspectives to problem-solving. Different viewpoints lead to fresh insights and innovative solutions.
• Provides networking opportunities. Helps employees build relationships across the organization and beyond.
• Builds a sense of community and belonging. Helps employees connect at work, which bleeds into your overall company culture.
• Encourages open communication. The group setting fosters  mutual support and makes it easier for employees to share experiences and advice.
• Develops leadership skills. Members take on facilitator roles and practice giving advice, which strengthens leadership abilities.
• Supports professional development. Employees grow through regular goal-setting, self-reflection, continuous learning and collaboration. 
• Offers a cost-effective mentoring solution. Maximizes internal knowledge-sharing without significant investment.
• Boosts cross-functional knowledge. Employees get visibility into different teams, roles, and business areas.
• Creates a safe space for discussion. Gives employees a judgment-free zone to seek advice and navigate challenges.

According to Forbes, workplace mentoring also boosts productivity, improves employee retention and engagement, and contributes to company profitability.

Who should participate in mentoring circles?

Mentoring circles bring together individuals with similar backgrounds and experiences to support each other in reaching their professional goals. 

While anyone in an organization can form or join a mentoring circle, they’re especially beneficial for:

New hires during onboarding

Use mentoring circles to enhance your onboarding strategy — a mentoring circle helps new hires get to know the company culture, understand key processes, and develop strong relationships from the get-go. 

By sharing their expertise with the group, new hires build trust and authority through mentoring circles. For example, 91% of mentoring participants reported more confidence in handling work challenges.

Senior employees

Senior employees can play a crucial role in mentoring circles, thanks to their experience, strategic insights, and vast network. Their guidance as mentors or facilitators helps mentees open the doors for career mobility as they develop critical skills, navigate challenges, and connect with business leaders. 

Of course, these senior employees also benefit—they get to sharpen their leadership and coaching skills, hear fresh ideas, and make a lasting impact by sharing what they know.

High-potential employees

Mentoring circles strengthen your leadership pipeline by providing structured support and feedback to accelerate growth for high-performing employees. Similar to learning circles, mentoring circles create a space for high-potential employees to learn from peers and key leaders, and gain the skills they need for greater responsibilities.

Employees from diverse backgrounds

Diversity mentoring circles bring together people from varied backgrounds to help them form meaningful connections and find support within the organization. 

To create diverse opportunities for mentorship and shared learning, mentoring circles can be tailored to specific employee resource groups, such as women in leadership, LGBTQ+ employees, or those in STEM fields.

Employees seeking professional development

43% of Gen Z Employees report wanting to learn skills to perform better in their current position. Mentoring circles give employees a place to build skills, gain industry insights, and expand their professional networks. 

For example, these groups can support women preparing for leadership roles, help recent graduates navigate their first corporate jobs, and provide employees with cross-departmental mentorship. 

Introverted employees

Mentoring circles can be particularly appealing to introverts, as the group setting allows them to participate at their comfort level. With this approach, introverts can reap the benefits of advice and coaching from a senior-level employee, without the intensity of one-on-one mentoring.

How do you decide between a mentoring circle and one-on-one mentoring?

Most of us are familiar with one-on-one mentoring, where a more experienced individual guides a less experienced one. But mentoring isn’t one-size-fits-all; there are many different ways to give and receive guidance. 

The key difference between mentoring circles and other types of mentoring relationships is that participants have an equal say in each session. In one-on-one mentoring, there’s typically a designated “expert” (mentor) who shares knowledge and provides support to the “learner” (mentee). In contrast, mentoring circles are based on the belief that everyone has something valuable to share, regardless of their experience level, and everyone can learn from each other.

But the real advantage of a mentoring circle is the collective experience and knowledge of the group. Where one-on-one mentoring leans heavily on the mentor’s individual insights, mentor circles tend to be more informal, making them ideal for peer-to-peer mentoring. For this to work, though, the participants need to feel comfortable sharing openly and honestly with each other. Take time to build up this level of trust in your mentorship circles.

Who leads a mentoring circle?

A mentoring circle needs a strong leader to keep everything running smoothly. This leader, known as the facilitator (or co-facilitator), makes sure the mentoring circle runs smoothly, helps the group achieve its goals, and provides a productive, supportive environment for all participants. 

