Digital Coaching – Reconnecting With The Hybrid Workforce

A recent survey of 12,500 office workers in 29 countries for the World Economic Forum found that the majority want flexible working to become the norm. And almost a third said they would consider looking for another job if they had to return to the office full-time. So, back to the office nine-to-five, anyone? Here is the case for digital coaching:

What is coaching?

Back in school, or on TV, you might have seen a sports coach at work. Sports coaches focus on improving performance in the context of sports and physical activity. They work with athletes to help them develop their skills, improve their fitness levels, and achieve their goals in their chosen sport.

Similarly, in a corporate context, business coaching focuses on helping individuals and teams improve their performance in the workplace. It is a process that involves a coach working face to face – typically at a company location – with a client to identify their strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and develop strategies to achieve those goals.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF)  defines coaching as “a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires a person to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Coaching is based on partnership, and the coach helps the coachee find their own answers and solutions – unlike mentoring, which is based on expertise, or training, which is based on the repetition of specific techniques.

The use of AI in coaching

The move to the hybrid workplace post-pandemic is disrupting how organizations approach coaching, employee development, and performance improvement. Traditional one-size-fits-all coaching programs often fail to meet the individual needs of your employees. With geographical barriers, the reality of remote work, and time constraints often hindering old-style coaching approaches, online coaching provides a flexible, personalized solution for individuals and teams.

Online coaching leverages the latest technologies to deliver a personalized coaching experience to employees, regardless of location or time zone. With AI-powered technology, digital coaching platforms can analyze employee data to identify individual learning needs and deliver customized coaching programs. Moreover, digital solutions offer coach matching technology to pair employees with coaches who have the expertise and skills to address their individual needs.

What is digital coaching?

Digital coaching is a game-changer for employee development and performance improvement – or, in the words of HR industry analyst Josh Bersin, “Online coaching has become a white-hot market, and it’s totally disrupting leadership development.”

With AI-powered tools, online modules, personalized 1:1 coaching sessions, data-driven evaluation, integration into corporate LMS and LXPs, and coach matching algorithms, digital coaching offers a flexible, personalized, and effective tech-enabled coaching solution for the modern workplace.

• Online coaching begins with an initial assessment of the employee’s goals, challenges, and personal and professional background. From there, personalized coaching sessions are designed to meet their specific needs using various digital tools, including video conferencing, messaging apps, and coaching platforms. These sessions are typically conducted at a convenient time and place for the employee, regardless of location or time zone.
• At its core, online coaching is about providing your people with flexible and personalized coaching experience. AI-powered tools are used to analyze employee data and identify individual learning needs. Online modules and personalized 1:1 coaching sessions deliver customized coaching programs tailored to each individual’s unique needs and preferences.
• Data-driven needs assessment and evaluation: Digital coaching platforms often include data tracking features that allow organizations to measure coaching programs’ impact and identify improvement areas.
• Tech-enabled coaching can be integrated into learning management systems (LMS) and learning experience platforms (LXPs), making it easy for organizations to manage seats and administration, track employee progress and provide ongoing support and feedback. Coach matching algorithms like Speexx Matchmaker ™ pair employees with coaches who have the expertise and skills to address their unique needs.

Digital coaching is more critical than ever

Tech-enabled coaching is more relevant today than ever – particularly in the hybrid work model that many organizations have adopted. With more employees working remotely, organizations must find ways to keep their employees connected and engaged. Digital coaching platforms provide an excellent solution to this challenge.

Tech-based coaching can help your organization maintain a sense of community and belonging among your employees, even in the hybrid workplace. By providing technology and access to coaching programs and other development opportunities, you can help your people feel more connected to their employer, company values and colleagues, boosting morale and productivity. Digital coaching allows your people to reconnect with company goals and other team members, regardless of physical location.

The top 10 benefits of digital coaching vs. conventional coaching

While traditional coaching involves face-to-face interactions between a coach and a client, digital coaching relies on tech-enabled tools and AI to connect coaches with their clients. This brings several advantages over conventional coaching. So, here are our ten top 10 benefits of digital coaching for organizations:

1. Scalability: Digital coaching can be scaled to reach many clients simultaneously, which is impossible in traditional coaching.
2. Flexibility and inclusion: Online coaching allows employees to learn at their own pace and in their own time, which can be especially beneficial for employees with busy schedules or working in remote teams.
3. Increased engagement and motivation: Coaching platforms provide a holistic, more engaging, and interactive experience. With online modules, interactive elements, and simulations, online coaching keeps coachees engaged and motivated throughout the coaching process.
4. Global access to qualified coaches: Online coaching provides HR and L&D managers access to an extensive global pool of qualified and experienced coaches. Look out for a digital platform with sophisticated matching algorithms to find the best coach for their business and personal needs, ensuring all stakeholders receive high-quality coaching services that support their personal and professional development.
5. Perfect coach match based on AI: Digital coaching platforms use AI to facilitate a matching engine to match scores for every potential relationship combination – based on coach profiles, and coachee needs assessment data. AI-powered tools like Speexx Matchmaker™ fit your people with a selection from a global pool of thousands of coaches with expertise and skills to address their unique needs, ensuring a more personalized coaching experience.
6. Easy administration and payment: Digital coaching can be seamlessly integrated into learning management systems (LMS) or learning experience platforms (LXP), making it easy for organizations to manage and track employee progress, procurement, and payment. Digital coaching platforms often include billing and tracking features that allow organizations to monitor the cost and impact of coaching programs.
7. Cost-effective: Online coaching is often more cost effective than traditional coaching. With no need for travel or in-person sessions, digital coaching can be delivered at a lower price than conventional coaching methods.
8. Personalization: With AI-powered tools and coach-matching algorithms, online coaching can provide tailored coaching programs that address the specific learning needs of individual employees. This personalized approach ensures that employees receive relevant and impactful coaching for their professional development.
9. Data-driven: Digital coaching platforms often include data monitoring features that allow organizations to measure coaching programs’ impact. This data can be used to optimize coaching programs over time, ensuring that they remain effective and relevant.
10. Accessible anytime, anywhere: With digital coaching, employees can learn at their own pace and in their own time, making it easier to fit coaching into their busy schedules. Additionally, digital coaching can be accessed from anywhere in the world, allowing organizations to provide coaching to remote and global teams.

