global insurance leader builds culture of learning through universal coaching.
Career coaching for all empowers employees to take charge of their futures while boosting performance and satisfaction
client
a global insurance services companychallenges
Recognizing how career coaching could benefit employees — beyond just executives and managers — the company wanted to offer personalized, yet cost-efficient, coaching to all of its people.solution
With a flexible cost model, a wide selection of high-quality coaches across multiple countries and the ability to scale to meet future needs, a Randstad RiseSmart career coaching program was implemented to offer coaching more widely and support the organization’s talent-centric culture.key results
With employees rating their coaching sessions an average of 4.8 out of 5, career coaching for all has contributed to a culture of learning while empowering employees to take control of their professional development, resulting in a 76% increase in employees who say they have clarity about their development plans.
the limits of limited coaching
For many organizations that adopt coaching solutions, due to costs and access, programs are typically reserved for leadership and high-potential talent only. This approach didn’t seem right to the global head of learning and development (L&D) for this global insurance services company. Rather than limiting coaching to leadership, he wanted the wider employee base to benefit from personalized, one-on-one coaching to help them plan their career journeys, navigate challenging scenarios and develop new skills.
As an organization that values well-being and prides itself on being talent-centric, the global head of L&D sought out ways to deliver a consistent, cost-effective coaching program that could be customized to meet each individual’s needs and ensure they receive support to excel in their careers. Also important was having a solution that could be scaled and expanded as the business continues to evolve and the organization introduces coaching to additional areas of the company.
Most importantly, he wanted to develop a culture of learning, in which the entire team can access the tools and resources to learn. In addition to improving engagement and retention, coaching would enable employees to focus on the skill development that would be most relevant, pursue internal career paths and overall help the company close any skills gaps across the organization.
The global head of L&D says, “Our goal was to expand coaching in a more seamless way that would be less heavy lifting for us. Previously, we matched people up with individual coaches in each country, and invoiced separately … and then you get a different experience for everyone.”
opening up opportunities with career coaching for all
With the ability to support a universal coaching strategy, along with a pay-as-you-go pricing model and ability to deliver effective coaching to employees at all levels, the company selected Randstad RiseSmart career coaching.
Initially launched to 170 employees across 20 countries, the global career coaching program gave these employees the opportunity to connect with the coaches in their own countries for three sessions each. Based on this initial success, the program has rapidly expanded. As the company was increasing its use of coaching to more employee populations, it introduced the solution during its annual Personal Development Plan Week to drive engagement and adoption. With the option to connect with a coach, employees gain valuable insights that help them shape their own development and determine how they can reach their goals.
To ensure a truly personalized experience throughout the program, employees can choose which coaches they want to work with. They also select the topics they would like to discuss, rather than being coached on topics their managers select, ensuring the conversations are confidential, valuable and impactful. Program participants also have access to a wealth of self-service training articles, videos and resources that they can use to reach their development goals. These resources are available to employees using a unique, user-friendly digital platform that’s accessible through single-sign-on (SSO) access at any time from anywhere.
With this self-service model, and supportive partner team, the L&D leader and his team have minimal administrative duties. And while the coaching sessions remain confidential, L&D has easy access to real-time reporting on program use and the coaching topics most widely addressed; employees are seeking ways to enrich their roles, become more visible at work, set goals, build their personal brands and develop new skills. The team can also track how employees rate their coaching sessions and gauge the effects on development plans and future prospects.
“Once people really see the value and connect with their coach, they’re unstoppable, and they want to book more sessions,” the global head of L&D says. “The reception has been great!”
employees take control of their own futures
By implementing Randstad RiseSmart career coaching, the company has made a clear positive impact on its workforce, who mainly consist of experienced, mid-career professionals. The global insurance services leader is able to show its people how committed it is to their well-being, satisfaction and career growth by investing in their professional development. This helps the organization stand out in its sector as an attractive employer.
The feedback for the program has also been very positive, with employees rating their coaching sessions at 4.8 out of 5 on average. Additionally, 70% of employees who completed their first coaching session have gone on to schedule follow-up sessions. When employees who participated in coaching were asked about the impact coaching has had on them, the company has seen a 76% increase in the number of coaching participants who report “I am clear about my career development plan,” compared to before coaching was introduced.
Due to the program’s success, the company plans to continue expanding coaching opportunities to even more employee groups throughout the business, ensuring more of its population can reach the personal and professional benefits of targeted, one-on-one coaching.
The global head of L&D says, “Through our valued partnership with Randstad RiseSmart, we have been able to elevate our employee experience by scaling coaching opportunities and offering it to our entire workforce. With a focus on career coaching and beyond, our collaboration with Randstad RiseSmart has empowered our employees to thrive and grow, reinforcing our commitment to their professional development and well-being.”