How does coaching improve employees’ experiences at work? And through which mechanisms does it contribute to learning, well-being and positive workplace behavior? 

These questions were at the center of the international symposium ‘Workplace Coaching Mechanisms and Outcomes’, organized and chaired by Ana Stojanović and Professor Edwin van Hooft. The symposium took place during the 17th Conference of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Helsinki. 

Workplace coaching is increasingly recognized as a valuable intervention for supporting employees. Yet knowing whether coaching works is only the beginning. To develop more effective interventions, researchers also need to understand how coaching creates change, under which circumstances it is most effective and which approaches work best for different employees. 

The symposium brought together researchers studying workplace coaching in healthcare, academia and other organizational settings. By combining different theoretical perspectives and research methods, the presentations provided new insights into the processes that may shape coaching outcomes. 

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Understanding what makes coaching effective 

The studies highlighted several mechanisms through which workplace coaching may support employees: 

• Dr. Lara Solms presented research showing that coaching in healthcare can strengthen employees’ personal resources. These resources may subsequently encourage prosocial behavior towards colleagues and others in the workplace. 
• Dr. Natalie Michalik shared findings suggesting that face-to-face coaching may lead to more positive experiences for both coaches and coachees than online coaching. 
• Dr. Daan Fris showed how coaching in academia can strengthen a focus on learning, which may support both learning and vitality among PhD candidates. 
• Ana Stojanović presented research on perceived fit within coaching. Her study highlighted the importance of the match between coaching goals, the coachee’s cognitive style and different coaching approaches, including cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused coaching. 

Professor Maggie (Machteld) van den Heuvel served as discussant, bringing the findings together and reflecting on their broader implications for both research and professional practice. 

Connecting coaching research to EMPOWERING Change 

The research presented at the symposium closely connects to the ambitions of the Convergence Health & Technology Sustainable Health Program EMPOWERING Change. The program studies how healthcare organizations can strengthen workforce sustainability and their capacity to adapt to continuous change. 

Successful healthcare transformation depends not only on new technologies and innovations, but also on whether healthcare professionals have the resources, support and opportunities to learn and adapt. Workplace coaching can be viewed as one example of an evidence-based intervention that may contribute to these conditions. Insights into personal resources, learning orientation, coaching fit and the way coaching is delivered can help organizations design more targeted support for employees. They can also contribute to the broader development of interventions that strengthen well-being, engagement, leadership and sustainable functioning during organizational change. 

The symposium generated an engaging discussion with an international audience and demonstrated the value of looking beyond outcomes alone. A better understanding of the mechanisms behind coaching can support the development of interventions that are more closely tailored to individual employees, teams and organizational contexts. 

Read more about EMPOWERING Change and its work on workforce sustainability and change capacity in healthcare.