Building mentoring programs that actually work.
We help government agencies and large organisations build structured mentoring programs that develop leaders, retain talent, and become part of your culture.
No software.
No guesswork.
Just a proven framework delivered by people who know mentoring inside out.
Trusted by leaders at:
Our programs are proven to:
+ Increase involvement: 230% increase in mentor participation*.
+ Accelerate Careers: 39% mentee promotion rate during the program*.
+ Reduce Turnover: The average cost of losing one senior leader is $250k, the ripple effect is far greater.
*Results taken from 3 years of running the DWER mentoring program
Most mentoring programs don't deliver.
Here's why.
Every year, organisations across Australia launch mentoring programs with great intentions. Pair some people up. Send some emails. Hope for the best.
Three months in, half the pairs have stopped meeting.
Six months in, the program quietly disappears.
Nobody talks about it because nobody wants to admit it didn't work.
Others invest in mentoring software to handle the logistics. The platforms are good at matching names and sending reminders.
But software can't train a mentor. It can't coach someone through their goals. And it can't step in when a pairing isn't working.
The problem isn't the people.
It's that mentoring gets treated as a "nice to have" rather than a serious investment in your workforce.
It doesn't have to be that way.
We build the human infrastructure that makes mentoring work.
At Next Level Mentoring, we don't sell software or hope. We provide the structure, the training, the coaching, and the accountability that sit underneath a mentoring program and make it deliver real results.
Every program we run is built around four principles.
- Keep it Simple.
- Make it Sustainable.
- Ensure it's Effective.
- Make it Engaging.
We handle the full lifecycle.
From planning and matchmaking through to mentor training, goal-setting coaching for every pair, facilitated group sessions, ongoing support, and end-of-program evaluation.
Your HR team gets a turnkey program that frees up their time.
Your people get a mentoring experience that they will talk about for years.
What happens when mentoring is done properly.
The DWER Success Story
We partnered with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to turn traditional mentoring into a high-performance leadership system.
Over three years, our bespoke human-led framework delivered results that mentoring software alone can't match.
39%
Promotion rate among mentees during the program.
90%
Relationships continued voluntarily post-program.
230%
Growth in mentor applications.
"This mentoring program allowed me to witness the real value mentoring brings to people across our organisation. It created genuine connection, supported people in identifying their future paths, and strengthened capability."
Alistair Jones, Director General, DWER.
See how we did it with the DWER case study
Our 5-stage proven framework
All our programs follow a simple iterative process. Each cycle builds on the last, embedding mentoring deeper into your culture.
Plan
We work with you to understand your goals, your people and your culture. Then we design the program to fit.
Establish
We identify participants, run our proven matchmaking process and provide upfront training so everyone starts with confidence.
Execute
We kick-off the program, run goal-setting coaching for every pair, facilitate group sharing sessions, monitor engagement and provide support throughout so that all pairings get immense value from the program.
Conclude
We close the program with a celebration of all the unique journeys and provide mentor accreditation for every mentor.
Evaluate
We gather feedback, evaluate results, and refine the program for sustained success.
You can read more on the process at the NLM Framework Page
Every NLM program includes our signature 1-on-1 Goal-Setting Coaching session for every pair.
Participants consistently rate this as the highlight of the program.
Everything you need to run a successful mentoring program.
When you partner with NLM, you get the full package. Not a platform login and a "good luck."
Every NLM program includes:
- planning workshop to design your program properly
- workshops & communication material to drive uptake in mentee and mentor applications
- our proven mentee-led matchmaking process that creates ownership of the relationship
- mentor and mentee training via our training portal to give everyone the same base level of knowledge
- program kick-off session that brings energy, excitement and clarity to the program
- 1-on-1 goal-setting coaching for every mentoring pair to ensure purpose
- mid-program pulse check to allow deeper feedback from the participants
- closing ceremony to crystallise learnings and celebrate the journey
- mentor accreditation for all mentors
- end-of-program evaluation report with improvements for the following year's program
We run fully managed programs, focused pilot programs or provide you with all the right information so you can run your own program. The choice is yours.
Click the button to help work out what's the best pathway for you.
Where should I start with mentoringBuilt for the people responsible for developing leaders.
If you're a Head of People & Culture, an OD leader, or an HR Director, you already know that developing your next generation of leaders is one of the hardest things to get right.
You have probably tried courses that get forgotten within weeks.
You may have looked at mentoring software and wondered whether it actually delivers.
You might have even run a program internally that started strong but then fizzled out.
You don't need another platform.
You need a partner who will build it, run it, and make it work.
That's what we do.
"Bringing in outside expertise from NLM helped increase the credibility of the program for the participants – more so than if it was run internally. This played a role in the program's success."
Chris McGrath, Mentoring Program Lead, Woodside
"Initiatives like mentoring programs help Woodside provide additional value for our employees and their development."
Jacky Connolly, VP of People and Global Capability, Woodside
"Over the past three years, we've seen incredible growth, not only in participation but in impact. Both mentors and mentees are realising tangible benefits: building confidence, expanding networks, and developing leadership capability."
Michelle Raymond, Manager of Talent & Culture, DWER
What would be your next step
Whether you have a mentoring program that is already running, or thinking of starting your first one, we have your back.
Complete this 2 minute form to work out what your next best step would be.
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You can view our success stories to learn how we helped other organisations build successful mentoring programs.
View Success Stories