Category: Learning & Development

Your communication style sets the tone for your entire team. The higher up you are, the greater the trickle-down effect. So supporting your team with things like communication tips for managers is essential.

Not only that, but estimates suggest poor communication costs businesses between $9,284 and $30,000 per year. Totaling more than $2 trillion lost from the US economy because of ineffective communication. Ouch.

Yet fewer than half of managers receive any form of training when they’re promoted.

And the higher up you go, the easier it is to become detached from the everyday workings of running of a company.

Knowing what’s going on, and being able to communicate with your employees at every level, will help you create a more engaged, invested team, though. And you can only do that with effective communication.

So here are some communication tips for managers. Check out these ideas around how to boost engagement in the age of AI through more effective communication:

Don’t rely on AI

It doesn’t matter how much you train AI, it still has tells.

If someone works with you a lot, they’ll be able to tell when they get a message that wasn’t written in your voice. It’ll have an uncanny valley element to the writing of it. The recipient may not be able to tell what’s off, but something will feel off. And that’s enough to damage trust.

Run the message through AI to check for typos if you really need to (in more cases you won’t; an employee can forgive a typo in favor of authenticity) but otherwise, do the hard work yourself. It’ll help you develop your communication skills, forge better relationships with your employees, and understand what you’re actually talking to your team about.

In the age of AI, any list of communication tips for managers has to include easing off on relying on AI.

Actually respond when people message you

This is a weird one to include, but I have several friends who’ve experienced being blatantly ignored by colleagues and managers from other departments when they’ve asked them a question. Sometimes they’ll get a reply a few days later, if they’re lucky.

This isn’t just rude, it can stop someone from doing their job. A job that plays a role in keeping the company going. Otherwise you wouldn’t have hired them, right?

So one of the biggest communication tips for managers is to actually communicate. Reply to employee messages. It’s important for them as individuals, and it’s important for the success of the business.

Lead with empathy

We live in extremely stressful times. On top of what’s happening in the world, employees may have their own, personal problems to deal with. It’s easy for these things to eat into our headspace and make us less effective at our jobs.

That’s why empathy is key as part of our communication tips for managers. When you can lead with empathy, it’s easier to understand where someone is coming from and guide them through it.

Without employees, you wouldn’t have a business. So give them some respect and empathy — you might be surprised how much more you get from them.

It doesn’t take much. You could start meetings by asking people how they are or how their weekends were. Simple questions like this show you value their time and help create deeper bonds beyond daily tasks. So then it’s easier to get those daily tasks done and everyone is less likely to be ignored when they ask a question.

Listen more than you talk

A key, often underestimated (or intentionally forgotten) part of communication is to listen more than you talk.

Actually hear what the other person says, rather than considering how you’ll respond while they’re still talking.

If you’re talking in person or on video, try:

• Repeating back what they said, followed by a question to confirm you understood it
• Doodling or using a fidget toy to keep your hands busy so that your brain can focus on what someone is saying. This helps avoid the temptation to simultaneously scroll and miss what they’re saying because you’re also reading.

If you’re communicating in writing, try:

• Taking time to think through a response. Rushing it may lead to a reaction you’ll regret.
• Asking a trusted colleague, or even AI, if what you say sounds too harsh, passive aggressive, or otherwise doesn’t come across how you want it to. However, be mindful that most people and AIs will try to rewrite it in their voice, not yours. Someone who works with you regularly will notice this. The sweet spot is to take onboard the feedback while still making it sound like you.

Sometimes, one of the best communication tips for managers is not to communicate at all. Listneing is essential.

Train more than you think you need

Just because your teachers taught you to string a sentence together at school, that doesn’t mean they taught you everything there is to know about communication.

It’s far better to assume you know nothing and open your mind to all the things you can learn. Reading this article about communication tips for managers is a great start.

What might be an effective motivational technique for one employee won’t work for another. It might cause them to retreat into themselves because they feel you’re too harsh.

Or, you may not be pushing your high performers enough.

It’s a fine line, and you can only learn what it looks like from studying. It’s not a skill AI can teach. It might be able to suggest some tips, but it can’t hold your hand when you’ve upset an employee — or prevent you from doing it to begin with.

You need the human touch to learn how to juggle these interactions.

Use groups

97% of Gen Zers want to show personality at work. Employee groups are an effective way for them to do just that. They can connect with colleagues who have similar demographics or interests to them, knowing that it’s a safe place to do so.

Groups also help colleagues get to know each other beyond their daily work tasks, so then collaborating becomes easier because there’s already a bond. One of the best communication tips for managers is to establish this level of comfort.

Want to better organize your employee groups? Try Workrowd.

Send a survey

82% of employees say that poor communication increases their overall stress levels, while 76% have said that it decreases their job satisfaction.

If you want to get a true read on how your employees feel about your communication methods, a survey is a simple and effective way to get the answers you need.

You can find out if your employees are part of the 82%, and if so, collect their thoughts on what’s going wrong and how to fix it.

This is a key part of our communication tips for managers and the first step to improving it, and therefore job satisfaction and engagement, too.

Using Workrowd, you can send automated surveys to find out what your employees are really thinking.

Conclusion 

Communication is a necessary part of every role, and it’s one AI can’t do for you effectively. Learning basic communication tips for managers like listening and respecting other people’s time and effort will go a long way to boosting employee engagement in the age of AI. 

While AI can offer opportunities to increase employee productivity, it doesn’t always live up to the hype. We still need our creative and critical thinking skills. Now, more than ever.

AI analyzes more data than any of us could in our entire lifetimes. But it can’t think for itself.

So those unique connections that only come from human experiences and emotions aren’t going to happen without human input.

A recent study by the Harvard Business Review found that AI actually intensifies work.

Using AI, employees worked faster, did more, and worked for longer hours. That might sound great, but it’s just not sustainable. In other words, AI does increase employee productivity, but for how long? And, at what cost?

Overreliance on AI can lead to worse decision-making, burnout, and cognitive fatigue. So in the end, your business is back where it started. If not worse off because nobody has the problem-solving skills to fix anything anymore.

AI use can lead to worse decision-making, burnout, and cognitive fatigue.