Step-by-step: How does digital coaching work?

Digital coaching works by leveraging technology to deliver a hyper-personalized coaching experience to your people. By starting with assessment and evaluation, using AI to find the right coach, providing 1:1 coaching sessions, giving feedback, and evaluating, digital coaching platforms help your people develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the workplace.

1. The first step in digital coaching is assessing the needs and goals of the employee and, often, the employer’s position. This happens through digital surveys, digital assessments, and interviews. The data collected is used to identify the employee’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as their goals and objectives. This information is then used to create a personalized coaching journey and development plan.
2. In a next step, digital coaching platforms use AI-powered tools to match employees with coaches with expertise and skills to address their unique needs. By analyzing employee data and comparing it with coach profiles, digital coaching platforms can pair employees with the right coach for their specific coaching program.
3. 1:1 coaching sessions: Digital coaching programs typically involve a combination of online modules and face-to-face coaching sessions. These sessions allow your employees to connect with their coach from anywhere in the world via video conferencing. During these coaching sessions, the coach will work with the employee to develop skills, set goals and objectives, and identify strategies to help achieve those goals and objectives.
4. Giving feedback is an essential part of the coaching process. Digital coaching platforms include tools that allow coaches to provide ongoing feedback to employees. This feedback can be in the form of written comments, audio recordings, or video messages. By providing continuous feedback, coaches can help employees stay on track and progress toward their goals.
5. Evaluation is an essential aspect of any coaching program. Digital coaching platforms often integrate coaching-specific data tracking features into corporate HR tech, allowing organizations to measure coaching programs’ impact and identify improvement areas. This data can be used to optimize coaching programs over time, ensuring that they remain effective and relevant.

What are the main focus areas of digital coaching?

Several key topics are commonly addressed through digital coaching programs. These topics include leadership and transformation, mental health and well-being, and diversity and inclusion.

• Leadership and transformation coaching is designed to help individuals develop the skills and knowledge they need to become influential leaders and drive organizational change. Through digital coaching programs, your people can learn about leadership styles, communication strategies, and other essential leadership skills to help them succeed. Leadership coaching is often used to prepare first-time leaders for their upcoming tasks.
• Mental health and wellbeing coaching is becoming increasingly important in today’s fast-paced work and hybrid environment. With rising rates of stress and burnout, organizations must provide their employees with support and resources to help them maintain good mental health. Digital coaching programs provide your people with strategies for managing stress, improving sleep, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
• Diversity and inclusion coaching is another vital topic in today’s workplace. As organizations become more diverse, your people must have the skills and knowledge to work effectively with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Digital coaching programs introduce your people to topics like cultural competence, gender or unconscious bias, and other essential areas related to diversity and inclusion.

Digital coaching programs can also address other issues, including communication skills, conflict resolution, time management, etc. With their flexible and personalized approach, digital coaching programs can be tailored to meet the specific needs of individual employees and teams, helping them develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their roles and drive organizational success.

Digital coaching with Speexx

Quiet resignations, mass redundancies in the tech sector, and unfulfilled DEI promises tell a grim tale. All this leads to disengagement for those who disconnect and are left behind. Speexx helps organizations meet these challenges by giving your people a way to develop their careers, sharpen their skills, and build a community at work by connecting through digital coaching.

Digital coaching with Speexx is an effective solution for the hybrid workplace, offering the inclusive flexibility and convenience of remote access. By working with a certified coach only, Speexx ensures the quality and effectiveness of your coaching efforts.

For HR and L&D, the Speexx Manager admin tool provides all the information and resources to track the development of coachees and coached teams and to manage invoices and coaching seats. Speexx Manager fully integrates into any corporate learning and performance management technology.

Digital coaching is a powerful tool for HR and L&D teams in large international corporations to bring out the best in their people. By leveraging digital technologies to provide a personalized coaching experience, organizations can improve learning outcomes, increase engagement, and enhance performance while reducing costs and improving accessibility.

Recommended Reading and Listening

The World Economic Forum: Hybrid workplace survey 2022

“The ongoing digitalization and automation of coaching practices is rapidly changing the landscape of coaching.” In: Bart A. Kamphorst, E-coaching systems. What they are, and what they aren’t.

Josh Bersin podcast: Online Coaching is Disrupting Leadership Development.