Examples of an Evaluation Process for a Training & Mentoring Program

Evaluating a training and mentoring program involves assessing the processes associated with administering the mentoring activities. Mentoring programs help employees learn skills and knowledge from their more experienced peers and managers. Mentors provide support, friendship and constructive criticism. These more experienced staff members usually volunteer their services because they enjoy listening to less experienced worker's concerns and needs. By evaluating their training and mentoring program processes, companies can ensure that the initiatives truly help employees realize their potential. Mentoring relationships typically last from six months to a year. Successful programs conduct evaluations throughout that period and make adjustments if necessary.

Managerial Perspective

An evaluation process for a training and mentoring program from a manager's perspective focuses on ensuring that the activities an employee completes during his mentoring assignment align with the company's strategic goals and objectives. Managers examine tasks, evaluate outcomes, conduct performance reviews and complete checklists. They use this information to decide if the employee's achievements and accomplishments warrant a reward, such as a salary increase, promotion or special project assignment.

Mentee Perspective

Since the mentoring relationship focuses on developing an employee's professional skills and knowledge, any evaluation process for a training and mentoring initiative must include input from the mentee. Human resources and training professionals typically conduct online surveys or interview participants to gather input about the process from the mentee perspective. Employees comment on the quality and quantity of input received, the relevance of recommended resources and the impact mentoring has made on them.


Mentoring relationships typically go through stages. Ideally, mentees and mentors get matched based on similar interests. As the pair engages, they develop an action plan and schedule a series of meetings to check on their progress. During the sustaining phase, the mentee works with minimal guidance and advice. Evaluation during this phase involves finding out how well the mentee feels he now functions. The last phase of the mentoring relationship completes when the mentee completely transitions to working on his own. A final evaluation typically occurs several months later. At this point, training professionals want the participant to reflect on his satisfaction with the program, the quality of skills and knowledge acquired and if he can demonstrate the ability to complete new tasks.

Organizational Perspective

Another evaluation process for training and mentoring and programs includes assessing the impact of training and mentoring from an organizational perspective. Training professionals review operational metrics, such as sales data or customer satisfaction rates, to determine the level of impact training and mentoring initiatives have on the overall business. Additionally, the mentee's peers contribute input regarding how well he now fulfills his obligations and commitments. HR professionals may conduct 360-degree reviews to get input about the mentee from all levels of the company. This helps determine if the goals of the mentoring program were met, if the right strategies for training and development were used and if recommendations regarding success criteria for future programs can be made.

External Perspective

When companies outsource training and mentoring program execution to vendors, the evaluation process must include an assessment to determine the return on investment. For example, companies may hire mentors for their leaders to help them develop their executive presentation skills or develop expertise in speaking another language. By distributing questionnaires to mentees. Human Resource professionals gather the data necessary to recommend or reject the vendor's future involvement with the company. Asking these questions ensures that the mentoring relationships managed by the vendor contribute to a participant's ability to achieve his stated objective. This activity also validates that the mentoring process provides relevant skills and concepts at an appropriate pace. It ensures that exercises enhance learning, training enhances job performance and that employees gain the motivation to apply the new concepts in their role. This ensures that the training and mentoring program leads to skills and knowledge attainment in a timely manner.