Mentor Mentee Matching Questionnaire (Free Template)
A mentor mentee matching questionnaire is a pair of short surveys, one for mentors and one for mentees, whose questions mirror each other so that answers can be compared side by side. Use the free template below before each cohort to collect the information you need to pair people on goals, expertise, availability and fit.
The mirroring is the whole point. If mentors pick their expertise from one list and mentees describe their goals in their own words, nobody can compare the two at scale. This template gives both sides the same topics and the same answer options, worded for their role.
How do you use this matching questionnaire?
- Edit the shared lists first. The departments, the goals and expertise list, and the languages appear on both sides. Replace the examples with your organization’s terms, then copy the same list into both versions. A list that differs by one word breaks the comparison.
- Pick your must-match criteria before you send anything. The scoring table at the end of the template shows how. If a question does not feed a criterion or help a human reviewer, cut it.
- Build two forms: copy the mentor column into the mentor form and the mentee column into the mentee form. Keep the question numbers so you can line answers up later.
- Send both forms in the same week with the same deadline. Matching cannot start until both sides are in.
- Score, review, then confirm. Rank pairs with the scoring table, look at the top suggestions yourself, and ask both people to confirm. The guide to matching mentors and mentees explains the methods and the common mistakes in detail.
If the questionnaire will also be your sign-up form, combine it with the mentoring application form questions template, which covers eligibility, motivation and consent.
The template
Answer-type key
| Code | Answer type | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| SC | Single choice | One answer from a fixed list. Best for must-match criteria. |
| MS | Multi-select | Several answers from a fixed list. Set a maximum. |
| S5 | Scale 1–5 | Degree or preference between two statements. |
| FT | Free text | Context for a human reader. Keep it optional where you can. |
Section 1: Profile basics
| # | Mentor version | Mentee version | Type | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Full name and email | Full name and email | FT | ________ |
| 1.2 | Current role or job title | Current role or job title | FT | ________ |
| 1.3 | Department or field you work in | Department or field you work in | SC | ________ / ________ / ________ / Other |
| 1.4 | Years of professional experience | Years of professional experience | SC | 0–2 / 3–5 / 6–10 / 11–15 / 16+ |
| 1.5 | Career stage | Career stage | SC | Student or graduate / Early career / Mid-career / Manager / Senior leader / Founder |
| 1.6 | Country or city you work from | Country or city you work from | FT | ________ |
| 1.7 | Your time zone | Your time zone | SC | ________ |
| 1.8 | Languages you can mentor in | Languages you can be mentored in | MS | ________ / ________ / ________ |
Section 2: Goals and expertise
Use one identical list on both sides. Example list, to replace with your own:
- Leadership and managing people
- Career planning and promotion
- Moving into a new role or function
- Technical or domain skills: ________
- Communication and presenting
- Negotiation and influence
- Starting or growing a business
- Networking and visibility
- Returning to work after a break
- Working across countries and cultures
- Balancing work and personal life
- Other: ________
| # | Mentor version | Mentee version | Type | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Which areas can you mentor on? | Which areas do you want help with? | MS | Shared list. Mentors up to 5, mentees up to 3 |
| 2.2 | Which one area are you strongest in? | Which one area matters most to you right now? | SC | Shared list |
| 2.3 | How much hands-on experience do you have in that area? | How experienced are you in that area today? | S5 | 1 = little, 5 = extensive |
| 2.4 | Describe the experience behind the areas you chose, in two or three sentences. | Describe the goal you want to reach by the end of the program and how you will know you reached it. | FT | ________ |
Section 3: Format and cadence
| # | Mentor version | Mentee version | Type | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | How do you prefer to meet? | How do you prefer to meet? | SC | Video / In person / Phone / Mixed / No preference |
| 3.2 | How often can you meet? | How often would you like to meet? | SC | Weekly / Every 2 weeks / Monthly |
| 3.3 | How long should a typical meeting be? | How long should a typical meeting be? | SC | 30 / 45 / 60 minutes |
| 3.4 | How many mentees can you take on at once? | Would you also join a small mentoring group? | SC | Mentor: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4+. Mentee: Yes / No / Maybe |
| 3.5 | Can you commit for the full program length of ________ months? | Can you commit for the full program length of ________ months? | SC | Yes / Not sure |
Section 4: Availability
| # | Mentor version | Mentee version | Type | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | When are you usually available? | When are you usually available? | MS | Weekday mornings / Weekday midday / Weekday afternoons / Weekday evenings / Weekends |
| 4.2 | Dates you already know you are away during the program | Dates you already know you are away during the program | FT | ________ |
Section 5: Mentoring style
Each item is a scale between two statements. 1 means the left statement fits best, 5 means the right one does.
