Robert Half Calls for Boost to Workplace Coaching in Canada

TORONTO, June 26, 2012 /CNW/ - In anticipation of a summer of sport, with Olympics, Eurocup, Tour de France and Wimbledon competitions capturing the world's attention, new research from Robert Half, the worldwide leader in specialised recruitment, suggests that elite coaching may not be permeating the workplace. According to a survey of 500 office workers in Canada, more than eight in 10 (82%) say that career coaching helps improve their job performance, yet only 53% feel that their manager is an effective career coach. Other cited benefits of career coaching include improved motivation at work (63%) and increased overall job satisfaction (87%).

The career coaching gap is highlighted by the fact that 31% of employees say that they never get career coaching from their boss, while 24% only get it once a year. Mutual trust and respect as well as knowledge and expertise are the top attributes for a career coach, according to survey participants.

"Ensuring the team has the mentoring and coaching they need to be successful in their roles will help companies get the most out of their workforce - as employees will feel a heightened sense of satisfaction and a greater drive to perform at their very best," said Kathryn Bolt, president of Robert Half Canada. "Organisations who instil effective leadership and management strategies also earn the reputation as a great place to work, to both current top performers and potential future hires."

Robert Half has identified four coach types together with their characteristics and what steps coaches can take to get the most out of their relationships with their teams:

    <<
    1.  Definitive coach: Their take-charge personality and commercial
        thinking makes them natural leaders. Highly competitive and results
        focused, they play to win, and want their employees to do the same.
        They are excellent at setting objectives and raise the bar high.
    2.  Collaborative coach: A generous coach with excellent listening
        skills, they are more than willing to "take one for the team", and
        spend a great deal of time working to develop those around them. They
        have a deep understanding of team dynamics and are good at fostering
        cooperation among diverse groups.
    3.  Persuader coach: As "ideas people," they have creativity to spare and
        are always willing to help their team brainstorm the next big idea or
        solution to a problem. They encourage their employees to think
        outside of the usual parameters, and can easily adapt to change.
    4.  Diagnostic coach: They run their department like a well-oiled
        machine: organisation and careful planning are the hallmarks of their
        coaching style, and employees know what to expect each day. They
        encourage their team to update their skills and use critical thinking
        to create solid business strategies; this comes from their natural
        problem-solving abilities.
    >>

Those interested in identifying their coach type can visit www.roberthalf.com/career-coaching to find out more.

Robert Half outlines the following steps for team leaders who want to improve their coaching success:

    <<
    -   Understand that coaching is part of your responsibilities as a senior
        professional and make time within your busy working day to
        communicate with your team.
    -   Work through the quiz to find out which coaching type you are and map
        your attributes onto the personalities of your team: who will respond
        best to which of your qualities?
    -   Accept that you may need to amend some of your behaviours to meet
        individual needs
    -   Recognise that coaching is about 'showing' not just 'telling': it's
        all about being an effective role model
    -   Look for inspiration from the resources available to you: your boss
        or your HR professional will be happy to help
    >>

About the Survey

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 500 office workers in Canada.

About Robert Half

Founded in 1948, Robert Half International, the world's first and largest specialised staffing firm, is a recognised leader in professional staffing services. The company's specialised staffing divisions include Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam, for highly skilled office and administrative support professionals; Robert Half Technology, for information technology professionals; Robert Half Legal, for legal personnel; and The Creative Group, for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. Robert Half International has staffing and consulting operations in more than 400 locations worldwide. Find more information at http://www.roberthalf.ca, and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/RobertHalf_CAN.