At which stage of a long-term mentoring relationship is the mentor recognizing the worth and contributions of the employee and serving as a reference to help the employee move forward in his or her career?

• A. Counseling and coaching
• B. Sponsoring
• C. Professional friendship
• D. Initiation and relationship building

Answer: (B)

In long-term mentoring, sponsoring is when the mentor recognizes the employee’s worth and contributions and serves as a reference to help the employee move forward in his or her career. This means the mentor not only believes in the mentee but actively uses their own influence to advocate for opportunities—endorsing them for promotions, recommending them for high-visibility projects, and speaking up to leaders on their behalf. It’s about turning trust and guidance into concrete paths for advancement. Counseling and coaching focus on building skills and performance, a professional friendship provides support and rapport without formal advocacy, and initiation and relationship building is about establishing trust early in the relationship rather than ongoing career sponsorship.