Uneven mentor-to-mentee ratios are common in mentoring programs. There are strategies you can put in place before launch to get ahead of the imbalance, and options to fall back on after matching if some participants are left without a partner.

How can I manage uneven numbers before launching?

Consider a peer mentoring format

If your organisation is unlikely to have enough mentors to match everyone, a peer-to-peer setup is worth considering before you launch. This works well for programs focused on cross-functional teamwork, DEI outcomes, or always-on programs designed to build a stronger organisational culture, anywhere the value comes from connection, not just seniority.

Ask participants about their capacity on the signup form

If you suspect a skewed ratio from the start, add a capacity question to your signup form. This helps you identify mentors and mentees who are willing or able to handle more than one match, giving you more flexibility when it comes time to match. For Smart Match programs, the matching wizard also shows each participant's draft loop count and maximum matches so you can make informed decisions as you go.

Enable the 'Either' role on your signup form

When building your signup form, you can allow participants to select 'Mentor', 'Mentee', or 'Either'. Enabling 'Either' gives you more flexibility with your ratios, if you're short on mentors, you can ask participants to update their profile to 'Either', then assign them as mentors during matching. Not all programs have this option enabled by default, so check your signup form settings or contact your Customer Success Manager to enable it.

What can I do if participants are unmatched after matching?

If some participants are left without a match after your initial round, here are your options.

Create Group Loops for unmatched participants

Bring together unmatched mentees or mentors who share something in common, industry, role, goals, in a Group Loop. This gives them a way to connect and learn from each other while you work on finding them individual matches, and can open up peer mentoring opportunities within the group itself.

Ask participants if they can take on more matches

Chances are, some participants in your cohort would be happy to mentor more people, or would welcome another match to grow their Personal Advisory Board. Reach out and ask directly, you may be surprised.

You can also ask mentees whether they'd be willing to take on the mentor role as well. People often don't volunteer to mentor because they don't feel senior or experienced enough. Reassure them that the best mentor isn't always the most senior person in the room, it's often the person who's just a few steps ahead of the mentee.

Run a second recruitment drive

Early in your program, you have the opportunity to run a second recruitment push to bring in participants who were sitting on the fence the first time around.

• Set a deadline. A clear close date creates urgency and prompts people to act.
• Address the experience barrier. Remind potential mentors that they don't need to be at the top of their career to contribute — experience at any level is valuable, and every mentor has something worth sharing.

Reassure unmatched participants

Let unmatched participants know that you're actively working to find them a match, and that they'll be a priority when the next round of matching opens. A proactive message keeps them engaged and reduces the chance they disengage or drop out while they wait.

Use the Mentoring Bench to hold unmatched participants

If it's unlikely everyone can be matched in the current cohort, move unmatched participants to the Mentoring Bench. The Mentoring Bench gives you a central, organised place to hold participants between programs, and when the timing is right, you can invite them directly from the bench into a future program where they'll be first in line for matching.