To keep employees (and shareholders) happy, you need to balance the use of AI and the human side of work. How do you do that? Here are some suggestions that can increase employee productivity in a sustainable way—without relying entirely on AI:

Stop relying on AI so much

The first one is obvious. Simply stop relying on AI so much.

Since the rise of AI, workers spend 60% less time doing deep work. The risk of employee disengagement is now 23%. 

Without time to do deep work, and when feeling disengaged, does it really increase employee productivity? Or does it just create the illusion of being productive because a tool is doing the work for them?

And let’s not forget that creativity and critical thinking skills are muscles. The less someone uses them, the less capable they are of using them.

Rather than relying on AI to do the work, use it for the framework and to speed up tedious processes.

If AI does the thinking for them, employees won’t upskill as fast—if at all. And they won’t retain most of what they learn, if anything.

Remember the power of doing things the old-fashioned way

We rely so much on technology these days it’s easy to forget how helpful it can be to do things the old-fashioned way. Sometimes more tech isn’t the answer when thinking about how to increase employee productivity.

Whether it’s pen and paper, Post-it notes, or a whiteboard, they all help us externalize our ideas, brainstorm with colleagues, and find solutions.

Sometimes, these in-person get togethers can help us work through challenges faster. They’re a way to think aloud without the distractions that can come from working remotely, like endless notifications.

Allow space for creativity

In the corporate world, it can feel increasingly challenging to find time to be creative. But, if businesses want to stay innovative, encouraging a culture of creativity is imperative.

Whether that’s giving employees time to explore new projects, offering volunteering opportunities, hosting hackathons, or something else, providing your team members a break from daily tasks is key. It can blow the cobwebs away and increase employee productivity.

Pattern interrupts break us out of funks. They can only happen when we do things that are different from usual.

Some of the most creative, innovative minds, from Ada Lovelace to Winston Churchill, were equal parts creative and scientific. Lovelace was a writer as well as the world’s first computer programmer. Churchill was a painter as well as a politician.

In fact, Lovelace called her approach “poetical science.” And if anyone knows how those two things work together, it’s her.

Sometimes, the most unrelated activities enable us to become the most accomplished in our fields.

It’s not always about producing something to share with the rest of the world, or even that we’re entirely happy with.

It’s about learning and nurturing a new skill that keeps our brains sharp, and helps us form connections that, without those unrelated interests, we’d be unable to make.

Value quality over output

The more skilled someone is, the faster they can produce quality output. But everyone has a line.

And there also comes a point where, for instance, if you publish too much, are you watering down your own message? Are you contributing something of value to the conversation, or adding more slop to the internet (AI or otherwise)?

Likewise, if you’re shipping product updates that aren’t ready yet and require more testing, what impact will that have on your customer experience and therefore your brand?

In a world that’s so output-driven, sometimes slowing down and focusing on quality can make you stand out. Looking to increase employee productivity to the detriment of quality will only hurt you in the long-run.

Treat employees with kindness and empathy

The way you and the rest of your business treats employees during difficult times affects employee productivity more than you might think. And that’s true in both the short- and long-term. If your team members don’t feel valued and cared for, any attempts to increase employee productivity are likely to fall flat.

Difficult times like losing a colleague or loved one are a reminder that, unless you’re working in emergency services, very little of what we do is truly urgent. Not in the grand scheme of things.

Offering employees space to grieve and attend to any necessary personal matters is important.

Grief isn’t linear. Giving them a safe space to talk about what’s going on, and plenty of breathing room, will help them recover more quickly than pressuring them to hit deadlines that felt more important before their world shifted on its axis.

Encourage breaks

Whether it’s a coffee break or a vacation, breaks are vital if you want to increase employee productivity. Nobody can do the same thing over and over again forever. Even AI starts to hallucinate and go around in circles if you’re not careful.

Regular breaks can help employees find solutions to their problems more quickly. Sometimes, all we need is some fresh air to help us realize the answer was in front of us all along. (See previous point about pattern interrupts.)

Vacations play a big role in productivity, too. If we spend too long doing the same thing it can lead us to go stir crazy. A new location, where we think about something totally differently, can take our minds away from everyday stressors and help us reset.

Connect them with their colleagues

Workplace friendships are powerful. When people care about their colleagues, they want to help them, so they put more effort in. It’s as simple as that.

Fostering workplace connections through things like ERGs is therefore one of your most effective ways to increase employee productivity.

Want to get more out of your employee groups? That’s where Workrowd comes in. Keep everything in one place, provide a better employee experience, and connect your employees like never before. Get in touch to find out more.

Conclusion 

If you want to increase employee productivity, it isn’t always about having the latest or most expensive tools. Sometimes, it’s about going back to basics. Ensuring they use their brains first, then the tech. Treating colleagues with kindness and compassion. And remembering that without humans, there is no business.

Say goodbye to impersonal online courses. Peer-to-peer learning in the workplace could be the secret to your business’s growth.

Online courses aren’t even in the top 10 ways employees report wanting to learn. This could be because we all experienced the course and workshop flood during the early 2020s. Or, it could be that there are so many out there that everyone has a different favorite.

Either way, it shows that if businesses really want their employees to learn and grow, they’ve got to do things differently. And more internally. Which is exactly where peer-to-peer learning in the workplace shines.

Why you should be doing peer-to-peer learning in the workplace

Back in 2020, we were all superglued to our computers with what felt like an endless wave of online learning—workshops, coaches, you name it.

Now, I see far fewer people selling online courses and it’s likely because we’re all bored of them. In-person learning, and learning from people we know and like, is far more engaging than some random stranger on the internet talking at us.

Especially when it’s a topic we care about and that can help us grow in our careers.

When companies have a learning-based culture, employees are 147% more likely to connect with their peers. 94% said they’d be more likely to remain with a company with active learning and development programs, too.

L&D is more important than ever. 79% of CEOs worry that there’s an increasing skill gap between office-based and remote employees that’s threatening organizational growth. Peer-to-peer learning in the workplace can be a key tool in bridging the divide.

Your culture plays a big role in peer-to-peer learning success

I’d argue that the real issue is that companies don’t know if they’re in-office, remote, or hybrid. Those that don’t know where they want their employees to be based, or have different rules for each team, make it harder for their employees to support each other, let alone learn from each other.

