Is mentoring the missing layer in workplace wellbeing?

By Georgina Waite, CEO, Association of Business Mentors

Workplace wellbeing is no longer a nice-to-have. Over the past decade, employers have invested heavily in mental health support, wellbeing platforms, employee assistance programmes, resilience training and leadership development.

While those initiatives have helped bring workplace wellbeing into the mainstream, many employees still describe feeling isolated at work, uncertain about their career direction or lacking someone they can speak to openly. At the same time, organisations continue to struggle with disengagement, retention and developing the next generation of leaders.

One reason may be that there is still a gap between wellbeing support and professional development. Employees may have access to mental health resources and regular conversations with their manager, but fewer have a dedicated opportunity to step back, think through complex decisions and work through periods of uncertainty before they begin affecting performance and wellbeing. Professional mentoring has the potential to fill that gap.

Professional mentoring differs from informal mentoring because it is structured, accountable and focused on agreed outcomes. By combining real-world business experience with proven methodologies, it gives people dedicated, confidential time to work through complex challenges while continuing to develop professionally.

That distinction matters because many of the factors that affect wellbeing emerge long before someone reaches the point of burnout. They often begin with uncertainty: stepping into a leadership role, navigating organisational change, balancing competing demands or questioning difficult decisions. Without the opportunity to work through those challenges, they can gradually erode confidence, performance and engagement.

This is where structured mentoring can make a difference. One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is that mentoring is something people need when they’re struggling. More often, its greatest value comes much earlier, when people are developing as leaders or taking on new challenges. Despite this, mentoring remains overlooked in many organisations, even though our research found that 68% of small and medium-sized businesses believe mentoring has improved employee retention and helped attract new talent.

That misconception also shapes how organisations approach workplace wellbeing. Too often, organisations think about wellbeing and professional development as separate conversations. In reality, the two are closely connected. Feeling supported at work extends beyond access to wellbeing services. It also depends on opportunities to continue developing new skills and prepare for the next stage of a career.

The connection between mentoring and wellbeing is increasingly supported by evidence. 72% of business leaders* told us that working with a mentor had improved their mental health and confidence. While mentoring is not a substitute for workplace wellbeing support, it can and

should be deployed alongside existing programmes to help address many of the factors that contribute to poor wellbeing before they become more significant problems.

One of the ABM’s Affiliate members, Gemma Watson-Edwards, works with professional athletes, and although elite sport differs from most workplaces, many of the personal challenges are surprisingly familiar: adapting to change, coping with expectation and managing periods of uncertainty.

One footballer Gemma supported had relocated overseas to pursue a professional career but found the transition overwhelming. Through structured mentoring they rebuilt their sense of direction, settled into their new environment and went on to establish a successful career abroad. Another athlete returning to the UK after a difficult period overseas used mentoring to regain confidence while continuing to progress professionally and academically.

The same themes play out across organisations every day. Whether someone is stepping into leadership for the first time, adjusting to organisational change or considering the next stage of their career, having access to an experienced, independent mentor provides an opportunity to reflect, challenge assumptions and make better-informed decisions.

Organisations have made significant progress in prioritising workplace wellbeing. The next step is recognising that wellbeing is shaped by both the support available when people are struggling and the professional development they receive throughout their careers. Structured mentoring has the potential to become the missing layer in many workplace wellbeing strategies, helping people build resilience, develop as leaders and address the pressures of work before they affect long-term wellbeing.

*The research was conducted on behalf of the Association of Business Mentors, and surveyed 250 UK business leaders who have undertaken professional business mentoring and 250 professional business mentors from across the UK, in October 2024,

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Well Crowd. This content is for information and discussion purposes only and should not be taken as medical, health, or professional advice.