I was going through annual HR training, and one thing jumped out at me. In the "diversity" section, an advice was given to the effect of "if you care about diversity, volunteer to participate in efforts... such as mentor someone".
Now, I have mentored people before, and see it as a wonderful opportunity to both help someone, and learn myself, and strengthen the company.
But in this context, it seems to be Catch-22!
If I approach someone from a diverse background offering to mentor them, that singles them out and seems to imply that they need mentoring, which is kind of the opposite of the message that ought to be delivered and promotes less equal treatment environment.
But if I don't, it's well known that people who would most benefit from mentoring tend to be shyer, and are less likely to approach someone more senior and ask to be mentored.
How can this catch-22 be resolved in a productive and appropriate way?