When employees are taught there’s no such thing as a stupid question, it improves communication within, and between, teams.

Sometimes we need to learn something new to stay engaged in our role. This is particularly true if we’ve been doing it for a long time or recent months have been stressful. 

Employees often leave because they feel frustrated and unsupported. Learning something new can help with their ability to cope with stress as well as how valued they feel at your organization.

If they’ve put all that work in only to get their usual pay check at the end and no other form of gratitude, they’re going to feel pretty fed up. Investing in their future through peer-to-peer learning in the workplace is a way to reward them and show that you notice, and value, their efforts.

How to create a culture of peer-to-peer learning in the workplace

Let’s look at what your organization can do to encourage peer-to-peer learning in the workplace:

Manager feedback

When it comes to peer-to-peer learning in the workplace, employees want to learn from their managers more than anyone else. But managers are busy. They often struggle with their own workloads, let alone assisting employees with theirs, too. 

Support from managers helps employees know they’re on the right track. It shows them what the next steps are.

And if your managers are too busy to help their team members grow as people and employees, it might be time to look at hiring more staff to give them the space to do so.

If managers are in a constant state of stress, that will have a ripple effect on their employees, too. It could mean the feedback they give them skews harsh over helpful, damaging employee morale and initiative rather than supporting it.

Make goals clear

If someone doesn’t know what they’re aiming for, or how to measure results, it can make it difficult to learn and know what direction to go in.

Clear goals, while they can be tough to put into place, help both managers and employees measure their success. It helps you know if initiatives to drive peer-to-peer learning in the workplace are working, spot gaps more easily, and track their progress.

Colleague collaboration

At least 55% of employees go to their colleagues first when they want to learn something new about business. So why not encourage that by creating more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning in the workplace?

Just 10% of learning is formally structured. 70% of learning takes place when colleagues are working and 20% comes from collaboration with colleagues. This shows just how important those relationships are. And how crucial peer-to-peer learning in the workplace can be for your business.

Everyone comes in with different levels of experience and different backgrounds. These things give them different perspectives that can teach their colleagues something new.

For example, a petite female wheelchair user will have a different experience with cars compared to an able-bodied, 6ft man. Combining their perspectives and experiences can help a car business design a vehicle that has a broader appeal and can therefore make more money than one that only works for a man over 6ft.

Share info in ERGs

Your employee resource groups connect your employees based on shared backgrounds or experiences. This foundation can make it easier for people to open up. In turn, fellow members may be more open to learning from them. Especially if they’ve been at your company longer or have more experience in a particular field.

Your ERGs can also be great spaces to pilot new peer-to-peer learning in the workplace initiatives.

Mentorship schemes

Mentoring can help your newer employees understand how your business works and navigate the workforce.

Reverse mentoring, meanwhile, can support your older, more experienced colleagues to adapt to new technologies and ways of communicating.

Mentoring in any form is an important and easy way to foster peer-to-peer learning in the workplace.

Lightning talks

Lightning talks are five-minute presentations about a topic that interests the speaker. Your lightning talk event could have a theme, such as new technologies, or be open to anything anyone wants to share.

You might even discover some of your employees have hidden public speaking talents! These sessions can be fun ways to build culture while also enabling peer-to-peer learning in the workplace.

Employee-led workshops

Since employees prefer to learn from colleagues, why not get employees to lead workshops? Some of the lightning talk topics could lead to longer workshops that benefit some or all of your workforce. 

Conclusion 

Peer-to-peer learning in the workplace can improve employee morale, engagement, and initiative. It teaches your team members new things in a low-effort, high-results way.

If you want to make the most of peer-to-peer learning in the workplace, Workrowd’s tools can help. From ensuring everyone has easy access to your initiatives, to following up to collect feedback and even analyzing the data for you, everything you need is in one place.

Get in touch today to discover how Workrowd can supercharge your employee initiatives and company culture.

January might be the time when everyone discusses goal setting, but you can set goals at any time of the year. Some people even argue January is the time for rest and the best time for goal setting activities is in the spring (when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere actually see the sun. In theory).

It doesn’t really matter, though. Goals can be set at any time of the year. They’re a great motivator whatever level someone is within your organization.

For instance, employees who set goals are 3.6 times more likely to be committed to their employer. What’s more, they’re 14.2 times more likely to feel inspired at work when they set their own goals.

As if that wasn’t enough, they’re also 6.7 times more likely to feel proud of their organization and 6.5 times more likely to recommend it as a great place to work.

So let’s explore how you can help your team do more with effective goal setting activities in 2026:

Be specific

I used to really hate SMART goals. But it turns out this goal setting formula has its benefits—over 80% of people perform better when goals are specific and challenging compared to people with vague or no goals.

Over a third of leaders, meanwhile, think the main cause of failure is because goals aren’t clear enough.

Following a formula such as SMART for your goal setting activities ensures goals feel more concrete. It clearly answers the question as to whether or not an employee has achieved the goal.

For instance “sell more” is a vague goal. How much? By when? Using what methods?

“Upsell five customers by the end of Q1” is far more specific.

Goals can also help employees with their learning objectives: those with clear goals are 8.1 times more likely to find new ways to improve at work.

Use OKRs

OKRs—objectives and key results—is a form of goal setting activities where you specify what the goal (objective) is, and how you’ll know if you’ve attained it (key results).

They have a big impact, too: more than 64% of employees think their company is successful after implementing OKRs. That’s compared to just 39% who don’t.

Give it a timeframe

Whatever type of goals you set, you need to be clear about what the timeframe is.

Many people work better toward a deadline because it makes it feel more urgent, so then they want to work on it and have fewer excuses to procrastinate.

Make sure when you agree on a date as part of your goal setting activities, it’s a date that’s doable. But perhaps a little outside of employees’ comfort zone to help drive them.

Make it a little uncomfortable

Our greatest growth comes from being outside of our comfort zones. I’m not talking about jumping out of an airplane if you’re afraid of heights, but a salesperson could aim to earn slightly more than they think they’re capable of, for example. This pushes them to do more, to think differently, and to aim higher.

