Coaching Interviews
Coaching Interviews are sometimes performed by someone in
the Human Resources function, but they typically fall to the manager of a group
to perform them. These interviews are a
unique animal in the types of interviews.
They are the only interview that is done for an employee with the
express purpose of improvement without discipline. These interviews are often provided to newer
employees, but really should be expanded to all employees of any age or
experience level. The goal of these
interviews is to find out what an employee needs and how to help them get
it. Sometimes the employee needs career
growth; a manager will be able to help guide them and give them ideas about
their next steps. Other times, you will
find out what an employee is missing a tool or skill that would help them
complete their current job better. This
can help you as a manager or HR rep find new ways of assisting them.
Preparation
As always, it is a great idea come prepared. Prepare a list of questions ahead of
time. Every employee is different, so it
is natural that the questions will differ from person to person. However, even with this in mind, it would be
best to have a standard set of developmental questions that you ask of all of
your employees to ensure that you are not being bias for or against any
individual employee. When performing a
Coaching Interview, feel free to take notes and document your meetings with
your employees. One suggestion is that
you keep your note-taking brief, as you do not want to “spook” your employee
into thinking this positive time for improvement is secretly an opportunity for
you to document their action for later discipline. When booking a room for these Coaching
Interviews, since you never know what kind of personal information might come
out, it might be best to use a private room instead of a public space.
Developmental
Remember your goal is to develop your resources. Part of this is making sure the employee
knows what is expected of them. While Coaching
Interviews are not intended to be disciplinary in nature and should never be
mixed with Counseling Interviews or Performance Evaluation Interviews (more on
that in a future post), it is important to provide the employee with the
benchmarks that they will be judged against.
In providing them with the benchmarks for satisfactory performance, it
may be most useful to give them goals with specific numbers. Why use a generic benchmark like, “Sales reps
need to bring in money” when a specific benchmark will motivate them better; “Sales
reps need to produce $30,000 in revenue per month”.
These interviews are an opportunity for managers to find out
what makes an employee tick. You can
find out what best motivates them. Then managers
can give gentle suggestions as to which areas could use improvement. Positive motivation without the threat of negative
disciplinary action is what you want to aim for. Challenge and excite your employees. You want to foster a good working
relationship based in mutual respect looking towards professional growth, not
create a culture of fear.
Give Thanks
Another aspect of the Coaching Interview that is frequently
overlooked is the opportunity to give thanks and compliment the employee for
the good things that they are doing. It
always seems to be easier to criticize than to praise, but managers would do
their workforce a great service by motivating them with it. When you are providing compliments or praise,
be sure to get specific. A generic “good
job” attaboy will not let the employee distinguish between what they have done
right and what might need improvement. Try
to be specific with your praise, telling the employee exactly the item that you
are referring to. An example might be, “Tom,
you are really doing a great job picking up the phone and reaching out to more
customers this month. You have called
and spoken to 139 clients, which is far above the average of 72.” In this example, a generic, “Good job, Tom”
could have left Tom in the dark as to what he had done right. Thank the employee for what they do too. Let them know that you value them as an
employee and you appreciate their work.
And remember all of
you Human Resources professionals: Be
Human... Be a Resource... Be a Resource
for Humans.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this post are by the author Trevor Stasik, and do not necessarily reflect the views of any employer or any other organization. Please note, this information is based on my understanding and is only to be used for informational and educational purposes. Do not take what I am writing as advice. Seek your own legal counsel and/or see a tax accountant before making business or personal decisions. The author of this post makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.
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