I have often use mentorship as a formal process for on-boarding new staff. There is a lot that can go wrong in a mentoring relationship. Some of the more common ones are: mentors who don't want to be mentors; abuse of power by the mentor; a true mismatch between the mentor and mentee; and unclear expectations for both.

It is very important to have an actual written plan for the mentoring process and that both participants have a clear understanding of that plan. The plan should include some measurable goals/competencies outlined for the mentee and defined expectations for the mentor.

Periodic meetings with both mentor/mentee by their manager should occur. These should be fairly frequent early in the process and then can be stretched out as the process progress. This will also depend on whether this relationship is short-term (such as during an orientation period) or on-going.

More than happy to schedule a call to discuss further.