When employees set difficult goals, they report 34% higher job satisfaction compared to those who have less challenging objectives.

However, only 33% of entry-level or operational-level employees set difficult goals, compared to 54% of top-level executives. I’d argue that entry-level employees could benefit more from these goals, though, as they have more to learn.

But for them to feel comfortable aiming high, they need the support of their manager and colleagues. This includes before, during, and after goal setting activities.

Use feedback to create better goals

Combining feedback and goal setting activitiess leads to a performance increase of 30% compared to using one or the other. This makes sense, because feedback can point employees in the direction of where they need to grow their skills and what their next goal should be.

Get your managers involved

While managers and supervisors should set their own goals, they should also help their employees achieve theirs. They can offer advice and support when goals seem challenging, and provide coping mechanisms so that the weight of what they’re trying to achieve doesn’t get them down.

When employees regularly meet with supervisors around goal setting activities, it boosts morale by five times. It also increases employee motivation when their goals are adjusted for current market conditions and priorities.

It makes sense: employees know that what they’re working on makes a difference to the business and wider industry as opposed to feeling like they’re doing their role for the sake of it.

Use your ERGs

Employee groups help employees stay focused on their goals or even work out which ones to set through group-sponsored goal setting activities. Colleagues can share resources, offer moral support, and even mentor employees towards achieving their goals.

Want to get more from your ERGs? Workrowd can help make your groups easier to find, navigate, and benefit from.

Tell everyone

A little bit of repetition goes a long way. Over half of 11,000 employees couldn’t name their organization’s top three goals. Which either means the company doesn’t have them, or it’s not reiterating them enough.

So, even if you feel like you’re repeating yourself for the 10,000^th time, remember that there will be someone who’s new, been sick, or otherwise out of the office so won’t have seen what your new goals are. It happens.

Reminders are always useful, too, as they can help keep employees focused. It gives them a lens through which to view what they’re doing, so then they can prioritize based on how much a task will contribute to business goals.

Conclusion 

How you get there doesn’t really matter. What matters is the results. Be sure you’re setting specific goals that are a little outside of employees’ comfort zones. You never know what they might achieve. Heck, they might even surprise themselves.

Want to support your employees with more effective goal setting activities that help them achieve and exceed their objectives? Try Workrowd for managing your employee initiatives. Get in touch to book your free demo.

Mentoring is one of the most powerful ways to level up in the workforce. In all its forms, including reverse mentoring, it can drive positive outcomes for your organization.

Mentoring can help mentees avoid roadblocks. It can help them progress in their careers faster, and build crucial networking connections to open new doors for them. It has benefits for mentors, too, like boosting their teaching and public speaking skills.

The business benefits are there, as well. Companies with mentoring programs see 18% higher profits. Those without had profits that were 45% worse on average. Those are some huge margins.

And yet, despite the fact 76% of people believe mentors are important, and 97% of people who have a mentor say they find it to be a valuable experience, only 37% have one.

So let’s dive into reverse mentoring. We’ll examine what it is, what its benefits are, and how to implement it in your business.

What is reverse mentoring?

Reverse mentoring is when a junior team member mentors someone more senior than them. For instance, a new Gen Z employee could mentor a senior leader.

When mentoring relationships are mixed gender or race/ethnicity, they’re more likely to offer career benefits. On the flip side, mentoring relationships based on similar demographics can provide psychosocial benefits. So, the type of mentoring that’s right for you will depend on the benefits you want for your business and your employees.

On the DiversityInc Top 50, 72% of companies have reverse mentoring programs. This highlights just how significant they can be for top-performing businesses.

Reverse mentoring schemes can open doors that may otherwise remain closed due to age or experience. Understanding differences and bridging the gaps are powerful ways for both mentor and mentee to develop their skills in new areas and boost their confidence at work.

What are the benefits of reverse mentoring?

Reverse mentoring aids in the sharing of internal and external knowledge.

For example, younger employees can educate more experienced colleagues on navigating social media and AI. This helps ensure their knowledge remains fresh and relevant. Simple things like how to write a prompt or how algorithms work can make a huge difference to someone’s career.

They can also educate them on cultural changes and how different things are now. And how quickly things change.

In addition, mentors feel lower levels of anxiety and find their jobs more meaningful. So it’s no surprise that 89% of mentees plan to become mentors themselves.

Mentors also get promoted six times more often than employees who aren’t involved in a mentorship program. Mentees are promoted five times more often.

For businesses, as well as experiencing the 18% higher profits we discussed earlier, mentoring schemes also come with higher retention rates—72% for mentees and 69% for mentors.

With current job offer acceptance rates at just 56% according to McKinsey, and 18% of new hires leaving during probation, a reverse mentoring program could be just what businesses need to keep their team members.

How to build a reverse mentoring program

Now that we’ve explored the benefits, let’s look at how to build your reverse mentoring program.

Talk about it regularly

Mentoring programs often die because employees don’t know they exist or don’t realize the benefits.

Sharing the benefits of reverse mentoring for employees can help win them over.

Senior team members may not understand the differences with reverse mentoring and how much they can learn from younger colleagues. Using internal business communications to educate them can boost both their interest and their involvement.

Encourage employees to take part

Some employees will simply always feel too shy, or too busy, to participate. It’s therefore on HR departments and managers to make employees realize that mentoring will make them better at their jobs and give them more time and energy, not less.

This is particularly important for reverse mentoring. With senior team members having greater responsibilities and not feeling like they have the time to sit down with someone they may not believe they can learn from, it’s all the more important to show them the benefits.

Get leaders to set an example

When your leaders set an example, it shows the whole team that the people they respect use and value the program. This can help break down that reluctance and show that you’re serious about reverse mentoring.

Share case studies

Marketers love case studies because they work. They tell a story, which our brains love, and they have tangible benefits. They help us imagine that we could experience those results, too. So then we want to get that win for ourselves.

When your mentees share what they’ve learned from being mentored, and mentors share what they’ve gotten out of it, it can make people want to participate even more than you sharing generic benefits like the ones listed above.

Use the right software

The right software can make it easier to connect mentors and mentees. For example, mentees can share information on what skills they’re looking to build, while mentors can share their experiences.

