It has been used to retain, develop, and advance people with exceptional potential. It has been used as a succession planning strategy to ensure a continuing supply of promotables. And it has been used to implement diversity programs by providing cross-cultural training and experiences as well as guidance on how to bring minority perspectives to bear on organizational problems and challenges. Until recent years, when most people worked in big companies, a mentor was someone within the company who had been employed there a decade or longer than his or her mentee and knew the ins and outs of moving upward in that organization. These days, tech companies are likely to grow and be acquired by another company within a year or two.
Few employees stay in one place for five years, let alone a decade.
Under such conditions, savvy, well-connected mentors are more important than ever and harder to find. To help assess career opportunities, today's mentors need to be knowledgeable in technology, finance, and business strategy and they must be well known in their company, if not in their industry. So, to accomplish their goals, today's mentees may need to solicit the support of more than one mentor. They maintain that well-conceived and expertly managed mentoring programs yield many benefits for the organization, persons assigned to mentoring positions, and mentees. Promotes improved job satisfaction.