The 3 Most Important Benefits (and Downfalls) to Know About Coaching at Work

Coaching at work is one of the most valuable things you can offer your employees. Though there are many advantages and disadvantages of the coaching training method, the pros outweigh the cons.

Company coaching programs have been shown to increase:

• Employee retention
• Talent acquisition
• Customer satisfaction
• Profitability

Wouldn’t you want to see these occurrences in your workplace? With effective coaching in the workplace, you can! Employee coaching provides the best way to impact performance and drive positive culture.

In this article, we’re diving into coaching in a business environment. You’ll learn the purpose of coaching employees and get an answer to, “What is employee coaching?”

Keep reading to gain valuable insight into the benefits and downfalls of coaching for HR professionals and other employees.

What is Employee Coaching?

Coaching in a business environment involves helping employees grow professionally in their skills and knowledge. It’s often a one-on-one relationship between an employee and a coach. But coaching can also occur between one coach and a few employees with the same job, responsibilities, and areas for growth.

The coach’s goal is to give their coachees the space, time, and tools necessary to grow and develop. The best way for coaches to do this is to:

• Listen well
• Ask good questions
• Provide actionable feedback
• Let the coachee think for themself

The coachee’s goal is to set and work toward attainable objectives that lead to greater competence and value as an employee.

Employee coaching is a powerful way to engage employees and provide them with the skills and confidence needed to do their work more effectively. You may not realize it, but coaching for performance and coaching for development is a necessary part of any successful business.

The Need for Coaching in the Workplace

A recent Gallup survey found that only 25% of employees “strongly agree” that their managers provide them with valuable feedback. And only 21% of employees think they’re managed in a way that helps them do better work.

However, one of a manager’s prominent roles is to provide feedback and encourage their employees in a way that leads to greater productivity.

Employees desire on-the-job training and coaching, and companies that coach employees regularly see increased employee retention and job satisfaction.

A company coaching program is the best way to drive positive change on an individual level. It provides an opportunity for you to give your employees valuable guidance in their professional skills and knowledge.

Before diving right into coaching in your workplace, it may be helpful to understand some of the benefits and limitations of coaching in the workplace.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Coaching Training Method

There aren’t any disadvantages of coaching, but there are some things that can hinder effective coaching. So, when we say “advantages and disadvantages” of coaching, we really mean “difficulties and benefits.”

Here are three difficulties with coaching and three of the top benefits of coaching in the workplace.

The Difficulties of Coaching at Work

You Need Capable Coaches

To start coaching at work, you need capable coaches.

However, one of the first difficulties you may face when implementing a coaching culture into your workplace is a lack of qualified coaches.

If you find that your managers aren’t equipped to handle the role of a coach, you’re not alone, and you don’t need to worry. An SHRM survey found that 93% of managers need training before feeling comfortable coaching their employees.

You can easily overcome this hurdle and upskill your managers witha custom leadership training program. Once your managers are trained in coaching and have the right tools, they can start impacting your employees through coach-coachee relationships.

You Need Coachee Buy-in

Second, you need your employees to buy into the coaching program.

We mentioned earlier that employees are hungry for more intentional training and coaching. But you’ll want to start with motivated employees to get your coaching culture off the ground. Take time to talk with your managers and help them think through who might be best to coach.

• Who shows a high level of commitment?
• Does anyone already ask questions and seek out managers on their own?
• Has anyone shown an interest in growing in their professional skills?

Pinpointing employees who are already seeking out professional assistance can help you focus on the employees that will make the best coachees.

You Need to Make it a Priority

Lastly, creating a coaching culture at work requires attention, intentionality, and prioritization—a coaching culture doesn’t happen overnight.

You need to be intentional about talking with managers and providing them with the tools they need to become effective coaches. Managers then must prioritize coaching employees face-to-face and be intentional about integrating it into their daily interactions.

If you don’t prioritize coaching or set your managers up for success, the program won’t succeed.

The Benefits of Coaching at Work

Improves Employee Performance

First and foremost, coaching in a business environment benefits employees and improves their performance.

Coaching employees to improve performance helps them develop their skills and knowledge of their job, roles, and responsibilities. Employees can perform better and at a higher level when they know what to do and why they’re doing it.

Through coaching, you also demonstrate to your employees that you value them and are committed to them. Employees who feel valued are more likely to be confident and productive in their work.

Prepares Employees for Internal Hiring

Effective coaching in the workplace also allows you to identify high-potential employees and groom them for internal promotions.

Why spend time, energy, resources, and money on finding an outside hire when you can promote someone from the inside?

Your current employees are already aware of your company goals, vision, and culture. They understand your business processes and have a rapport with other employees. With a little bit of intentional coaching, you can help prepare them to step into more senior-level positions when positions become available.

Benefits Your Bottom Line

Ultimately, coaching at work benefits your bottom line.

Coaching:

• Engages employees
• Improves employee performance
• Helps achieve goals

All these work together to create a more satisfied, efficient workforce.

As your employees become more skilled, confident, and competent, their productivity increases. And as you prepare them for internal positions, you save time and money associated with hiring new employees.

Need Help Improving Your Company Coaching Program?

Coaching at work is a valuable and necessary part of any successful business.

Employee coaching involves intentionally interacting with employees to improve their on-the-job skills and understanding. Coaching can be a one-on-one relationship or a general way managers engage with their employees. Regardless of the method used, the purpose of coaching employees is to improve employee performance and overall benefit the company.

However, there are some advantages and disadvantages of a coaching training method. Some of the difficulties associated with coaching include:

• Unqualified coaches
• Lack of employee buy-in
• Not prioritizing coaching

While some of the benefits of workplace coaching are:

• Improved employee performance
• Preparing employees for internal hiring
• Improved bottom line

If you’re looking to start or elevate your company coaching program, we’ve got just the tool for you.

At Unboxed Training & Technology, we understand the need for coaching in the workplace. That’s why we dedicated ourselves to creating a powerful coaching tool that empowers managers. Spoke® (our Learning Technology Platform) makes it easy for managers to track progress, provide feedback, and communicate with coachees. With AI-powered learning and robust reporting, Spoke is the perfect way to ensure your company’s coaching culture generates the results you desire.

Request a demo of Spoke to see how it can improve your ability to coach your employees.