You can use tools to connect employees with mentors, or create groups for mentees/mentors to network and share advice. The easier you make it for them to connect, the more everyone will get out of your reverse mentoring program.

Conclusion 

Reverse mentoring is a powerful way to upskill your workforce and build connections between generations. It can boost every aspect of your business from retention to promotions. When done well, it can even increase your profit margins.

And, using the right tools, you can make the mentor matching and communication process quicker and easier for everyone.

Use Workrowd

Using Workrowd, you can connect your mentors and mentees so that everyone benefits from your reverse mentoring program. Plus, you get real-time analytics on how this initiative is helping your team. That way, you’ll have everything you need to build the best program possible.

Want to find out more? Get in touch to book your free demo.

The number of coaches has soared in recent years. It feels like everyone has either become a coach, is training to be a coach, or has had coaching recently. But that hasn’t made the task of finding a career coach for your employees any easier.

In fact, with so many options it may be harder than ever. What should you look for, and what difference could it really make to your business? Let’s take a look at some tips for finding a career coach for your organization:

Why finding a career coach for your employees is important

Coaching’s biggest benefit is its ability to improve someone’s career growth. It makes them better at problem solving and communication, so they can level up faster and so can your business.

A coach is someone objective to a situation—and perhaps your business—that employees can talk through their issues with. This can often help de-escalate situations or simply help them let off steam. That way they don’t take it out on their colleagues.

One of the things coaches can help employees with is their communication. In turn, this can enhance your internal communications and improve conflict resolution. So projects get completed faster and with less stress for everyone.

Speaking of stress, finding a career coach for employees can also support them through periods of transition, like mergers or layoffs. These often result in restructurings or new/changed responsibilities. Employees who get left behind when their colleagues were let go can also suffer from a form of survivor’s guilt. Finding a career coach for employees can support them through the transition so that their mental health and productivity take less of a hit.

Coaching sessions also act as a break to an employee’s day. This can help them to go back to problems with a clear head, even if their current issue isn’t what they talk to their coach about. So then they can see solutions to a challenge they hadn’t noticed before because they were just too close to it.

With all of this in mind, it’s no surprise that coaching has a 221% ROI. That’s an impressive impact for what may only amount to an hour out of an employee’s day each month.

Companies with a strong coaching culture also report higher revenue growth than those in their industry peer group.

Tips for finding a career coach

Now that we’ve explored the benefits of finding a career coach for your employees, let’s see how to find one and what you should keep in mind on your search:

Ask for recommendations

Recommendations are one of the fastest ways of finding a career coach, and it’s how 46% of people find them. Social proof is a powerful thing that can support your decision making and reassure you that you’ve chosen the right person.

You could even ask your employees via a survey or in your employee groups. They may not know someone directly, but employee posts on social media sites get considerably more reach than company posts. So even if they can’t suggest someone, they’ve got a better chance of finding someone.

Need help improving your employee surveys or groups so that it’s easier to collect and organize information? Check out Workrowd.

Look on LinkedIn 

Even if you get a referral from someone you trust, it’s worth looking a career coach up on LinkedIn, or their own website, to see what you can find. They may be the perfect match for you, but likewise they may not be based on their prior experience.

Also, if you don’t have anyone to ask for recommendations, LinkedIn research is a great place to start. You can search the site using your industry and coaching-related keywords, and see what it suggests.

LinkedIn groups (or even Facebook ones!) related to your industry are another place to look or ask for recommendations on finding a career coach for employees.

Many people who have a history in an industry, or work in its periphery (like coaches) will often be members of industry groups to try to find new clients.

Check their credentials

Did you know the coaching industry is unregulated? That means anyone can call themselves a coach without any formal qualifications. This could open you up to poor advice at best and potentially dangerous and/or illegal consequences at worst.

Qualified coaches have spent hundreds of hours helping people in all sorts of situations within their field. Some may specialize in certain situations or areas, like senior leadership or career transitions.

A qualified career coach knows how to handle situations sensitively. They center the conversation on the employee’s needs and don’t judge them or make it about themselves. These are important skills that must be learned and cultivated but which often don’t come naturally.

So, when you’re working on finding a career coach for your employees, check their credentials. If you can’t find any, consider looking elsewhere.

Consider their specialties 

If you need a coach who understands the nuances of a particular industry, specializes in neurodivergence, or can teach your employees particular skills, you need to keep in mind someone’s specialties when finding a career coach for employees.

These will often be listed on their LinkedIn and may also feature on their website.

From my experience, coaches’ LinkedIn profiles are often more up-to-date than their websites, but I’d still recommend checking both. LinkedIn gets prioritized because of time constraints and LinkedIn’s increased exposure. Checking both will give you the most well-rounded picture of what someone could be like to work with.

Don’t forget the ROI

If a coach is cheap, is that because they’re not as experienced solving problems? Do they have fewer qualifications? Is it because they don’t understand your industry?

Spending less money doesn’t always mean cost savings. Sometimes it can end up costing you more because they were the wrong coach for you. Take the time to make a decision so that you’re not tied into a contract with someone who hinders, rather than helps, your employees.

With such a high potential ROI, you want to ensure you make the right decision when finding a career coach for employees.

Conclusion 

Finding a career coach for your employees can not only boost their careers, but your business productivity and profits, too.

There are no downsides to upskilling and reskilling your employees, especially not in the current climate. So long as you find someone who’s an expert in the field you need, you’re all set to support your employees’ current and future careers.

Want to make sure your employees not only know about career coaching opportunities, but all the other great programming you offer? Workrowd has the tools you need.

With an all-in-one command center for your employee groups, programs, events, and resources, plus automated analytics, you can build a world-class employee experience without the stress. Book a free discussion call with us to learn how we can empower you to reduce admin work and boost engagement across your organization.

Constructive criticism is essential for a healthy company culture. 75% of employees feel that feedback is valuable, while 65% want more of it. But knowing it’s important and actually understanding how to give constructive criticism are two different things.

Not knowing how to give constructive criticism could even affect your employee churn rate. Companies that provide regular feedback experience turnover rates that are 14.9% lower than those that don’t.

