{"id":4752,"date":"2023-03-29T23:23:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T23:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/2023\/03\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-mentors-and-managers\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T15:44:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T22:44:05","slug":"cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-mentors-and-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/2023\/03\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-mentors-and-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"Using a Cohort-Based Learning Platform for Onboarding: Mentors &amp; Managers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:85px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Involving mentors and managers gives new hires personalized support, relevance, and stronger engagement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mentorship roles can be fluid, encouraging flexible, meaningful relationships across experience levels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Direct feedback and peer examples accelerate cultural integration and learning outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A rich, engaging, and effective onboarding experience requires an intentional approach that moves well beyond checklists, rote tasks, and generic information dumps. Modern onboarding programs not only teach a new employee the basics, they foster connection, collaboration, and community through holistic, highly interactive, and immersive periods of engagement that start on (or even before) a worker\u2019s very first day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the 6 key pillars of learning on NovoEd: <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-practice-and-application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Practice &amp; Application<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-discussion-and-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Discussion &amp; Feedback<\/a>, Mentors &amp; Managers, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-effective-facilitation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Effective Facilitation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-team-based-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Team-Based Learning<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-curated-and-goal-aligned-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Curated &amp; Goal-Aligned Content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll continue with the Mentors &amp; Managers pillar, a cornerstone of <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cohort-based learning<\/a> and an essential component of NovoEd\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/collaborative-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">collaborative learning platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NovoEd: Mentors and Managers\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RpBTXIfk7DI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-mentors-amp-managers-empower-new-employees\"><strong>How Mentors &amp; Managers Empower New Employees<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p><em>Mentors and managers serve as experts who guide learners through support, advice, and feedback.<br><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no substitute for the imprint of personal relationships that contextualize learning and ground it in the reality of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On average, learners are 26% more engaged when they have access to a mentor. As a social and collaborative learning company, NovoEd is deeply committed to fostering a <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/mentorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">culture of mentorship<\/a> within organizations, fusing productized insights from users with proven learning science and enterprise rigor.<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/reimagining-mentorship-a-product-capability-deep-dive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mentorship<\/a> can be interpreted to meet the various needs of organizations and learners. On a macro level, mentoring can also be an efficient way to generate collective wisdom or crystallize institutional thought. At NovoEd, mentoring has been used to generate ideas and innovation in a population at scale, whether a different approach to performance reviews or a new implementation of design thinking. In all these ways, mentoring can be a real strategy for remote and hybrid learning that actualizes culture and workplace principles while upskilling and connecting at scale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the NovoEd platform, mentors can be enrolled as learners while they are mentors; supervisors can have structured roles as mentors as well as mentees; participants can also have more than one mentor. In this way, mentoring becomes a dynamic and fluid concept. Additionally, mentors are prompted to share exemplar work product that may inspire others and can be included in a work gallery that consolidates company thought across all levels of the organization.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social and collaborative learning platforms offer organizations the ability to structure a comprehensive, multilayered <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/use-cases\/employee-onboarding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">virtual onboarding <\/a>experience that incorporates elements of in-person onboarding, such as coaching; <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/virtual-onboarding-creating-inclusive-environments-for-new-employees-in-a-remote-and-hybrid-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">peer-to-peer practice<\/a>; team experiences; engagement with mentors, managers, and business leaders; learning in the context of work; formal and informal feedback; and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NovoEd analyzed and compiled years of experience with best-in-class programs into a format you can quickly reference as you design your learning experiences. Take these ideas and best practices to incorporate into your current programs or use as inspiration for new activities, new ways to engage your audience with learning, or as an alternative to traditional methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ideas-for-onboarding-program-activities-that-effectively-incorporate-mentors-amp-managers\"><strong>Ideas for Onboarding Program Activities That Effectively Incorporate Mentors &amp; Managers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/insights\/virtual-onboarding-with-a-human-touch-creating-connection-culture-and-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-1024x371.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Onboarding Program\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-1024x371.png 1024w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-300x109.png 300w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-768x278.png 768w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-400x145.png 400w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-200x73.png 200w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guides for new employees with historical context from mentors\/HR<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have multiple manager\/mentors for individual learners to introduce them to different leaders in the organization and increase networking opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have managers track employees as they progress through onboarding milestones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have general courses on basic topics that are widely applicable but differentiate experiences based on mentor assignment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assign a &#8220;mentor buddy&#8221; who was onboarded into the company recently<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To learn how NovoEd\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/cohort-based-learning\/\">cohort-based learning platform<\/a> powers meaningful <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/use-cases\/employee-onboarding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">employee onboarding<\/a> for today\u2019s organizations, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/request-a-demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">request a demo<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"VideoObject\",\"description\":\"In this 1-minute video, discover how NovoEd promotes employee growth by connecting learners with managers and mentors.\",\"duration\":\"PT60S\",\"embedUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RpBTXIfk7DI\",\"name\":\"NovoEd: Mentors and Managers\",\"thumbnailUrl\":[\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/RpBTXIfk7DI\/maxresdefault.jpg\"],\"uploadDate\":\"2021-07-30\",\"genre\":\"Education\",\"author\":\"NovoEd\"}<\/script><\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-related-searches\">Related Searches<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/cohort-based-learning\/\">Cohort-Based Learning Platform<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/webinars\/a-conversation-about-the-pros-and-cons-of-cohort-facilitation-approaches-product-tour-tuesdays\/\">Corporate Learning Experience<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/insights\/benefits-of-a-cohort-based-learning-platform-infographic\/\">Benefits of Cohort Learning<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the six key pillars of learning on NovoEd: Practice &#038; Application, Discussion &#038; Feedback, Mentors &#038; Managers, Effective Facilitation, Team-Based Learning, and Curated &#038; Goal-Aligned Content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":4753,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[189,191,92,119],"class_list":["post-4752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cohort-learning","tag-discussion-and-feedback","tag-mentoring","tag-onboarding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4752"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10875,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752\/revisions\/10875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}