C2S1: Mentee Candidates

Mentee Candidate recommendations begin after we’ve received your Employment Partner application and have gotten to know you and the needs of your business better. From here, we review our TRP Fellows to see who might be a good fit for the position or positions you have available. We then recommend a Mentee Candidate to you based on three main criteria: (1) applicability of the Mentee Candidate’s skills/abilities/strengths to the position, (2) compatibility with the business’ work culture, and (3) the candidate’s proximity to the business or organization itself.

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Reviewing a Candidate’s File

Prospective mentors get the opportunity to review an extensive file on the Mentee Candidate that we recommend to them. They’re able to review things like the candidate’s criminal record, their test scores from our Virtues for Success class, as well as insightful personal statements covering changes they’ve made to their life, ways they’ve grown, and aspirations they have for their future.


“Nature-Time-Nature” Test

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We’ll be there to help you with any questions you have about our Mentee Candidate recommendation, however another helpful tool for evaluating a Mentee Candidate’s criminal record specifically, is the “Nature-Time-Nature” test shared by Twin Cities Rise in their Fair Chance Hiring Guide:

  1. Consider the Nature and seriousness of the offense(s) for which the Mentee Candidate was convicted.

  2. Consider the Time that has passed since the Mentee Candidate committed the offense or conduct.

  3. Consider the Nature of the position(s) that may be filled by the Mentee Candidate.

*The wording of the test has been slightly modified for TRP’s purposes.


Mentee Candidates do not know who or if they are being considered for mentorship. This is done purposefully. We never want a prospective Employment Partner to feel pressured into accepting a recommendation. Partners also have the ability to pass on the particular candidate. Simply put, we want you to feel good and optimistic about moving forward with your Mentee Candidate.

Accepting or Passing on a Recommendation

If an Employment Partner chooses to accept the Mentee Candidate recommendation, we then alert them of the great news and help you coordinate your first communication between one another. In the case an Employment Partner doesn’t feel the Mentee Candidate we’ve recommended is a good fit, we’ll ask why. This question is not for the purpose of trying to persuade the prospective Employment Partner into accepting the recommendation. It’s because we want to deepen our understanding of what you’re looking for in order to be able to identify and recommend other candidates to you in the future.

Although a Mentee Candidate recommendation is never guaranteed, we view Employment Partnership with The Redemption Project as an ongoing relationship. If the perfect mentorship match happens right away…great! If it takes a bit more time…we’re here for that too. We take Mentee Candidate recommendations seriously because our entire program hinges on successful mentor/mentee relationships.

Your Mentee is Out There

We believe in our program, in our TRP Fellows, and in you. Whether it’s today or six months from now, we know there’s a Mentee out there for you and we’re committed to helping you get connected to them!


Chapter TwoEthan Cook