In the fast-paced world of HR and talent management, employers are constantly searching for innovative ways to boost engagement, retain top talent, and foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.
One often-overlooked strategy to unlock engagement and retention flywheels is offering employee coaching, the secret sauce and missing link for HR and people teams.
In this blog post, we'll recap the conversation Parento had with livingHR exploring the intersection of parent coaching and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) and how investing in employee coaching has a transformative impact on the workforce.
Strategies to leverage coaching to meet and exceed DEIB initiatives
Transforming company culture and meaningfully supporting working parents.
livingHR, The Work Agency™ is a privately-held, 100% women-owned company providing scale and lift to the People, HR and Talent functions across industries. Parento is the first and only paid parental leave insurance program, helping employers support their working parents. Here are your speakers for the webinar:
Tanya Gibson - VP, DEIB + People + Culture at livingHR
Tahlia dos Santos - Senior Director, DEIB + Talent at livingHR
Amanda Hemm - Director of Parent Experiences at Parento
Tiarra Hamlett - Director of Marketing + Brand at Parento
The Parent Experience in the Modern Workplace
Before diving into the benefits of parent coaching, it's crucial to emphasize the importance of investing in the overall employee experience. In today's diverse and evolving workplace, creating a human-first connection is essential.
Employee coaching goes beyond traditional HR practices, the secret sauce to preventable turnover.
Personalized coaching enables employers to support the whole person, improving employees’ relationships, not only with their colleagues but also with their families and partners. This holistic approach to personalizing employee experiences is linked to increased job satisfaction and productivity.
The modern workplace has witnessed a record number of mothers - more than 70% - with young children participating. However, the challenges faced by working parents, particularly those in vulnerable populations, cannot be ignored. Working parents, especially birthing and BIPOC mothers, are most adversely affected by inequitable policies in the workplace - leading to decreased productivity and increased turnover.
Coaching, in this context, creates a culture of meaning and promotes belonging at work. It proactively identifies turnover risks and mitigates them, highlighting that financial incentives alone are not enough to retain top talent.
Investing in DEI within the context of parenthood is paramount. It means addressing the unique needs of single-parent households, BIPOC parents, LGBTQ+ parents, and adoption/foster parents. A lack of support for these groups can have far-reaching implications, including loss of earnings, premature return to work, and setbacks in physical, mental, and emotional recovery.
Furthermore, the absence of family-friendly policies and a lack of gender-neutral language in policy creation can lead to the pregnancy and motherhood penalty, affecting career advancement for birthing parents.
The Role of Coaching in Talent Acquisition and Retention
Employers must recognize coaching as a value-add in their talent acquisition and retention strategies. It solidifies the correlation between employee experience and workplace turnover while stressing the need for increased DEI and family-friendly policies. Parent coaching, in particular, is a fairly new term that helps provide personalized support for working parents throughout their unique journeys.
Two organizations leading the way in this space are Parento and livingHR. By promoting the importance of diversifying, retaining, managing, and acquiring talent, they are not only thought leaders but also solution providers for businesses seeking to excel in the modern workplace.
The Intersection of DEI and Parent Coaching: Key Takeaways
There's a need for more wraparound employee support through coaching that translates to tangible outcomes for HR and people teams. To delve deeper into the conversation, we asked Amanda, Tahlia, and Tanya some important questions:
A lot of employers think [coaching] is nice to have, but why is it necessary for workplaces to have personalized touchpoints and support + wraparound care? What is the risk of the employer not investing in this type of policy and how does this policy tie into DEIB initiatives?
HR practitioners struggle to keep up with innovative benefits and often offer uniform packages, neglecting the unique needs of employees.
Companies are facing intense competition for top talent and need to invest in Total Rewards and Benefits, as well as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives.
Investing in DEIB programs, including coaching and mentorship, can yield various benefits such as increased loyalty, improved brand reputation, and employee referrals.
Many employees feel disconnected in the workplace because they lack belonging and acceptance. What’s the gap between building a program where all employees feel they belong and using that to drive profits for the business? How can they leverage this belonging to reduce turnover, increase morale, etc?
Belonging is the result of effective DEIB practices that are integrated throughout the organization. DEIB done right reduces attrition, improves mental and physical health, and increases employee engagement, as evidenced by an average 30-point increase in eNPS scores for livingHR clients.
Coaching, especially during life transitions like parental leave, fosters a sense of belonging, leading to increased productivity, engagement, and loyalty.
When developing family-friendly policies, it's crucial to use inclusive language and consider diverse family structures to promote a sense of belonging among all employees.
Employers like to roll out required/basic policies for their teams (e.g. salary, medical, vision, PTO, sick, etc), and anything above that is a privilege. But working from home is no longer a perk. When examining the connection of parenthood and DEIB, how can HR go about getting executive buy-in when things like coaching is seen as a fluffy nice to have?
Overcoming the barrier of leaders who deny workforce diversity is essential, as workplaces have evolved to include historically underrepresented groups.
Executive buy-in for DEIB related to working parents can be challenging, and it's crucial to use data to start that conversation and connect parenthood with DEIB goals.
Here are some other ideas to collect company-specific data around DEIB programs:
Conducting anonymous employee surveys to gather feedback and identify turnover vulnerabilities.
Organizing listening circles with various perspectives, including experienced parents and those considering parenthood.
Incorporating questions related to support and care for parents in exit interviews.
To wrap things up, what are big takeaways for HR teams?
To adapt to a changing workforce and foster a sense of community and purpose, workplaces must embrace more personalized and human-centric approaches.
Employers should seek mentorship and outside expertise to support DEIB and employee experience, acknowledging the need for tailored solutions and third-party assistance.
Workplaces must transition to personalized, high-touch environments that meet the unique needs of individuals, recognizing that previous practices are no longer sufficient.
In conclusion, employee coaching, particularly for working parents, can be the missing link that unlocks engagement and retention flywheels in the modern workplace. By recognizing the intersection of DEIB and parent coaching, companies can foster a more inclusive and supportive environment, ultimately reaping the benefits of a diverse and engaged workforce.
Quotes:
“There is no one size fits all when it comes to DEIB strategies. Aligning identity and offering the same benefits doesn’t work because we’re all different humans with unique needs, that also changes over time… Have offerings that fit varying employee populations.”
“We have to evolve. Our workforce is changing and we need to adapt. We need to be more human. The workplace is no longer a paycheck, it’s a place where we grow and find community, ideally have a mission in mind and work towards that. The way to unlock that mission is often through these tailored approaches.”
“Bring in mentorship and parties that bring expertise and fresh perspectives. Finding experts and support to help bring DEIB + employee experience. There isn’t a one size fits all solution. This is something to meet individuals in the workplace. Bringing in a third party is sometimes the best option, so tap into those. Don’t be afraid to hold that mirror and ask for the support you need.”
“Workplaces need to be personalized, tailored, and high touch, and work for everyone. What we did in the past is no longer going to work. Workplaces need to hold themselves to a higher standard (for 2024). People deserve it and we can make it happen.”
