Everyone needs a mentor. No matter how smart, driven and capable you might be, there’s only so far you can go on your own. As Oprah Winfrey herself said: “I don’t think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship.”
I agree. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without the mentors who helped me on my journey. Some of my most foundational beliefs about running a business were passed along to me by those who had been there before, and who took the time to impart their wisdom upon me.
Remembering that I didn’t get here on my own is why I will always prioritize mentoring others myself, and also build it into my business. This is the right thing to do, of course, but it’s also essential for retaining employees: According to research from CNBC, nine out of ten workers who report having a workplace mentor are satisfied with their jobs, and nearly 60 percent are “very satisfied.” In a world where workplace wellbeing and growth opportunities are of equal or greater importance than paycheck size, fostering a strong mentorship culture is a must for any organization that wants to remain competitive in today’s evolving workplace.
That’s where AI comes in. Not because it can replace human mentors, but because they can actually make the mentorship process more effective. Here’s how.
Match Mentors Strategically
Finding a mentor isn’t always an easy process. The right fit requires more than just shared job titles or overlapping areas of expertise—it also depends on an alignment in values, communication style, and mutual goals.
Luckily, AI can play an important role in ensuring a good mentor/mentee match. By collecting and analyzing data on individuals’ career aspirations, personality traits, and learning preferences, AI-driven platforms can make more precise matches than traditional methods ever could.
Instead of relying on guesswork—or simply pairing people based on seniority—organizations can tap into algorithms that suggest mentor-mentee pairs likely to produce a productive, empathetic rapport. The employee development platform Chronus, for example, matches people based on a number of factors including not just skills and experience, but schedules and temperament. Once mentors and mentees are paired, Chronus tracks progress to determine how effectively goals are being pursued and how outcomes can be improved, putting a data-driven spin on what are still deeply human interactions.
AI Can Lighten The Load
Every mentor/mentee relationship is different, but in general, a mentor probably doesn’t have the bandwidth to field every query that crosses a mentee’s mind. In some cases, AI can handle lower-value asks that perhaps don’t require years of hard-won experience to address.
In other words, not every question needs to be answered by a seasoned executive. Sometimes, mentees just need quick guidance—like how to format a proposal, prep for a performance review, or find a relevant training resource. AI platforms like ChatGPT can step in as an always-available support system, offering on-demand answers, best practices and advice.
As adept as AI is at providing quick guidance and analysis, it’s far less skilled at navigating complex, interpersonal relationships. Research has found that AI still struggles with ambiguity and has trouble understanding the broader context of a mentee’s life.
This is where human mentors remain indispensable. But by offloading repetitive or administrative tasks, AI frees up mentors to focus on the deeper, more nuanced conversations that actually move the needle: navigating career pivots, developing confidence, and dealing with tricky workplace challenges that require an intricate understanding of the culture. In this way, AI acts as a force multiplier, helping organizations scale mentorship in a way that’s both personal and sustainable.
Track Progress, Personalize Growth
When I think about the most meaningful mentorship experiences I’ve had, they weren’t just one-off coffee chats—they were intentional, goal-driven relationships that helped me grow. But let’s be honest: even the best mentors can lose track of where things stand if there’s no structure in place. That’s where AI can make a real difference.
AI tools can help add scaffolding to the mentorship process without making it feel overly rigid. They can track progress toward goals, flag when conversations go quiet, and offer nudges to keep things moving. Maybe your mentee hasn’t updated their goals in a while, or maybe they’ve hit a milestone and need new direction—AI can make suggestions so neither side is left guessing. Tools like Workera’s Sage can enhance the process by recommending learning pathways offered by online courses like Coursera or Workday, helping mentees identify skill-building opportunities and setting them on the course to achieve them. It’s like having a smart assistant working tirelessly in the background, making sure the relationship stays dynamic and useful, without becoming another box-ticking calendar item.
Done right, mentorship should be a rewarding endeavor for everyone involved. AI can help deepen the experience not by replacing the human connection on which mentorship is built, but by enhancing it, adding structure and support that allows both mentors and mentees to focus on what matters most.
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