Industry Research Summary: The State of Coaching & Mentoring 2021
Improve organizational culture by developing and hiring better coaches and mentors
Posted on 05-14-2021, Read Time: Min
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Formally or informally, some form of coaching or mentoring is most likely taking place in your organization. Done well, it can help organizations prepare employees for future challenges and positively impact business performance. Today, organizations are likely recognizing the need for employee development during the turbulence brought on by the pandemic, with some adopting virtual coaching/mentoring processes.
To learn more about how the coaching and mentoring landscape is changing, we surveyed 326 HR professionals.
Key Highlights
- Coaching and mentoring is expected to maintain or increase in importance over the next two years.
- Despite the importance organizations place on coaching and mentoring, the majority say that coaches and mentors are not highly effective.
- Most coaches and mentors lack a high level of effectiveness across eight key skill areas.
- Many organizations have elements of a strong coaching and mentoring culture, but there are key areas that are lacking.
- Busy schedules and insufficient time is a top barrier to effective coaching.
- There are key differences in who is actually doing the coaching and mentoring within organizations.
- The pandemic has changed the coaching and mentoring landscape.
- Coaching and mentoring have a positive impact on both individual development and organizational performance.
How Critical Is Coaching and Mentoring?
About 52% of the survey participants agree or strongly agree that coaching is currently an important practice. Similarly, 50% feel the same way about mentoring. If we add those who responded “somewhat agree,” we see that 66% agree to some extent that coaching is important, and 68% feel the same way about mentoring.
While it is encouraging to see that organizations continue to value coaching and mentoring even in the midst of a global pandemic, there is still roughly a third who disagree to some extent when it comes to both practices. About half plan on placing a greater emphasis on coaching (51%) and mentoring (50%) over the next two years.
While it is encouraging to see that organizations continue to value coaching and mentoring even in the midst of a global pandemic, there is still roughly a third who disagree to some extent when it comes to both practices. About half plan on placing a greater emphasis on coaching (51%) and mentoring (50%) over the next two years.
How Effective Are Today’s Coaches and Mentors?
The most critical ingredient of any coaching and mentoring initiative is the effectiveness of those doing it. Yet, among organizations that have coaching roles, only 38% say that more than half of their coaches are highly effective, and just 16% say more than three-quarters of their coaches are highly effective.
What Are the Top Drivers of Coaching and Mentoring Initiatives?
Survey participants were asked to choose the top three reasons for using coaching and mentoring programs in their organization over the previous two years. The most common reasons for using coaching and mentoring programs are to prepare a pool of talent to fill future roles and to provide guidance to help others reach their potential, both at 42%. A further 38% cite creating a more diverse workplace, the third most common reason. And, 38% say upskilling is a driver of coaching and mentoring, perhaps due to changing business models and priorities brought on by the pandemic.
What Gets in the Way of Effective Coaching and Mentoring?
Seventy-six percent of respondents indicate that there is not enough time to coach or mentor due to other priorities, and 58% of respondents say their managers avoid difficult conversations, the first and second most widely-cited barriers, respectively. Further, 43% cite low skill levels of managers as a barrier to effective coaching.
The Pandemic’s Effect on Coaching and Mentoring
About a third (34%) say that coaching has increased at least a little since the start of the pandemic, and 30% say the same about mentoring. Organizations are likely recognizing the need for employee development during the turbulence brought on by the pandemic, with some adopting virtual coaching/mentoring options. In contrast, only 23% say that coaching has decreased and just 25% say mentoring has decreased.
While virtual coaching and mentoring is on the upswing, it is not without challenges. The good news is nearly half (46%) feel these virtual methods are equally as effective as face-to-face methods, and 14% say they are more effective. On the other hand, 40% consider them less effective.
While virtual coaching and mentoring is on the upswing, it is not without challenges. The good news is nearly half (46%) feel these virtual methods are equally as effective as face-to-face methods, and 14% say they are more effective. On the other hand, 40% consider them less effective.
What Role Does Technology Play in Coaching and Mentoring?
It is almost impossible to escape technology’s impact on HR. Video capabilities top the list of commonly used technologies for remote coaching and mentoring (52%). Internet-based learning is a close second (51%), which allows employees to access an array of development resources from any location and at any time. Just under a third, however, use technology to match employees with a coach or mentor.
To learn more about The State of Coaching and Mentoring 2021 study and to gain insights, strategic outcomes, and 10 key takeaways from this exclusive HR.com Research Institute research, please read the complete report here:
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