Want happy staff? Coach them

Hello and welcome to Working It.

Last week I met Valerie Mocker for an impromptu IRL coffee, after we’d talked often on LinkedIn. Valerie founded and runs Wingwomen, an organisation delivering coaching courses to build women’s confidence and impact at work. (I was recently on her podcast.)

Wingwomen is named for the people who lift us up and show us what it takes “to make a difference in this world”. I love that. Valerie was exactly as warm and inspiring as I’d imagined: we talked like old friends, over a large cinnamon bun 🥮. We need more Valeries in the workplace — people who make positive change. Do tell me about the “wingwomen” in your network: [email protected].

Speaking of coaching, LinkedIn is now offering it as a staff benefit — a fascinating “watch this space” development. Read on for more. In Office Therapy, I advise someone who doesn’t want to get on stage. Ever 🙅🏽‍♀️.

Next-level employee benefits? Career coaches for everyone 🙋🏽

Workplace trends often begin in the tech companies of the US West Coast, with global rollout coming . . . somewhat later. So when a Working It team visited Seattle and San Francisco earlier this month we kept an eye and ear out for cool new things. Our favourite perk? Aside from the always-excellent food and beverage offers — hello, four types of flavoured water on tap at Lattice, the HR platform (come on FT, we only have a choice of still or sparkling💧) — the most innovative idea we heard about was at LinkedIn.

Here’s its chief people officer, Teuila Hanson, on why the company decided to offer 1:1 coaching for all staff — rather than just the normal corporate focus on offering (often expensive) coaching packages to senior executives and rising stars: “We’re providing coaching to all employees because we know everyone can benefit from a safe place to receive hands-on, personalised guidance on uniquely human, complex topics — things like how to navigate a difficult team dynamic or overcome imposter syndrome.

“We see personalised coaching as more than a perk — it’s a strategic investment that helps employees build the skills they need to thrive.”

Teuila points out that “all of our jobs are changing, even if we’re not changing jobs. Since 2015, skills for jobs have evolved by 25 per cent, and they’re expected to change by a whopping 65 per cent by 2030 due to the rise of generative AI.” That data comes from LinkedIn (of course).

Staffers who sign up are recommended to have a clear goal or specific problem they want to work on (this isn’t an open-ended coaching situation). They answer a few specific questions about their goals and learning style, and can choose the best match from a selection of coaches. These are real coaches, not robo-ones 🤖. How does LinkedIn find these people? “We use a vendor that sources the independent, certified career coaches we use.”

If this employee benefit takes off more widely — and early signs at LinkedIn are very encouraging — then there may soon be lots of big new corporate clients for coaches. (Is it just my imagination, or is nearly everyone over 45 “pivoting” into executive coaching? 🤨)

Meanwhile, Teuila reports that: “Our employees globally are really excited about the benefit and those that have been through the first couple of cohorts say it has been invaluable. And I’m heartened to see that across all levels of the organisation — since we rolled it out a couple of months ago, 80 per cent of those who have signed up are individual contributors.”

Watch this space. As competition to recruit and retain talented staff heats up coaching may be the next must-have on the “comp and ben” menu.

Has your company rolled out coaching to all staff? Is there a better idea for future-proofing the workforce? Email me: [email protected]

Today’s takeaway: Paying for personalised coaching for all staff may be a great way to boost retention and engagement in a fast-changing workplace.

Further viewing: An FT Working It film on the broken recruitment system on YouTube. (Our film on engagement and retention is coming soon!)

This week on the Working It podcast

Stop calling it networking, and start building a “relationship-driven life” instead. That was one of my favourite tips on this week’s podcast episode from Alison Fragale, a professor of organisational behaviour at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and author of Likeable Badass. We were talking about the best ways to connect with others in workplaces — it might be through sports, shared interests or something as simple as sharing a taste in coffee. Alison’s take is refreshing, and she believes we can make a difference to others’ lives in just a few minutes. So networking — or building relationships — doesn’t have to be time-consuming.