So, your employees want you to help them improve. This ties into how important learning and development is to employees of all generations. 

Millions of us are going to have to learn and adapt to the new technological revolution. Feedback from colleagues, managers, and even mentors or coaches, will play a vital role in helping each of us pivot into new areas.

So let’s dig deep into how to give constructive criticism:

Why should you care about how to give constructive criticism?

92% of people believe feedback can help them improve their performance.

And with Gen Z, the biggest, most diverse generation ever now entering the workforce (and many of them having started their working lives during Covid), knowing how to give constructive criticism could be a huge positive for your employer brand. Especially when you consider that 63% of Gen Z-ers want more constructive feedback throughout the year.

Gen Z has the tech skills you need to keep your business on the cutting edge. But, they sometimes lack traditional workplace skills. Giving them, and also teaching them how to give constructive criticism, can help them navigate this new terrain to make them more successful in their roles.

Why? Constructive criticism helps someone improve their performance as well as their confidence. It can reassure them that they’re on the right track and redirect them if they’re heading in the wrong direction.

And let’s not forget the keyword here: constructive. It’s not about being mean or even just focusing on the negatives. It’s about pointing out what they’re doing right and what needs improvement so that they can perform at their best at work. Which of course means you get better results out of them.

All this helps you create an open culture where people feel comfortable discussing what’s working and what isn’t in your business.

As a result, they can iterate and improve much faster, and they’ll feel more comfortable taking risks. In turn, this could put you ahead of your competition.

How to give constructive criticism

So now that we know why constructive criticism in the workplace matters, how can you ensure the feedback you provide is effective?

Be upfront

You don’t want to sugarcoat things when approaching how to give constructive criticism. The conversation will wind up taking twice as long. At the same time though, you want to be polite in the way you offer it. While it’s technically the same if you say something is “terrible” or it “needs improvement,” one will make the recipient feel defensive, while the other is far less likely to offend them. 

Word choice is important when providing feedback, whether you do it in written form or in person. You want to ensure whatever you say is clear and honest, without being insulting to the other person.

Beware of formulas that sound inauthentic

We’ve all been taught formulas like “feedback sandwiches” by now. Which means your employee is likely to see right through it if you’re not careful, and instead of dwelling on the positives like you want them to, focus on the negatives.

Or worse, think you’re only saying the positives to lessen the blow of what you really think. It’s no longer a recipe for success when it comes to how to give constructive criticism.

Say nice things too!

Too often, we hear “constructive criticism” and assume it’s all about the negatives. But the point of feedback formulas isn’t just to soften the blow for the recipient, it’s also to remind you to acknowledge the positives, too.

We can often forget to do this when we’re finding fault with something. Highlighting positives is as much of a skill—if not a harder one—than pointing out what’s wrong.

However, if you want the best from your team, you need to talk to them about the good and the bad. Both types of feedback should feel genuine, not forced.

Be sure to thank your employees for their hard work as much as you criticize them. It’ll make them feel more valued and engaged at work!

Remember: constructive criticism is a skill

People often assume that they can give feedback because they’ve sat in front of a TV and critiqued someone’s performance on America’s Got Talent. But doing it in the workplace is an entirely different ball game.

Giving effective feedback is a skill that requires active work. The words and phrases you use make a huge difference in how the recipient feels and the information they internalize.

When you actively work on how to give constructive criticism, you ensure that you can help and guide the recipient in the right direction, rather than just being mean (which, let’s face it, criticism can often feel like—especially online).

Create a culture of feedback

The more someone gets feedback, the less it feels like a big deal when they receive it. 

Likewise, they should be able to offer feedback to your business about what’s working and what isn’t.

One way you can do this is by sending automated feedback surveys at particular times. Workrowd can help you do this. Simply set it and forget it; the software will send your surveys, collect and analyze the data, and make it available to you in easy-to-read dashboards. It’s a no-brainer.

Share tips in an ERG

Employee groups are a great way to connect employees. Why not use them as a way for employees to learn new skills, too? 

Constrictive criticism is an art and a science that requires an understanding of language and psychology—especially the psychology of the people you work with, since some people will interpret things differently. Sharing good examples or asking questions about how to phrase things is important.

This can further reinforce your culture of giving feedback, too.

Want help managing your ERGs and getting the most from them? Book your free demo to find out how Workrowd can help.

Conclusion 

Learning how to give constructive criticism is a key part of growing in any role. It’s even more important than ever as many of us adapt to new ways of working.

It’s crucial to remember that how to give constructive criticism is an evolving skill. There’ll always be new or better ways to deliver feedback that you haven’t considered before. How you deliver your comments also make a difference to the recipient’s reaction and emotions, and whether they learn from the feedback you share or feel defensive.

If you’re ready to gather more feedback to improve your employee experience, and support your team members to build their skills, Workrowd can help. Contact us today to learn how our all-in-one platform can help you reach and exceed your goals.

Supporting employee career growth can play a vital role in your talent attraction and retention efforts. Offering career ladders ensures your people know they have a path for growth in your organization.

Which is important, because a quarter of employees report plans to quit their jobs in the next six months due to a lack of growth opportunities.

Promoting internally can save you money on the expensive hiring process, ensure you retain your star players, and help you attract better-quality hires who want to grow with your organization.

The higher up in an organization you go, the more likely a promotion is to be internal. 21.5% of C-Suite and other top positions are internal hires, compared to just 8.9% lower down the ladder. 

However, there are benefits to promoting employees who start at the bottom of your career ladders, too. For instance, they have more internal knowledge on how things work. Which means they can use this to find efficiencies, boost productivity, and connect more easily with colleagues at every level.

Here’s how to get the most out of career ladders in your organization:

Connect those on similar paths

There are inevitably times, when we’re working toward a goal, where we feel disheartened. Or when we need support from someone who’s been there to solve a problem. ERGs are an effective tool to connect those who are on similar paths.

Workrowd can help you create and manage employee groups that drive real impact. It’s a one-stop shop for employees to find the latest information on what’s happening in the organization, alongside ways for them to network and share knowledge. Get in touch today to book your free demo.

