‘Don’t lose good people’: Corporate coach puts wellbeing on the balance sheet

As Australians slowly emerged from the immense stress triggered by a global pandemic, Mills said the individualised support of her company became highly sought after.

“The sheer magnitude of stress that was placed on employees over the last two years, it’s not child’s play,” she said.

“The quiet-quitting, the great resignation. People are wanting to leave. My point to businesses, through coaching, is don’t lose good people. Show them that you care, show them that you have the mechanisms in place to have them listened to, and help support them through what they’re dealing with, which will then help the company or increase its performance and profits.”

‘Don’t lose good people. Show them that you care, show them that you have the mechanisms in place to have them listened to, and help support them through what they’re dealing with, which will then help the company or increase its performance and profits.’

Victoria Mills

It’s in companies’ own interest as attrition rates are rising. Some 1.3 million Australians – or 9.5 per cent of the country’s employees – changed jobs during the 12 months to last February, making it the highest annual job mobility rate since 2012.

Modern-day coaching has veered away from the “over-priced”, “cookie-cutter” system of the past, which was usually offered only to executives within companies, Mills said. A growing understanding that everyone could benefit from professional support, no matter their position on the ladder, was resulting in greater demand for affordable ways to boost employee morale.

Where coaching was once seen as an optional luxury, companies have started to see it as something worthy of investment, a means to recruit and retain employees and save money in the long term.

James Windon, chief executive of Flare HR, an employment software start-up that recently began using Hello Coach services, said the “battleground for talent has never been tougher”, citing that about two-thirds of businesses experienced difficulty recruiting employees.

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The fintech hired Hello Coach as a way to redress priorities – recognising the importance of supporting the physical, mental, social and financial wellness of its employees for its success.

Although individual sessions require payment, either from the company or the employees themselves, Mills says her platform offers podcasts and articles free-of-charge for those with shallower bank accounts.

“People are looking for more. They want more purpose. They’re not wanting to be a robot or a cog in the wheel,” said Mills. “This is an opportunity for organisations to support their people and they really step up.”

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