Mentoring isn't a nice-to-have for the world's biggest brands, it's a deliberate strategy for developing talent, retaining people and spreading knowledge. Here's how some of the most recognisable companies on the planet put mentoring to work.
Which companies use mentoring programs?
Most large, successful organisations run formal mentoring programs. Around 98% of US Fortune 500 companies now offer mentoring in some form, up from roughly 70% two decades ago. Meta, Airbnb, Intel, Deloitte, Ford and Boeing are all well-known examples, each using mentoring in a distinctive way.
Why so widespread? Recent industry research has found that companies with mentoring programs tend to be significantly more profitable and retain more of their people than those without. In other words, mentoring has moved from a perk to a core part of how leading companies attract, develop and keep talent. You can explore the wider case for mentoring in our 40 benefits of mentoring programs.
Meta (formerly Facebook)
Purpose: onboard new engineers and product managers quickly by pairing them with experienced colleagues.
How it works: Meta's well-known onboarding program, Bootcamp, is built around mentoring. Rather than sitting new starters in a classroom, it pairs them with internal mentors and lets them learn by fixing real problems. The emphasis is on maintaining high standards, identifying colleagues who are genuinely good at teaching, and making sure everyone has someone in their corner.
The takeaway: pairing structured onboarding with mentoring helps new hires ramp up faster and feel supported from day one.
Airbnb
Purpose: help new hosts succeed by learning from experienced ones, a great example of mentoring extending beyond employees to a wider community.
How it works: Airbnb has run a host mentoring program in which new hosts can be paired with an established host who speaks their language and has a similar listing. The mentoring relationship gives newcomers practical, peer-to-peer guidance on how to host well, over a defined period.
The takeaway: mentoring isn't only an internal tool, it can strengthen your customer or community ecosystem too.
Intel
Purpose: increase knowledge transfer and spread the skills that are in demand across the company right now.
How it works: Intel's peer-to-peer mentoring program focuses on skills and relevant expertise rather than seniority. Employees are encouraged to drive their own mentorships and connect with a range of colleagues, embedding a mentoring culture throughout the organisation. It's often cited as a strong example of organisational, peer-led mentoring.
The takeaway: peer and skills-based mentoring scales knowledge quickly without relying on a small pool of senior leaders.
Deloitte
Purpose: help junior employees navigate their way to success, improving retention and alignment with the firm.
How it works: Deloitte's mentoring program takes a classic sponsorship approach: each participant is paired with a partner, principal or director who commits to a multi-year relationship, helping their mentee drive their own career.
The takeaway: sponsorship-style mentoring supports long-term development and retention. Deloitte is now the world's largest professional services firm, reporting US$70.5 billion in global revenue for FY2025.
Ford
Purpose: strengthen company culture and connect a diverse, distributed workforce to drive engagement, retention and productivity.
How it works: Ford's mentoring program pairs employees from different divisions and regions, helping both people expand their networks and deepen their understanding of the wider business. Leaders credit mentoring with spreading company values and breaking down the silos that can hold innovation back.
The takeaway: cross-functional mentoring is a powerful way to connect people and dismantle silos across a large organisation.
Boeing
Purpose: develop and retain talent and prepare the next generation of leaders.
How it works: mentoring plays a large role in Boeing's learning and development approach, structured around three core themes:
- Leaders as mentors
- Leaders teaching leaders
- Feedback is a gift
The takeaway: layered, leader-led mentoring helps large, technical organisations build a reliable leadership pipeline and pass on hard-won expertise.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of large companies have mentoring programs?
Around 98% of US Fortune 500 companies now run mentoring programs in some form, and 100% of the top 50 do. That's a significant jump from the roughly 70% often cited two decades ago, reflecting how central mentoring has become to talent strategy at the world's biggest organisations.
Why do successful companies invest in mentoring?
Mentoring supports retention, engagement, knowledge transfer and leadership development, the outcomes large companies care about most. Research consistently links structured mentoring to higher profitability and stronger employee retention, which is why so many leading brands treat it as core infrastructure rather than an optional extra.
What types of mentoring do big companies use?
There's no single model. Common formats include one-to-one mentoring, peer-to-peer mentoring, reverse mentoring, group mentoring, sponsorship, and even community or customer mentoring. The best programs choose the format (or mix of formats) that fits their specific goals and audience.
Do you need to be a large company to run a mentoring program?
No. While these examples are household names, mentoring is used by organisations of every size all over the world. A platform like Mentorloop makes it straightforward for any organisation to launch, match and manage a structured mentoring program, no matter how large or small the team.
Ready to start your own program?
While these companies and their programs are famous, mentoring works for organisations of every size. If you're ready to engage your people and build a mentoring culture of your own, there's no better time to get started.
See what a great mentoring program can do