Does anyone have anything on identifying candidates for a mentoring program - either as mentors or mentees?

1)Ensure that the mentoring program has a specific purpose.
2)Plan to start with a small pilot group.
3)Recruit mentors who can guide others towards whatever the goal of the mentoring program is.
4)Allow employees to apply to be mentees. Ensure that in their application they give reasons as to why they want a mentee.
5)Make the matches.
6)Follow up and monitor

If you have access to SHRM (i.e. if you are a national member), they have a great mentoring toolkit that might give you some ideas, as well as a webinar on the subject. The previous post pretty much covers the basics...if you need more, that's a good resource.

Characteristics of Great Mentors:
•Ability to listen actively
•Ability to ask probing questions/deeper discussion
•Share personal learning
•Co-create development goals and action learning activities
•Insight into the organization
•Willingness to engage in the development of someone else
•Focuses on the mentee
•Has influence & connections
•Not overly territorial; has qualities of an emerging leader

How to know if you will be a good mentor?
•Commit to a realistic time commitment
•Assess personal value of mentoring
•Honestly assess if you are a good match for the mentee
•Get feedback from your mentee
•You have a genuine interest in developing others
•Open minded and can see development opportunities
•Experience with and/or enjoy coaching, teaching, helping others
•Coaching corrective behaviors for improvement

“Watch-outs” Be aware…as a Mentor
•Adjust & mix directive and supportive style to the situation
•Strike a balance to be non-judgmental about mistakes but set high standards
•Getting too involved
•Judging the mentee without appreciating or really understanding who they are
•Telling versus asking, remember mentoring is about the mentee learning