Use internal and external trainers

To climb your career ladders, employees need to learn new technical and soft skills. While you’re likely to have lots of great knowledge internally, external coaches, mentors, and teachers are also useful resources that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Not only can they act as objective sounding boards, but their external knowledge and experience can prevent groupthink by ensuring that you regularly get new insights and perspectives.

There’s always a new way of doing things. Sometimes that new way of doing things can give your business a new lease on life. And in turn, help you become more competitive as more employees use their knowledge to ascend your career ladders.

Set quotas and embrace DEI

Despite the recent pushback, studies have shown that quotas and DEI initiatives are effective at weeding out incompetent employees. They ultimately help businesses become more profitable.

The London School of Economics found that adding more women increased the competency of male employees by 3%. 

Organizations with greater gender diversity are 25% more likely to outperform competitors. And those with greater ethnic diversity are 36% more likely to outperform. Diverse teams make better designs 87% of the time.

In addition, diversity makes teams 35% more productive, increases cash flow per employee by 2.5x, and means businesses get 26% more job applicants.

Diversity is still something that matters to Gen Z, too. Businesses that stop prioritizing it may become less attractive employers to the first generation of digital natives. In doing so, they risk being left behind by the future of not just the workforce, but the world.

Offer mentoring

Mentoring is an effective tool for knowledge-sharing. Those who’ve already climbed their career ladders can share their knowledge with people further down. Which can be particularly useful for supporting underrepresented talent in the workplace.

Team members from underrepresented backgrounds face unique challenges that can be difficult to navigate without adequate support. A mentor can provide this support, making the employee feel more like they do belong in the workplace and can continue to climb one or more career ladders within your organization.

Send surveys to check in

The only way you’ll know if the support you offer your employees is effective is if you send surveys to check in and ask what they think of their current situation and where they’d like to go.

Workrowd can help you send those surveys.

And better yet—you can set them to go out automatically at particular milestones. 

That way, the process becomes more seamless for you and employees. Wouldn’t you rather focus on supporting employees and helping them up your career ladders, rather than sending surveys?

Consider alternative paths

Not everyone wants to be—or is suited to being—a manager. Is that a reason to lose your top employees?

Being a manager requires a unique balance of technical and people skills. The truth is, a lot of people don’t have this combo (even those in management). But there never used to be non-managerial career ladders for those who wanted to grow their skills or income.

However, the world of work is changing. Many millennials and Gen Z-ers don’t want to follow traditional paths. But they also don’t see why they can’t continue to grow.

Consider having career ladders for those who want to focus on their technical knowledge without losing time to people management.

For example, you could create a principal engineer role for software developers who want to focus on knowledge over people management. They can become the go-to person on a particular area or topic. It can help streamline processes and retain internal knowledge.

Conclusion 

Climbing career ladders is seen as a rite of passage for many people. However, in 2025, it isn’t for everyone. Make sure you offer a variety of options to help everyone thrive, no matter their goals.

Supporting employees to climb your career ladders, instead of them having to jump from one company to the next as is often the case, helps you retain internal knowledge and top talent.

Connect colleagues

If you’d like to empower your employees who are climbing career ladders, why not connect them via an employee group? Get in touch today to find out more about how Workrowd could help you do just that.

Dread. That’s the feeling many employees get in the lead-up to their annual performance review.

I’ve had plenty of conversations with friends panicking over them. No matter how long they’ve been in a role or how good they know they are at it.

There’s something about sitting down and formally discussing their performance over the year that makes people sick to their stomachs.

While businesses can’t completely eradicate this feeling, there are steps they can take to make the process better. Not just for employees’ mental health, but also for getting the most out of the annual performance review process and their employees.

Have regular check-ins

Rather than having one big check-in after 365 days, have regular ones throughout the year instead. This will make them shorter, more focused, and reduce anxiety as they become part of everyday work.

It also means that when you’re discussing something that’s happened, it’s fresher in everyone’s minds. That makes it easier to look back on and learn from issues, versus a single annual performance review.

It’s not just about using these sessions for feedback—they also help make managers more accessible to employees. This puts everyone at ease when they have meetings together.

Make feedback a regular occurrence

Whether you use radical candor, constructive criticism, or another technique, the more you make feedback a regular part of the business, the less anxious employees will feel about their annual performance review. And the less there will be to cover when that time of year rolls around.

A third of employees want regular feedback outside of an annual performance review. By providing them with that, you ensure that they continue to grow and improve throughout the year. Likely at a faster pace, too, because they can adapt what they’re doing sooner.

In any review, ensure there’s a balance of positive and negative feedback. That way employees don’t feel like they’re constantly being criticized.

When we only receive negative feedback, it can make us worry that we can’t do anything right and we’re not good enough in a role. This is particularly true if we lack confidence or are newer in our careers.

Positive feedback and recognition go a long way toward making employees feel appreciated and supported in the workplace. 

Share the agenda in advance

Whatever you can do to reassure employees that their annual performance review isn’t a bad thing can mean that review season doesn’t cause anxiety or stress.

Sharing a clear plan or outline for the session in advance, for example, makes it so employees know what will be covered. That way, they’re not walking into the discussion blindly.

Preparing employees for conversations makes the whole thing less stressful. It’s often the fear of the unknown that can trigger anxiety. People can prepare talking points and responses, making the process more accessible for those who don’t think well on the spot.

The clear outline for the conversation also keeps the meeting focused and ensures you cover everything.

Make it a two-way conversation

In one of my previous roles, my annual performance review was not, in fact, a performance review. 

I sat with my manager and they told me what I needed to do for the next 12 months. There was no room for me to speak, no analysis of what I’d done, and my opinion didn’t matter.

Despite all that “effort”, none of what was listed for my future priorities got done. Everyone forgot about the reviews the following day, and it was back to business as usual.

To get the most out of employees, it’s important for them to feel heard. Making their annual performance review a two-way conversation is a really simple way to do this.

After all, it’s about them. So why wouldn’t you ask for their opinion? For what they think they could do better, and what they want to achieve going forward?

Create a clear goal—together

If an employee isn’t onboard with their performance goals, they’re not going to put as much effort into achieving them. That’s why it’s important that their annual performance review is a two-way conversation, and you work out what the goals are for the next 12 months together.

