Coaching and its place within the changed world of work

With the rise in demand for ongoing learning and development within the workplace, coaching is no longer seen as a luxury. Employees are seeking opportunities to grow and learn in their roles, while businesses must future-proof their workforces to create the best possible chance of sustained success in a changed world of work.

Whilst long-term, face-to-face coaching programmes have traditionally been reserved for executives and senior staff members due to high cost and time commitments, coaching is beneficial for employees at all levels. Utilising coaching for skill enhancement and career development across the wider workforce can result in improved engagement and productivity – as 54% of high-performing organisations were found to have a strong coaching culture throughout the business, as compared with 29% of all other organisations.

RightCoach™ provides on-demand coaching designed to support employees across the company with in-the-moment challenges, by generating immediate insight and actionable learnings.

As business leaders begin to acknowledge the value in providing access to ongoing learning and development through coaching support, the ICF’s ‘2021 Covid-19 and the Coaching Industry Survey’  examined the coaching industry’s outlook to gauge whether online coaching would remain a viable and sensible business investment in the future.

Since the start of the pandemic, 83% of coaching professionals cited an increase in the use of audio-video platforms when delivering sessions, an 8% increase year-on-year – and 84% of coaches agree that coaching virtually will create a wider audience pool for their practice, enabling employees at every level of an organisation to access support. As coaching shifts from being exclusive to senior leadership to becoming a benefit available to the wider workforce, it’s unsurprising that 51% of professionals are “very confident” that coaching will maintain a role within their organisation in the future.

But, while online delivery means easier access and the emergence of new providers into the market, it’s important to remember that the quality of the coaching experience is down to qualified coaches with industry experience and an ongoing commitment to professional development.

Employees with access to on-demand coaching benefit from focused, high-impact sessions based on their specific needs, whether that’s learning to navigate change as an individual, building trust within their team or actively contributing towards transforming the organisational culture. The flexibility of virtual delivery means individuals can select their preferred time slot and engage with their support in whichever location makes them feel most comfortable. Having this increased control enables employees to take a more proactive approach to their learning, thus managing their development with greater autonomy.

While a traditional coaching programme may spend several sessions exploring the individual’s challenges and creating a longer-term plan, on-demand coaching is focused on helping the individual in the here and now – empowering them to make immediate changes. Coachees have the ability to discuss specific issues or concerns in a confidential space, where their coach can offer practical and actionable advice, in as little as two hours’ notice. It’s through access to such support that individuals at every level of an organisation can continue to grow and develop within their role.

As coaching professionals are widening their spectrum of clients, and employees at every level are seeking more L&D opportunities at work, business leaders need to begin investing in coaching support as one way to create an upskilled and engaged workforce that embraces a culture of ongoing development – equipping the business with the personnel and qualities required to achieve long-term success.

“Coaching is a necessity not a luxury. Organisations with a coaching culture perform better and it is increasingly becoming a key component of strategic business success. I believe that making coaching more accessible and inclusive is beneficial to organisations and individuals and in particular, an outcome focused approach supports coachees to meet their personal and performance goals in alignment with corporate ambitions and targets.”

Lisa Stone, RightCoach Lead & Senior Consultant – Right Management UK

For many organisations, a post-COVID reset is needed to create a culture of learning and development, where employees are continually striving to identify weaknesses and upskill in areas that will improve performance. Done right, this will have a twofold impact of improving teams’ ability to achieve business goals, while also motivating workers and encouraging talented staff to stay.

To find out more about Right Management’s on-demand coaching solution RightCoach™, click here.