Their duties may include:

• Helping the group identify its collective goals and objectives
• Setting meeting agendas, structure, and schedule
• Leading discussions
• Keeping the conversations productive
• Encouraging participation from everyone
• Summarizing key points, action items, and follow-ups
• Acting as a moderator

Key qualities of a facilitator

Facilitators need strong communication skills and experience in managing group dynamics. They should be organized, accountable, and able to guide the group in a way that encourages collaboration and growth.

Facilitators are typically current members of the organization, often with training in group facilitation.

Mentoring circle framework: Steps to kick off your program

Creating mentoring circles within the organization can be time-consuming, especially if you have no existing mentoring framework to follow. Follow these 7 key steps to set up successful mentoring circles in your organization.

1. Know your goals for the program

Before starting anything, set a clear purpose for introducing mentoring circles in your organization.

Ask yourself: 

• What do you hope to achieve by introducing mentoring circles? 
• What are the needs and concerns within the organization that a mentoring program might be able to address? 

The answers to these questions will determine the type of program you want to set up.

For example, if your mentorship program goals include reducing turnover, you’d want to set up a long-term program with support for social interaction, role modelling, and career development.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to develop a high-potential leadership program, you might set up a shorter program with activities focused on communication, networking, decision-making, and accountability.

2. Decide who will participate

With a clear purpose in mind, the next step is getting clear about whom the program is for, so you can target your communications and activities. 

Ask yourself:

• Will the program be open to all employees or just certain departments?
• Will the program be voluntary or mandatory?
• Will the program be for new hires, mid-level managers, or executives?
• Who will be responsible for setting up the program and matching mentors with mentees?

You should also take into account the size of the group — too large, and it might be difficult to manage. Too small, and you may be sacrificing diversity. It’s best to start with a small pilot group and gradually expand to include more circles.

3. Get leadership buy-in to start a mentoring circle

Once you have a plan for the program including goals and participants, you need to secure buy-in and support from leadership. This could be in the form of sponsorship, where a senior leader agrees to be an advocate for the program. Likely, it also entails financial support, including resources to cover the costs associated with setting up and running mentoring circles.

Building a business case for your mentorship program ensures its long-term success and helps all parties involved reap its benefits.

4. Promote the program to employees

To get employees interested and excited about the program, you need to market it well. First, this means creating compelling materials that emphasize the benefits of the mentorship program. Then, distributing them across multiple channels of communication like email, social media, Slack, or Notion. Consider also creating print materials like brochures or posters. 

If you can, get leaders to share their experiences and insights about the value of mentorship — this will inspire and encourage more employees to sign up for the program.

Finally, encourage participation by making it easy to sign up. Create a registration questionnaire to collect relevant information from participants efficiently. 

5. Let participants choose their circle based on goals and interests

To make the mentoring circle experience enjoyable, participants must feel they can choose a circle that feels right for them. 

With a mentoring platform like Together, participants can browse all available circles and choose the ones that best match their background, goals, and interests. This increases the chances of them being satisfied with the group and the program.

Our platform also allows you to create and set group matching rules to provide a seamless matching experience for both mentors and mentees.

6. Build discussion resources to support group learning

To make the most of the group’s diverse experiences and knowledge, you need to create resources to help guide discussions and target learning.

Having a discussion agenda will establish the flow of each session to keep the conversations productive. Here are a few example discussion topics for mentoring circles:

1. Collaboration while working from home
2. Maintaining work-life balance as an organization
3. Giving constructive feedback
4. Time management techniques 
5. Recommendations for industry-specific books or subject matter experts
6. Wellness and mindfulness 
7. Managing work-related stress and burnout 

We’ve compiled a list of mentoring discussion topics and agendas to help you build your program’s discussion resources.

7. Collect feedback from groups and report on outcomes

After the program is up and running, keep in touch with the groups to see how they are progressing and identify any challenges they’re facing. 

Whether through surveys, meetings, or an anonymous suggestion box, collecting feedback is key to knowing how your program is working. Use feedback to develop best practices or course-correct along the way, so you can achieve your desired outcomes.

Tracking different aspects and metrics, such as sign-ups, progress, feedback, and business outcomes, is essential to understanding what’s working and what’s not.

Want more information on mentorship program guidelines? We’ve got you covered.  

Get started with Together

In just a few clicks, our mentoring platform provides administrators with detailed insights on each program’s performance. Use these insights to evaluate and report on the strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement for the program.

If you’re ready to start a mentoring circle and drive measurable improvements in engagement, skills development, and leadership growth, why not boost your chances of success? Schedule a demo today to see what you can achieve.