Coached employees found more meaning in their work. They were just as likely to think about quitting.

A study by Mowat, Haar, and Forsyth, published in Human Resource Development International in 2025, compared 412 employees in New Zealand — half formally coached by their supervisor, half not. The coached group found more meaning in their work and more often went the extra mile for colleagues. On plans to quit and on counterproductive behavior, the two groups looked the same.¹

Talent Takeaway

Coaching builds meaning and goodwill at work — a strong reason to invest in it. For keeping people, we likely need additional levers alongside it.

¹ Mowat, J. W., Haar, J., & Forsyth, D. (2025). The impact of formal workplace coaching on employee outcomes: A matched sample analysis. Human Resource Development International, 29(2), 317–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2025.2549541

Further reading: Nicolau, A., Candel, O. S., Constantin, T., & Kleingeld, A. (2023). The effects of executive coaching on behaviors, attitudes, and personal characteristics. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1089797