| # | Mentor version: “As a mentor, I tend to…” | Mentee version: “I prefer a mentor who…” | Type | 1 ↔ 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | give direct advice ↔ ask questions so you find the answer | gives direct advice ↔ asks questions so I find the answer | S5 | 1–5 |
| 5.2 | follow a set agenda ↔ keep it an open conversation | follows a set agenda ↔ keeps it an open conversation | S5 | 1–5 |
| 5.3 | support and encourage ↔ challenge and push | supports and encourages ↔ challenges and pushes | S5 | 1–5 |
| 5.4 | stay in contact only at meetings ↔ welcome short messages between meetings | stays in contact only at meetings ↔ welcomes short messages between meetings | S5 | 1–5 |
Section 6: Preferences and constraints
| # | Mentor version | Mentee version | Type | Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Should your mentee come from your own department? | Should your mentor come from your own department? | SC | Same department / Different department / No preference |
| 6.2 | Name anyone you should not be matched with, such as your direct reports or your own manager. | Name anyone you should not be matched with, such as your own manager or anyone in your reporting line. | FT | ________ |
| 6.3 | Is there anything that would make a match difficult for you? (optional) | Is there anything that would make a match difficult for you? (optional) | FT | ________ |
| 6.4 | Do you already have a mentee in mind who has asked you? | Do you already have a mentor in mind? | FT | Name, or leave blank |
Section 7: Open questions
| # | Mentor version | Mentee version | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Why do you want to mentor in this program? | Why do you want a mentor now? | FT |
| 7.2 | What do you expect from a mentee? | What will you bring to each meeting? | FT |
| 7.3 | Anything else the program team should know before matching you? | Anything else the program team should know before matching you? | FT |
| 7.4 | I agree that my answers are shared with my match and the program team. | I agree that my answers are shared with my match and the program team. | SC: Yes |
How to score matches
Must-match criteria remove a pair entirely when they fail. Nice-to-match criteria add to a score. A simple score is the weight of the criteria a pair meets, divided by the total weight, times 100.
| Criterion | Questions compared | Kind | Rule | Example weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared language | 1.8 ↔ 1.8 | Must-match | At least one language in common | — |
| Not in the same reporting line | 6.2 ↔ 1.1 | Must-match | Neither person is named in the other’s 6.2 answer | — |
| Workable time zone | 1.7 ↔ 1.7 | Must-match (remote) | Overlap of at least ________ working hours | — |
| Goal meets expertise | 2.1 / 2.2 (mentee) ↔ 2.1 (mentor) | Nice-to-match | Mentee’s top area is in the mentor’s list | 3 |
| Experience gap | 1.4 ↔ 1.4 | Nice-to-match | Mentor in a higher band than the mentee | 2 |
| Department preference | 6.1 ↔ 1.3 | Nice-to-match | Same or different, as both requested | 1 |
| Availability overlap | 4.1 ↔ 4.1 | Nice-to-match | At least one window in common | 1 |
| Cadence | 3.2 ↔ 3.2 | Nice-to-match | Same frequency | 1 |
| Style fit | 5.1–5.4 ↔ 5.1–5.4 | Nice-to-match | Difference of 1 point or less per item | 0.5 each |
Worked example: a pair that meets the goal, experience and availability criteria but not department or cadence scores (3 + 2 + 1) ÷ (3 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1) × 100 = 75, before style. Treat the score as a ranking aid. Read the free-text answers of the top pairs before you confirm anything.
How should you adapt the questionnaire?
Cut before you add. Twelve to twenty questions per side is enough for most programs. Every question you add lowers completion, and an unanswered form matches no one.
Structure what you match on. If a criterion is in the scoring table, its question must be a single choice, a multi-select or a scale. Free text is for the human reviewer, not for the formula.
Fit it to the program type.
- Employee programs: keep 6.2 mandatory and treat it as a must-match. Add business unit or location if your organization is spread out. See how employee mentoring software handles this at scale.
- Student and alumni programs: replace years of experience with year of study or graduation year, and replace department with field of study and target industry.
- Startup programs: replace the goals list with startup needs (fundraising, sales, product, hiring) and ask mentors about conflicts of interest.
- Peer mentoring: use one form for everyone and match on complementary areas in Section 2.
Handle sensitive data carefully. Ask only what you will use. If you want to support preferences linked to gender, ethnicity, disability or health, make those questions optional, explain why you ask, and check them with your data protection lead; in the EU, GDPR treats several of these as special category data.
Review after each cohort. Look at the pairs that asked for a rematch and check which answers would have predicted it. Adjust the weights, not just the questions. When you are ready to move this from a spreadsheet into software, see what mentor matching software does with the same answers.
More templates and step-by-step guides are in the guides library.