If you’re still not sure you understand the benefits of mentor matching software like our Precision Matching tool, this list might help.
1. It saves time for mentors and mentorees. In the “old days” of mentoring, participants would fill out forms by hand. Now mentors and mentorees can input all this information online. It makes it easier to stop/start and to change answers along the way. Plus, no worries about sloppy penmanship.
In addition, our matching tool uses “forced choice questions.” These questions “force” people to make a choice, often between two desirable things. For example, a person might need to answer “yes” or “no” to the following statement: I’d rather my mentor be more businesslike than social.
Our tool also takes personality preferences and traits into consideration. It also determines what roles mentors prefer in order to match a mentor’s style to a mentoree’s preferences.
2. It saves time for the mentoring program manager (MPM). Depending on the size of your program, manual matching can take days (or even longer) to complete. For example, it could take 3-5 hours to match 20 pairs. If you had 150 pairs, this could take two full days if you do it manually. On the other hand, mentor matching software takes the “first pass” at matching based on a proven algorithm—and it does so with the click of a button.
3. It offers objectivity. The beauty of the algorithm is that it can check biases at the door, an important thing when it comes to matching mentors and mentorees.
4. It allows for backup options. Our mentor matching software doesn’t just offer up one match—it offers up several matches (and ranks them accordingly). This is ideal. That way if a mentor is recommended to two different mentorees, the MPM can make the final call by reviewing the backup options in both cases.
5. It allows for manual overrides when necessary. We still believe the human touch is what makes mentoring so effective. MPMs can always override the system whenever necessary.
6. It makes tracking matches a breeze. No more paper files or unwieldy Excel spreadsheets. Everything is stored online. But you can easily generate reports for printing whenever you want.
7. It provides solid historical data. Over time, your mentor matching software will show you how effective your matches are (and, as a result, how effective your program is). You can then make tweaks/adjustments as needed. The goal is to have a 90 percent success rate with matches, meaning the mentors and mentorees felt they were a good match overall.
8. It stays “in house.” If you task one person in your organization with managing your mentoring program, what happens when that person goes away? Housing all info on mentors, mentorees, and prospects in one central database is the safest way to ensure this info remains within your organization and that the next mentoring program manager can easily access it.
Learn more about the nitty-gritty of our mentor matching software, Precision Matching.
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