clocked in, Checked out.

Clocked-In yet checked-out, what if that is the state of your employees? 

Could you have employees show up, complete their tasks, and clocked-in while being wholly checked out? 

You may not have asked yourself those questions recently, but they're probably questions you ought to pay attention to. In the wake of what has been called the great resignation, millions of Americans have quit their jobs. Organizations of all sizes have been impacted, and the question still remains of what caused such a change in the market. 

Why did so many leave their jobs? 

Parker and Horowitz (2022) found that most workers who quit their jobs cited low pay, no opportunities for advancement, and feeling disrespected. One of the answers, especially to two of the three primary reasons, could be found through creating integrated development and coaching systems. In fact, this may be one of the best ways to have employees clocked in and fully engaged with the mission, vision, and culture of the organization. Integrated development and coaching systems have become a growingly popular tool for organizations to develop talent internally, provide employee training and development, as well as raise employee engagement.

Growing Talent Internally

As organizations grow and the demand for the organization to grow is present, one of the best assets for any growing organization is having employees who have been trained and developed internally to fill those roles. Many times, this isn't the case, and this is often due to a lack of foresight to anticipate what the organization will need as it grows. According to Deloitte (2020), organizations need to look at the relationship with their employees, like coaches in charge of training athletes to optimal performance. Growing talent internally must then go beyond managing people and expectations through annual reviews that comply with HR policies and instead take as much of an individualized approach to each individual. Just like athletes are coached with their individual skills, talents, and growth opportunities clearly identified, employees within an organization must be developed similarly. Companies have an incredible opportunity to play an intentional role in their employees' development into leadership positions and help them realize their full potential by offering coaching and mentoring opportunities. The organization benefits from this by developing the next generation of leaders while also retaining top personnel and lowering the expense of recruiting new hires.

Provide Employee Training 

Another incredible advantage of an integrated coaching system is that it provides an organized approach to learning and development. Traditionally organizations have created programs that address growth within the organization. Those programs have proven to be hit or miss and benefit some staff more than others. Meanwhile, integrated coaching solutions offer a customized and individualized approach to learning, ensuring that each employee receives the assistance and direction they need to advance and thrive. This often leads to a rise in employees' work satisfaction and motivation, and they may feel more secure in their employment. The Institute of Coaching (n.d.) suggest that managers should take an approach to coach their teams as a part of the system in order to create a positive shift in the way employees approach their roles. They note that "increased self-confidence enables employees to bring more of themselves into the workplace. This results in employees being more resilient and assertive." This is true for employees at every level of the organization, even executives, who often get overlooked as these programs are created. In fact, Riddle et al. (2015) explain that executive coaching has become one of the approaches to implementing talent development, providing employee training and development, and raising employee engagement.

Raise Employee Engagement

Organizational leaders continue to ask the question: How do we keep employees engaged? Employee engagement is one aspect of managing Human Resources that is a moving target. As new generations enter the workplace, their motivations for employment and what they value compared to previous generations drive how they can be engaged at work. This, in addition to the changes in popular culture and technological advances, will continually make this aspect of Human Resources a moving target. An integrated coaching system within organizations raises the level of employee engagement within the organization. Gallup (2022) reported that employees who receive more frequent feedback from their manager are often three times more likely to be engaged than those who receive feedback once a year or even less. Unsurprisingly, employees who are actively involved at work are more motivated, productive, and unlikely to quit. Companies may make employees feel valued and appreciated, which in turn promotes more significant levels of engagement and motivation by offering coaching and assistance. Engaged employees are often committed employees. Rogers (2020) notes that as employers look to increase retention and engage employees, this requires an approach that is creating more effective training and development programs. This is crucial in today's competitive labor market, as workers frequently look for opportunities to advance their careers and are more inclined to quit an organization that does not provide them with those opportunities.

So What? 

The great resignation highlighted the issues that led to a wave of what is referred to as quiet quitting. After putting up with organizations unaware or unwilling to change, millions of Americans left their jobs to find an organization that allowed them to do meaningful work that enriched their lives and careers. It presents every organization paying attention at least the opportunity to pivot and potentially retain and attract talent looking for workplaces that align better with their aspirations and are willing to invest in their growth and development. 

Using integrated coaching systems to deliver staff training and development is also a cost-effective option for businesses. Traditional training and development initiatives can be costly since they sometimes require a considerable time and money commitment. On the other hand, coaching systems can be put into place at a lot lesser cost and can be customized to fit the unique needs of each employee. Due to their adaptability and scalability, they are the perfect choice for businesses of all sizes for staff training and development. 

Implementing an integrated coaching system that looks at an individualized approach to the development of your employees may be the missing tool for your organization. It presents an incredible opportunity to grow talent organically, provide employee training, and raise employee engagement. It may be the answer to moving your employees from clocked-in yet checked-out to clocked-in with complete buy-in. The difference requires intentionality and can be implemented in organizations of all sizes. 

If your organization is looking to explore what this could look like for you, let's talk! 

References 

Deloitte United States. (2020, August 12). Coaching employees to improve performance. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/human-capital/articles/coaching-employees-to-reach-optimal-performance.html

Gallup (2022, November 14). How to improve employee engagement in the workplace. Gallup.com. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx

Institute of Coaching. (n.d.) Institute of Coaching. Benefits of Coaching Retrieved from https://instituteofcoaching.org/coaching-overview/coaching-benefits

Parker, K., & Horowitz, J. M. (2022, March 10). Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-who-quit-a-job-in-2021-cite-low-pay-no-opportunities-for-advancement-feeling-disrespected/

Riddle, et al. (2015). CCL handbook of coaching in organizations.

Rogers, M. (2020). A better way to develop and retain top talent, HBR.