The State of Mentorship in the Workplace

Many of America’s most revered entrepreneurs have had well-known mentorship relationships. Bill Gates engaged with Warren Buffett and began to think differently about IBM and Microsoft. Steve Jobs advised Zuckerberg to reconnect with his original mission when things weren’t going well with Facebook in the early days. Richard Branson has stated publicly that he wouldn’t have made it in the airline industry without his mentor, airline engineer Sir Freddie Laker. And then there’s Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou. They met when Oprah was in her 20s and just starting her career. She credits Angelou with being the best mentor she’d ever met and one of the most significant influences in her life.

With a long history of success, mentorship programs have become a must-have, particularly in large corporations. What are its origins? Here’s what LinkedIn had to say:

“The term “mentor” as we understand it originated in Homer’s famous epic, The Odyssey. When the poem’s hero, Odysseus, leaves to fight the Trojan War, he places his friend, Mentor, in charge of his son, Telemachus. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, assumes the form of Mentor at various points in the story to offer him guidance and counsel in his father’s absence. Thus, the word mentor came to be associated with someone who can offer advice or impart skills to a protégé.”

The transition from traditional full-time, onsite work to hybrid and remote models has significantly impacted the mentoring dynamic, thriving in some work environments and fading in others. Let’s take a look at some of the stats.

How critical is mentoring in today’s workplace?

A 2024 study on the state of mentorship in the workplace provides some stunning insights:

• 98% of all U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.

• 100% of the U.S. Fortune 50 companies have mentoring programs.

• Median profits for Fortune 500 companies with mentorship programs were more than twice as high as those without these programs.

• Fortune 500 companies without mentoring programs experienced a median decrease of 33% in their employee headcount for the year.

However, it’s worth noting the impact COVID-19 has had on mentorship; and its value to employers and employees.

The COVID-19 impact on workplace mentoring

At the height of the COVID epidemic, people worked remotely out of necessity. However, employers throughout 2023 and 2024 found that low employee experience (commonly called EX) was hurting business and causing an EX recession, a period aptly named “The Great Gloom.” This resulted in a push to get people back to the office. However, there are still problems with the Return To Work (RTW) effort, as seen in the 2024 study mentioned above. The data shows that:

• 57% of industries had declining productivity.

• A Gallup study shows that:

  • Only 23% of employees worldwide were engaged.

  • Six in 10 exclusively remote employees say they are highly likely to search for employment elsewhere if they are not allowed remote flexibility.

  • Low productivity costs companies a staggering $8.8 trillion collectively.

  • 90% of companies plan to bring people back to the office to solve the productivity crisis.

That last point is notable, because, according to the Gallup study noted above on hybrid work, “six in ten employees with remote-capable jobs want a hybrid work arrangement. About one-third prefer fully remote work, and less than 10% prefer to work on-site.” However, the same study shows that remote employees have an eroding connection to the mission or purpose of their organization. The drop is more pronounced among exclusively remote employees.

In light of employee resistance to the RTW movement, it’s worth looking at what they’re missing — mentoring.

The significance of mentoring

What makes a capable mentor?

• They work closely with mentees to learn their strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

• They have many years of industry experience.

• Rather than deliver orders, they provide direction, advice, and resources.

• They bolster their mentees’ problem-solving skills.

• They make themselves available to offer support, perspective, and encouragement.

• They make new opportunities available to mentees when warranted.

The last point is key: without face-to-face contact with colleagues and mentors, you are out of the loop where potential job opportunities live. For those who aspire to serve as a mentor, extra effort will be required to build relationships with those who work remotely or in a hybrid arrangement. You’ll need to get creative. For example, a remote coffee get-together or an in-person ‘coffee break’ with hybrid mentees. These new work arrangements have made it imperative to find ways to make mentoring a routine part of the job.

The mentorship experience on a personal note

I started my advertising career at an iconic global agency, where I encountered my first mentor. He was the executive creative director and met most items on the list above. The work environment was, for the most part, affable and supportive. However, when I kept conflicting with a new account manager, I asked my mentor for advice. He had been consistently supportive of my work and supported my promotion to a leading role. When I expressed concern about handling the situation, he said, ”You are doing great. But you want to avoid becoming an injustice collector.”

Hmmmm. On the one hand, he let me know I was valued, but on the other, he told me that he didn’t want to deal with interpersonal conflict. This first mentor encounter left a mark on me. From then on, I enjoyed all the training sessions offered through formal mentoring programs; but I handled the interpersonal relationship conflicts according to my own judgment.

So, what is the downside of mentorship?

Avoid toxic mentorship by building a network

According to Psychology Today, toxic mentorship can spoil careers, shatter confidence, and leave lasting scars, derailing personal and professional growth. Malpractice in this area includes three personas: hijackers, exploiters, and possessors. What’s the recommended way to avoid the worst? Set up a highly diverse network of mentors to protect against the risks of toxic mentorship.

What’s the solution?

Build a supportive and diverse mentoring network. Relying on one person is risky and outdated. Having a mentoring team is akin to having your board of directors. This provides various perspectives and reduces dependency on a single mentor. If I’d had that back then, I might have had someone on my team who could offer more than “You’re doing great; but don't become an injustice collector.” I could have turned to someone who wasn’t unable or unwilling to address human interactions.

Finally, establish boundaries. If a mentoring relationship seems exploitative or neglectful, exiting a toxic mentorship is not a failure but a step towards self-preservation and growth. I’ll leave you with this inspiring quote from iconic actor Denzel Washington…

“Show me a successful individual, and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing you the way. A mentor.”