Workplace mentoring and coaching are now essential drivers of business performance, staff retention, and employee wellbeing in the UK, according to a new report from the Association of Business Mentors (ABM).
The findings show that over two-thirds of businesses have seen a positive impact on overall business performance from their mentoring and coaching programmes, and a further 60% attributed an improvement in employee wellbeing to their programmes.
The report, Unlocking Impact: Shaping the Future of Workplace Mentoring and Coaching, surveyed HR and People Directors from medium and large businesses across the UK. It reveals the substantial impact that mentoring and coaching programmes are already having inside organisations, whilst also highlighting the challenges around access, resources, and measurement that must be addressed to unlock their full potential.
Additional key findings from the report include:
- Alongside improved business performance and employee wellbeing, 66% of businesses also reported that mentoring and coaching programmes have boosted employee retention and talent attraction
- Businesses are rapidly adapting to the growth of AI, with 77% now using AI to support their mentoring and coaching programmes
- However, there are challenges to the benefits of workplace mentoring and coaching being more widely felt with lack of time and availability (47%), difficulty matching mentors and mentees (39%), and limited budget and resources (38%) being the most commonly cited challenges
In addition to these findings, the research found that nearly all HR leaders (98%) believe that accreditation of workplace mentoring and coaching programmes would add value and help improve standards. This highlights a growing appetite across organisations for more structured, credible, and measurable approaches to mentoring and coaching that can deliver tangible benefits for both employees and businesses.
"The workplace is changing at an extraordinary pace, and mentoring should no longer be considered an optional extra," said Georgina Waite, Chief Executive of the Association of Business Mentors. "Our research proves that mentoring directly strengthens performance, wellbeing, and talent pipelines. However, despite the clear benefits, access remains uneven and too many organisations face barriers to delivering high-quality programmes.
"As we mark National Mentoring Day, it's an important reminder of the power mentoring has to transform careers, workplaces, and business outcomes. At the ABM, our mission is to raise standards, widen access, and ensure that every employee and business can experience its full impact. By focusing on consistency, credibility, and measurable outcomes, we can make mentoring programmes truly transformative and ensure their benefits are felt across every level of the workforce."
National Mentoring Day is a time to celebrate the work of mentors across the country and the transformative effects they have on the businesses and leaders they support. The ABM works year-round to improve both the quality and accessibility of workplace mentoring. This year, to achieve this, the ABM is proposing three key measures: first, the creation of an accreditation system to ensure consistent standards across organisations; second, stronger collaboration between government, businesses, and the mentoring community to widen access for all; and third, driving a cultural shift that embeds mentoring into workplace life, so employees at every level can clearly see and experience their value.