Reverse mentoring

Hearing directly from junior staff and those from underrepresented groups can drive changes that make for a more inclusive, fairer workplace. LawCare’s Elizabeth Rimmer explains how reverse mentoring works and how to get started

There are many legal organisations working hard to improve inclusion and wellbeing but knowing what really makes a difference can be difficult.

Reverse mentoring is one approach that offers a fresh, people-focused way to drive change. It allows senior staff to hear directly from others, build trust and gain a better understanding of what it’s like to work in their organisation.

What is reverse mentoring?

In reverse mentoring, junior staff or people from under-represented backgrounds mentor more senior colleagues. It is a way to have honest conversations, share experiences and make sure everyone’s voice is heard – especially those often left out of important conversations and decisions.

This type of mentoring recognises personal experience as a valuable source of knowledge. It helps leaders better understand their people and how the workplace affects them.

It is not always easy, but when done well, it’s powerful.

Top tips for running a reverse mentoring scheme 

If your legal organisation is thinking about reverse mentoring, there are six key factors to keep in mind:

• Take your time: Don’t rush into it. Involve a mixture of voices when planning your scheme so it reflects a range of experiences.

• Seek diverse views: Go beyond the usual perspectives. Make space for underrepresented groups to help shape the programme from the start.

• Build trust first: Relationships matter. Everyone involved needs to feel safe, respected and supported before they share personal experiences.

• Support your mentors and mentees: Offer practical help – time, quiet spaces and guidance on how to structure meetings. This ensures the project supports mentors to feel confident and heard and mentees to listen.

• Focus on action: Don’t let good conversations go to waste. Make sure there’s a clear process to turn insight into meaningful change.

• Celebrate and share: Mark progress, reflect on what’s been learned and show this is just the beginning of longer-term culture change.

Need support? Try LawCare’s new reverse mentoring toolkit

To help legal workplaces run impactful and thoughtful reverse mentoring schemes, LawCare and the University of Leeds have created a free, practical reverse mentoring toolkit.

The toolkit has practical resources to help to design, launch, and sustain an impactful reverse mentoring programme. It will help you:

• Understand what reverse mentoring is – and what it is not;
• Create a safe, respectful space for honest conversations;
• Support mentors and mentees throughout the process;
• Turn insights into meaningful action; and
• Avoid common mistakes.

Who is the toolkit for?

The toolkit is for any legal organisation – whether a large law firm, small practice, in-house team, barristers’ chambers or legal education provider. It is a valuable resource, especially for HR and EDI teams, and senior leaders looking to build more inclusive, supportive workplaces.

“You don’t need a big HR team or budget to start a reverse mentoring programme” 

You don’t need a big HR team or budget to start a reverse mentoring programme. What you do need is a commitment to inclusion, an openness to listening and a willingness to act on what you learn.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refresh an existing initiative, the toolkit can help you build a programme that is thoughtful, sustainable, and genuinely inclusive.

Ready to get started?

Reverse mentoring isn’t a tick-box exercise or a quick fix but it can be a powerful way to build trust, highlight what needs to change and make your workplace fairer for everyone. By taking part, you’re not only investing in your own organisation’s growth, you’re also helping to shape a more inclusive, dynamic and forward-thinking legal sector.

Elizabeth Rimmer is chief executive of LawCare

Read more and download the toolkit: www.lawcare.org.uk/reverse
Explore more resources on the University of Leeds reverse mentoring project page: https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/directory-record/1234/partnerships-for-cultural-change-reverse-mentoring-in-higher-education-and-the-legal-profession