To get an “on the ground” view, I chat to my colleague Natasha Wood, head of strategy for the FT’s events business, FT Live, who has a passion for running. She uses the sport to connect with others in the business she would not otherwise meet.

Office Therapy

The problem: I have never been on a panel or on stage. Nothing fills me with more dread than being stared at by hundreds of people. Or even 20 people. I have, though, been asked to do internal events/presentations about my work — and made excuses. Is there any benefit to making myself sick by doing it? Or can I accept it’s not for me and move on?

Isabel’s advice: Fair enough. You know what you don’t want to do. Reasons to change your mind might be because someone else is up there on stage, claiming credit for your work, and that enrages you (rightly). Or perhaps a friendly group at an internal meeting wants you to present to them.

If you want to explore the idea of public speaking in a “safe” way, I’d recommend Viv Groskop’s How to Own the Room, and listen to some episodes of her podcast of the same name. This will give you fortification and tips. Viv doesn’t assume that anyone wants to get up on stage (other than those few of us who are natural show-offs 🎭). I also liked a recent book called Centre Stage by Jeannette Nelson, which draws on theatrical techniques. Reading/listening on this topic is a kind of acclimatisation therapy — repeated exposure may help you get used to the idea.

Consider also that there may be deep-set trauma and past experiences keeping you from wanting to be seen and heard in public. Maybe you were humiliated as a child on stage, or felt everyone was laughing at you in class. Some expert public speaking coaches specialise in stage fright and “unpicking” anxiety. Olivia James is one of them — her LinkedIn posts are interesting, as are those of Alex Merry. I did a great in-person course with Josie Gammell. Follow a few people in this area and you’ll get lots of tips.

If you go down the “possibly open to it” road, you could ask your employer to help fund training for public speaking, or suggest a group course for similarly un-keen people. Take it slowly, put no pressure on yourself — and good luck 🍀!

Five top stories from the world of work

1. New laws stop UK employers to stop harassment before it starts: Ahead of the changes to the Worker Protection Act (we previewed them in Working It last week), Charlotte Middlehurst talks to employers about what’s changing — and how to take “preventive action” to stop harassment.

2. If you cough, you’re off: As colder weather arrives for many of us, the coughs and colds in the office have begun. Why, asks Pilita Clark, do people persist in coming to work — and working through illness at home? Some great reader comments, too.

3. AI-powered productivity tools that can make life harder: The technology used to summarise meetings and make transcripts from video calls often doesn’t work well for deaf users — Joanna S Kao reports, with lots of interactive examples of the problem.

4. Anthropic says latest AI model can control users’ computers: Now AI can fill in your calendar, control your keyboard to browse the internet — and much more. It’s automating the drudgery of life, says the company. Cristina Criddle reports.

5. What happens when an Australian woman takes over The Office? The latest version of the evergreen mockumentary format has launched in Australia — with a boss called Hannah Howard, played by Felicity Ward. Stephanie Bunbury unpacks the now near quarter-century history (😮) of The Office.

One more thing . . . 

This week, my gratitude is reserved for the kind person who introduced me to the Workforce Futurist Substack newsletter. Written by Andrew Spence, it takes a “broad sweep of history” angle on the future of work, a topic that most people (including me, on occasion) talk nonsense about 🙄.

My usual Substack “must reads” are the mid-life observers — and providers of excellent links and recommendations — Farrah Storr and Anne Helen Petersen. I’d love to hear about your favourite Substacks. I’ll publish your recommendations here, if that’s allowed in an FT newsletter 👀.

And finally . . . 

Many FT readers will have come across Brenda Trenowden — and we all have a lot to thank her for. A senior figure in the financial services industry, she was also a very effective advocate for gender diversity and wider inclusion at work, chairing both the 30% Club, dedicated to boosting the number of women on boards, and the City Women Network.

After Brenda died aged 55, in 2022, King’s College London named a feminist essay prize for her. The first prizegiving will take place on November 6, at an event led by Julia Gillard, chair of the King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, who is also a former Australian prime minister. There’ll also be a panel discussion on “Women’s Contributions to Economic Growth — Is the Government Missing a Trick?” Tickets are free. Say hello if you come 👋.