Explains how BUPA has used coaching to improve staff retention.
Liz Hall
Healthcare organisation BUPA is building a pool of internally accredited coaching managers to help tackle high turnover among its 800 call centre staff.
“The call centre environment is stressful and lots of people walk out after just one year. We want to reduce attrition, help people grow organically and move around. We are seeing indications that this is improving,” learning and development consultant Jill Hatley told delegates.
Since introducing the scheme, BUPA has entered the Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For for the first time and has seen more career progression for staff and cross-fertilisation of ideas, Hartley’s colleague development consultant Julie Fox told delegates.
“We believe these successes are no coincidence,” Fox said.
BUPA is two years into a five-to-seven-year process, customising the Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring’s (OSC&M) model, which it has cut down from seven to five months. It is about to start using the OSC&M’s online toolkit).
The firm has 40 “accredited executive coaches” plus 13 “academy coaches” who have completed a basic two-day course and 17 HR coaches awaiting accreditation. Almost 150 staff have been coached. A key challenge is making sure people understand what is involved in becoming a coach, Fox said.
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Published:
1 September 2005
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