Kim Seeling Smith: Why Gen Z Could Save the Future of Work
In this energising episode, Kim Seeling Smith, future-of-work strategist and founder of Ignite Global, joins Alastair to unpack what younger generations want from their careers, and…
Article
Reverse mentoring: what it is, why it matters, how to do it
Alastair Greener FPSA
Generational communication expert, author and President of the PSA UK and Ireland 2026
Reverse mentoring pairs a junior employee with a senior colleague so that knowledge, usually about technology, culture or the experience of being young in the organisation, flows upwards. Our research shows why it matters. 49% of UK HR managers find it easier to communicate with their own age group and 51% see a need for better cross-generational communication. This guide covers set-up in eight steps, pitfalls and how to measure it.
What is reverse mentoring?
Reverse mentoring is a structured relationship in which a junior or younger employee mentors a senior or older colleague. Knowledge flows upwards: technology, digital habits, social platforms and how the organisation looks from the bottom. The senior partner sets aside rank and listens.
The idea is not new, but the case for it has never been stronger, because the distance between how the youngest and oldest people in an organisation communicate has rarely been wider, and the people at the top are usually the ones furthest from the change.
Why does reverse mentoring matter?
Because the people who run organisations find cross-generational communication harder than they admit. In our Generations in the Workplace Study 2023, a survey of HR managers in Britain, 49% agreed they find it easier to communicate and connect with people closer to their own age. 51% agreed there is a need for better cross-generational communication in their organisation, and 50% thought their organisation would benefit from strategies to foster intergenerational collaboration.
The gap is widest on technology. In our Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 survey of 4,067 people in the UK, 45% of Generation Z and 44% of Millennials said they are the first or one of the first to try new things, against 15% of Baby Boomers and 11% of the Silent Generation. 59% of Gen Z had used an AI platform such as ChatGPT; 13% of Baby Boomers had.
| Measure | Younger | Older |
|---|---|---|
| First or one of the first to try new things | Gen Z 45%, Millennials 44% | Baby Boomers 15%, Silent Generation 11% |
| Have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT | Gen Z 59%, Millennials 48% | Baby Boomers 13%, Silent Generation 4% |
| Leave voice notes | Gen Z 85% | Baby Boomers 45% |
| Use Instagram to communicate | Gen Z 74% | Baby Boomers 13% |
| Find it easier to connect with people close to their own age | Gen Z 71% | Baby Boomers 36% |
Source: Communication Habits and Preferences 2024. Base: all respondents; the early adopter and own-age rows are respondents aged 16 and over.
49%of HR managers find it easier to communicate with people close to their own ageGenerations in the Workplace Study 2023
51%of HR managers see a need for better cross-generational communication in their organisationGenerations in the Workplace Study 2023
59%of Gen Z have used an AI platform such as ChatGPT, against 13% of Baby BoomersCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024
There is a second reason, which is retention. 51% of HR managers in the 2023 study found retention easier among 41 to 60 year olds; only 10% said the same of under 25s. A young person who mentors a director is harder to lose, because they have been seen. Kim Seeling Smith argued on the podcast that what younger generations demand from their careers might be saving the workplace, in Why Gen Z could save the future of work.
How to set up reverse mentoring: eight steps
- Decide what it is for. Pick one or two aims: digital fluency at the top, a better read on early-career experience, or input into a specific decision. A scheme that is "about generations" in general will drift.
- Recruit seniors first. The programme fails if the senior partner is volunteered. Ask leaders to opt in, and ask them to say publicly what they want to learn.
- Recruit juniors by invitation, not selection. Open it to anyone in their first few years, and make clear it is not a performance reward. 71% of Gen Z find it easier to connect with people their own age, so the invitation needs to be warm.
- Pair on curiosity, not department. Match a senior who wants to understand voice notes and AI with a junior who uses them, regardless of function.
- Set a cadence and an end date. Six sessions over six months, 45 minutes each, works. An open-ended scheme quietly stops.
- Give the first session a script. Both sides are nervous. A short list of questions ("show me how you would find this out", "what do we get wrong about starting here") removes the awkward first ten minutes.