Empowering them to be a part of this conversation may also allow them to feel more comfortable reflecting back on the previous 12 months, as it will feel more like an open discussion.

Develop a culture of psychological safety

Psychological safety is a key tenet of a healthy workforce where employees feel comfortable receiving feedback. 

When people are comfortable at work, they’re more likely to share what they’re going through and be more able to analyze what impacted their performance and why. Meaning they can improve before their next annual performance review.

Use more than a spreadsheet

58% of businesses still use spreadsheets to manage and monitor performance reviews. While spreadsheets have their uses, there are far better ways to assess an annual performance review in 2025.

The right tool can make it easier for employees and managers to track goals and enable you to analyze the progress.

Employees are more likely to trust software to be objective and deliver a fair review than just their manager, too. Which makes sense when you consider that we’re all prone to unconscious biases and it’s easy to forget things.

Despite how much easier technology can make performance reviews, just 45% of business leaders think their organization uses consistent tools for them. Showing it’s time for an upheaval in how we approach the annual performance review process.

Conclusion

The annual performance review process shouldn’t be a time of stress and anxiety for employees or managers.

The right tools, systems, and culture can make it a more comfortable, effective process for everyone. And not just one where managers talk at employees about things that are forgotten 24 hours later.

Boost your feedback culture

Want to find out what your employees really think of your company’s annual performance review? Why not send a survey?

Using Workrowd, you can send automated surveys to collect feedback from employees after key milestones—like their annual performance review. Get in touch today to book your free demo.

A PwC Financial Wellness survey found that finances are the largest source of stress for 54% of people. Since stressed people are less productive at work, building financial literacy for employees is important to your organization’s success.

What’s more, when you factor in that just 33% of the global population is financially literate according to the World Economic Forum, the stress levels really aren’t surprising.

Part of the problem is that many of us don’t learn financial literacy at school or from family members. Which means if we don’t actively seek to learn more about how to manage our finances, we never will.

But it isn’t that simple.

The sheer amount of information available around financial literacy can be overwhelming. This can cause people to end up even more confused than they were to begin with.

While it isn’t an employer’s job to offer financial literacy for employees, it can be an opportunity to support them in a way that drives business results. Consider it a perk that sets them up for a happier, more stable future.

It’s also a way to show employees that you value them. And that you understand the importance of education and financial literacy for employees—even if you’re not a financial organization.

Plus, it can reinforce or create a culture of learning, inspiring employees to think differently and explore new skills and topics.

And, according to Harvard Business Review, when employees are financially literate, it can help them at work to:

• Make business decisions
• Have a better understanding of how expenses impact a company’s profit and loss and balance sheet
• Design budgets
• Understand how their actions impact the business, and how they can improve the organization’s financial health

It’s little things like these that can add up to a more sound, stable, organization.

How to build financial literacy for employees in your organization

So, we’ve looked at why financial literacy for employees is important. Now let’s explore how you can build it across your organization:

Set up an employee group to talk money

When you have an employee group designed specifically for people to talk finances, it creates a safe space for discussion. So team members can share what’s going on with them, how they feel, and ask questions.

It creates somewhere people feel comfortable talking about money. This helps break down barriers when money is still seen as a taboo discussion topic.

Need help managing your employee groups? Or want to get more out of them? Workrowd has your back!

Get in touch to discover how we can help and book your free demo today.

Organize a training day

A one-off training session that any team member can sign up for is a great way to build financial literacy for employees. Sessions can cover everything from basic concepts to more advanced money management.

It gets employees in the mindset of thinking about their finances without distractions from their everyday work.

Organize a lunch and learn

On the other hand, a full day might be overwhelming for some. A shorter session, or a lunch and learn, gives them the option to learn without bombarding them with tons of information in a short space of time.

If it’s a series of sessions around financial literacy for employees, they can pick just the topics that are relevant or interesting to them. This ensures they don’t waste their time but still get to learn.

Bring in an expert

Getting a financial advisor or certified financial planner to come in and talk about financial literacy for employees allows them to talk to someone objective and experienced.

Ideally you want someone who’s neutral and doesn’t promote their own services or tools. That can lead to slippery slopes like encouraging employees to use an investment platform when they’re not ready.

Someone more neutral can outline the good and bad of all options and strategies. This helps employees make more informed decisions. They can also answer employees’ questions without a biased point of view, offering them support without a sales angle.

Recommend resources like books or podcasts

Everyone learns differently. Books, podcasts, video training sessions, or even vlogs can help improve financial literacy for employees on their own schedule. 

They could then discuss the book or podcast’s content in the financial literacy employee group with their colleagues.

Here are a couple of books to get you started:

I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi

Ramit approaches finance with humor, writing in plain English and laying things out in a clear, easy-to-understand way. He also has versions of the book adapted for different audiences by country.

Girls Just Wanna Have Funds – Anna-Sophie Hartvigsen, Camilla Falkenberg and Emma Due Bitz

Women earn, on average, 23% less than men. This equates to almost $400,000 dollars lost over the course of their lifetimes. This book looks at how managing money is different for women and how they can make the most of their funds.

Ask employees

When you understand how employees think and learn, you can better adapt to their needs.

The best way to learn what they need from you is to ask them. 

Consider sending an employee survey asking about financial literacy for employees; what they know, what they’d like to learn, and how they learn best. That then ensures you can tailor the training to them. Rather than presenting them with something that isn’t the right fit for the people in your organization.

If you create a learning module that isn’t the right fit for them, they’re less likely to use it. At that point, you’ll have wasted your investment.

Conclusion

Investing in financial literacy for employees doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be a benefit that helps your people grow at work and beyond. It can reduce their stress levels and therefore make them more productive at work.

Their financial literacy levels can also impact their decision-making skills and, in the process, your budget.

Investing in their skills now will pay you (and them) dividends in the future.

Ready to level up and deliver more when it comes to financial literacy for employees? Workrowd has the tools you need.

Visit us online to learn how our all-in-one platform makes it easy to launch and manage employee groups, track the impact of training sessions, and deliver a world-class employee experience with less stress.

Questions? Feel free to email us directly at hello@workrowd.com.