The key facts
- Deloitte (2025, 44 countries): 70% of Gen Z develop career skills at least once a week, mentoring matters to 86%
- Six tips for mentors: from diagnosing the problem to gradually transferring independence
- The recommendation is to criticize the mistake, not the employee's personality
Mentors given recommendations for working with Gen Z
The difference in experience between a mentor and a young employee should not automatically be taken as a lack of ability or willingness to learn, the press service of the 'Best Mentoring Practices of the City of Moscow' competition told Gazeta.Ru. According to them, the demand for professional development among young people persists: in Deloitte's 2025 study, covering participants from 44 countries, 70% of Generation Z representatives reported that they develop career skills at least once a week, and mentoring and help from experienced colleagues matter to 86%.
Six steps for a mentor
The first step is to determine where exactly the problem arose: a newcomer may not understand a term, may not know where to look for a document, or may struggle with checking the result. To do this, it is suggested to give a small typical task in order to see what kind of support is needed. The second tip is to show not only the finished result but also the sequence of decisions: what to check, why it matters, and when to ask for help. The third is to give specific assignments with clear readiness criteria and a deadline; it is useful to ask the employee to restate the task in their own words in order to detect discrepancies in advance.
Discuss the mistake, not the person
The fourth tip is to discuss the mistake, not the person: instead of the remark 'you are careless,' it is better to point out what is missing in the work, explain the consequences, and agree on a fix, the press service emphasized. The fifth tip is to set rules for questions: which to ask immediately, which to save for a meeting, and whom to approach in the mentor's absence. The sixth is to gradually expand independence: after a demonstration, let the employee complete a similar task on their own, and then review the chosen approach and the result.
