Employee Coaching is the New Benefit

Employee Coaching: The New Benefit

November 17, 2022

Organizations face a highly competitive job market and new hiring, development, and retention challenges. Employers are thinking outside the box regarding unique employee benefits.

Coaching is on the rise as a powerful method for 1) employee development and greater job satisfaction and 2) preventing performance issues and?workplace conflicts. It can support employee performance, workplace culture, and retention—especially when used proactively!

The International Coaching Federation found in a?global survey?that:

• 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence.
• Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills.
• 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment in coaching and more.

So, we know that employee coaching works, but its effectiveness depends on your approach and implementation. Below, we’re sharing the following:?

• What organization-sponsored employee coaching is
• Why it’s worth investing in and the benefits
• Tips for an effective employee coaching program

What is Organization-Sponsored Employee Coaching?

It can apply to team members of all levels, from staff to team leads to leadership. To implement organization-sponsored employee coaching, an employer brings in an experienced neutral coach to meet with employees regularly, create self-awareness, discuss their goals and challenges, and help them learn, develop, and refine skills and work approaches.

It’s also important to note the difference between career coaching, training, and mentoring:

• Training:?Training typically occurs as a one-time or limited event to teach an employee a specific skill.
• Mentoring:?A mentor can be great for supporting an employee’s development, but this relationship is often ongoing and not as structured.
• Career Coaching:?A coach helps people set goals, explore opportunities, prepare resumes, and plan their career path.
• Coaching: Focuses on goals, obstacles, and solutions to move employees forward, strengthen capabilities, and solve problems independently.

Worth the Investment: Benefits of Employee Coaching

Employee coaching can have a significant impact on everyone from staff-level employees to managers, including:

• Increasing confidence and resourcefulness:?Honing their current capabilities and gaining new ones empowers employees to take the initiative and be more engaged.
• Giving them new opportunities and challenges:?Growing and achieving new, more advanced goals boosts job satisfaction.
• Strengthening communication and interpersonal skills:?From conversations with peers and managers to public speaking, employee coaching can foster more effective communication and workplace relationships.
• Learning how to lead:?An outside perspective, increased confidence, and refocusing can help employees develop their leadership style effectively.
• Smoother transitions into new roles:?When a team member consistently sets and achieves new goals and refines essential soft skills (e.g., communication and leadership), they will be better prepared to advance to new roles.

Positive side effects of career coaching for employers include:

• Creating a positive workplace culture and morale:?Employees will feel appreciated and valued, leading to stronger transparency and trust between staff and management.
• Improving employee productivity:?Employees will perform better and more efficiently thanks to new and enhanced skills, which also foster reflection, self-correction, and independence.
• Boosting employee retention:?Feeling valued typically equates to higher retention rates and company loyalty, which is crucial in this tough?candidate-favored market.
• Helping employers stand out:?Offering employee coaching in your benefits package demonstrates your commitment to your team members and shows you recognize the value of continuous learning.

Dos & Don’ts of an Effective Employee Coaching Program

Organizations need the right approach to implement a successful employer-sponsored career coaching program. Focus on these dos and don’ts for the best impact.?

Employee Coaching DOs

Focus primarily on helping employees:?When you approach career coaching with the employees’ needs first, it will be evident and generate trust and positivity.

Ensure confidentiality:?Respect the privacy of your staff’s conversations with the coach.

Assess employee development needs:?Identify who needs coaching, knowledge and skill gaps, and development opportunities.

Offer coaching services to all interested:?As mentioned earlier, employee coaching works well for employees of all levels—and if a team member is invested in their professional growth, why not support them?

Bring in a career coach proactively:?When you add an employee coaching program to your benefits package, they can work with employees early on to improve performance, prevent issues, and prepare employees for new roles and responsibilities.

Employee Coaching Don’ts

Set high expectations:?Rather than expect specific results, remember that everyone’s progress and timelines are different.

Approach it with an agenda:?Keep an employee-first mentality, and additional benefits to your business will follow.

Expect the coach to divulge information:?The coach is a neutral resource for employees, not a source of information for management.

Stand Out with Employer-Sponsored Career Coaching

Adding coaching to your employee benefits package will help organizations stand out in this ever-changing talent landscape. You’ll set up your employees and organization for future success with the right fit and program.

Are you interested in investing in coaching for your team? Check out our?coaching services?or?contact HR ROI?today to learn more!