Peer Mentoring

The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his
own, observed the British politician Mr. Benjamin Disraeli.
Most modern management thinkers would agree that mentoring is one such way to achieve this
greatest good. Originating from a Greek word, mentoring has been one of the oldest forms of
influence. Homer, the Greek storyteller, narrates how Odysseus trusts the care of his son with
his friend, Mentor. The Oxford dictionary defines a mentor as a trusted adviser.
Many large organizations today have adopted mentoring as one form of coaching their promising
talent. Retention, talent development, reduced employee turnover, motivation, culture building,
increased cooperation among employees and departments are some of the virtues of mentoring
for an organization. One of the important trends in mentoring is peer mentoring. This form of
mentoring is one wherein the mentor and mentee are both of the same age group. Such a
relationship is typically found in the buddy systems incorporated in various companies. The
more experienced employee is appointed to serve as a mentor to the new hires who have just
debuted in the corporate world and find themselves quite lost in the new arena.
Peer mentors or buddies are those employees who have been a part of a similar program of
induction that the new hires are going through and hence can help them settle down quickly.
Any new hire in his/her first job is like a lost child in a crowded place. There is a lot of activity
going around about which the child cannot make sense and feels very lonely and scared. There
are people walking and talking around him who seem to notice him but dont pay attention since
he is not their child. He gets attracted to something in the crowd but is scared to go there. He
does not know what to do. Suddenly, he finds someone who comes to him in a friendly way and
starts talking to him. This person can be a saint or an imposter. The child cannot make out, he is
just happy to have found a person to talk to. The words spoken by this new person form the
impression on the childs mind about this motley crowd.
A new hire joining a company is very similar to this lost child. If the new hire, lets give a name,
Alex (only for illustrative purposes), does not find someone to hold his hand on the first day, he
will be lost, scared and more often than not, reconsidering his decision to join the company. The
HR of companies who are sensitive to such needs have formed ways to handle this. An

employee, lets call him Jake (only for illustrative purposes) joined the company 2 years back
under a similar recruitment program as Alex.

Their educational qualifications match and

suggested career growth paths are similarly drafted. Jake is today at a position that Alex can
reach in 2 years. On day one of Alex, Jake meets him and spends a long time with him asking
about his college, his family, his education, his favorite subjects. He makes him comfortable by
telling him a bit about the company, the department he would be joining, the people he would be
working with, the companys plans for Alex, the city etc. HR gives a formal presentation to
Alex about the company and its businesses, management personnel, policies and procedures,
future plans, performance standards etc. Jake, on the other hand, would be Alexs guide to
surviving in the company and the corporate world. This being his first corporate experience,
Alex would require guidance in making an attitude shift from a college student to a working
executive, dressing appropriately for work, communicating effectively, knowing the important
people of the organization, understanding the policies and practices of the company and getting
settled in the organization. What Jake tells Alex about the company and the people around is
very important and would be etched in Alexs mind as his initial impressions about the
organization.
After a couple of months of handholding, Alex would be able to find his own way around the
office and make friends and acquaintances of his own. Having a fair sense of the companys
working and no longer feeling scared or alone, Alex would then turn to Jake to know about
progressing up the corporate ladder. The challenges that Jake faced, the work that he did, the
responsibilities he has, the experiences he shares with Alex would make him motivated towards
reaching the place where Jake is today. He will understand what the company has laid in store
for him and what performance standards are expected of him.
This is peer mentoring in action. The most important way in which it differs from traditional
mentoring is the fact that peer mentors are of the same age group and profile as the mentee. This
is important for the mentee to connect more with the mentor and be more open in sharing his
anxieties and fears and be more receptive in getting ideas and feedback about himself as well as
the company. The mentor becomes more of a friend than a coach and the mutual camaraderie
works wonders for the company. Overall it creates an enriching experience for both the mentor

and the mentee. And of course, the organization always profits the most out of this healthy and
friendly mentoring relationship.