- Protect the junior partner. Agree that nothing said in sessions is used in appraisal, and give them a named contact outside the pairing.
- Close with a report-back. Ask each pair to share one change the senior partner has made. That is the evidence the next cohort needs.
Pitfalls to avoid
The commonest failure is condescension: the senior partner treats the session as a favour to the junior. The second is scope creep, where "teach me TikTok" becomes free consultancy on the company's social media. The third is invisibility, when the scheme runs for a year and nobody outside it knows. Each of these is fixed by the aims, the script and the report-back above.
Beware also of the stereotype in the other direction. George Cairns, founder of Get AI Powers, told the podcast that older workers are often more adaptable than stereotypes suggest, in From hype to workflow. Reverse mentoring works best when both partners expect to be surprised.
How to measure reverse mentoring
Measure behaviour, not satisfaction. Before the scheme, ask senior participants three questions: how often they use the tools in question, how confident they feel communicating with staff under 30, and one specific change they intend to make. Ask again at the end. Pair that with the junior partners' answers to one question: do you feel more able to raise something with senior people than six months ago?
At organisation level, watch the figures that prompted the scheme. In the 2023 study, only 38% of HR managers said their organisation had consciously adapted to different generations, although 52% had personally adapted their own style. A reverse mentoring scheme is one of the few things that moves the first number.
Where reverse mentoring fits alongside traditional mentoring
It is a complement, not a replacement. Traditional mentoring passes on judgement, networks and the unwritten rules, and there is no substitute for it. Reverse mentoring passes on fluency in the present. The strongest schemes run both, and some pairs do both at once: the senior partner explains how a decision really gets made, the junior partner explains what the decision looks like from a group chat. Kristine Long, a senior leader at IBM, described what it means to be a Millennial in the middle of an organisation in Managing the middle: Millennial perspectives on work and life.
For where reverse mentoring sits within a wider plan, read our guide to managing five generations at work. If you would like help designing a scheme, that is part of what our consulting work covers, and the Generations in the Workplace Study 2023 has the full HR data.
Frequently asked questions
What is reverse mentoring?
Reverse mentoring is a structured relationship in which a junior or younger employee mentors a senior or older colleague. Knowledge flows upwards, usually about technology, digital habits and the experience of being early in a career. The senior partner listens and changes something; the junior partner gains access, confidence and visibility.
Why is reverse mentoring important?
Because senior people find cross-generational communication harder than they think. 49% of UK HR managers in our 2023 study find it easier to communicate with people near their own age, and 51% see a need for better cross-generational communication. 59% of Gen Z have used AI platforms against 13% of Baby Boomers, so the fluency gap is real.
How long should a reverse mentoring programme last?
Long enough to change a habit and short enough to finish. Six sessions of about 45 minutes over six months works for most organisations, with a report-back at the end where each pair shares one change the senior partner has made. Open-ended schemes tend to fade without anyone deciding to stop them.
What is the difference between reverse mentoring and traditional mentoring?
Traditional mentoring passes judgement, networks and unwritten rules downwards from an experienced person to a less experienced one. Reverse mentoring passes fluency in current tools, platforms and early-career experience upwards. They complement each other, and the best programmes run both, sometimes within the same pairing.
Talk to Alastair about designing a reverse mentoring programme for your organisation.
Talk to AlastairListen: related podcast episodes
Henry Farr: What Gen Z Wants at Work and Why It Matters
Alastair sits down with Henry Farr , a young entrepreneur navigating the generational expectations that come with running his own business. In this episode, Henry offers a grounded…
Gen Z at Work, Retention, Engagement, and the Real Cost of Ignoring It
Patrick Quinton-Smith joins Alastair to dismantle myths about Gen Z at work and focus on what actually improves retention, performance, and engagement.
Gen Z, Graduates, and Getting Ready for the Real World
Alastair speaks with higher education professional Charlotte Marshall about what student life and employability really look like right now. From supporting “hard to reach” students to…
Invite Alastair to speak at your event
Contact